If you travel on long haul flights more than a few times, you get used to the routine. The plane announces its descent into San Francisco, Houston, London, Paris or wherever, about 30 minutes before you land. Everyone on the plane busies themselves with filling in forms and preparing for the ordeal of the passport queue. When the plane actually lands, just about everyone is desperate to get off the plane.
I went through the the same routine this morning on the way in to London Heathrow. The plane stopped at the jet way and everyone leapt from their seats and pulled their carry-ons from the overhead bins. The aisles were clogged with weary travelers in no time.
The Curious Euphemism
What could be more surprising at that point than to hear the stewardess announce:
“Could all passengers sit back in their seats please, and remove your belongings from the aisle. A welcoming committee is coming on board for one of the passengers.”
How surprising. And how graceful of all the claustrophobic passengers to sit meekly back down in their seats. What could be happening?
Perhaps Elton John was traveling incognito and some important fans wished to welcome him back to Albion’s isle. No. Maybe it was one of those dashing young princes traveling incognito and his British body guards were, well, changing guards, so to speak. Or perhaps it was some US Senator that the British Foreign Office was eager to rush through immigration so that he could have breakfast with the Queen. What could be happening?
None of those things, as it happened.
Two of the most imposing British policemen I’ve ever seen, packing heat and in no mood to negotiate, strode onto the plane and collared some young back-packer. I somehow got the impression that this was not the kind of welcoming committee the back-packer had been hoping to encounter. Once they had exited the plane it was suddenly as if nothing had happened. Everyone back on their feet and pressing forward to the exit.
I saw the young back-packer once more as I walked from the jet way. He was sitting down at a table, surrounded by his triumphant welcoming committtee – about 8 people; officious looking officials and a handful of representatives of Her Majesty’s Constabulary, including the two who had made such an unexpected entry onto the airplane.
Welcome home!
~ Master Yoda
