And We Think Our Security is Tough…

If you think we have tough security in airports, try flying in and out of Colombia. I arrived in Medellin, Colombia for a business trip on Saturday night, and I learned about a new dimension of security when we touched down at this high altitude airport about an hour from the city.

The plane landed on a bumpy runway…I have never noticed bumps and dings on any other run way before. It felt like there were little rocks on the tarmac. We entered the terminal and waited for our luggage. It took a while but it was all there, and we grabbed our bags. Then blue uniformed security officers came over and blocked our way. They said we had to show our luggage receipts that they matched up with the numbers on the barcodes of the tags placed there in Hartford.

Then we walked around the corner and we had to have our bags x-rayed, to come into Colombia. My friend Paul kept his carry-on, and was instructed to run that through the x-ray too. We also had to fill out a complicated form that disclosed any and all valuables we were bringing into the country, and any currency that we might be carrying above a certain amount.

So the next time I have to doff my shoes and put my laptop into its own little bin, I’ll just smile, and think…well it could be a lot worse!