Passengers travelling to any country usually try to stuff all their essential needs into the allowable baggage. Whether they are arriving or departing, their baggage is a story by itself. For some, the thought process on what to pack and bring is quick. For others, it is a long and well-planned process, often beginning days before the actual flight.
There was a time when I worked for an airline and had unrestricted access to the air side and passenger terminals. This allowed me the privilege of being in the arrival hall waiting, as passengers were being off-loaded from their inbound flights. I remember one such time waiting for a friend to arrive. The arrival terminal was a very busy place and people seemed to be everywhere. With the holiday season coming to an end, the place was also bustling with throngs of people waiting outside the hall for their families and friends to arrive.
My friend’s flight was delayed and I found myself a seat with a view of the arrival hall and the Customs area. As flight after flight disgorged passengers, who made their way rather antiquatedly to the terminal on those enormously irritating passenger buses, a common thread of pattern struck my visual senses. Almost all the passengers carried luggage bulging far beyond capacity. And these were just carry-ons!
Curious as to the shopping habits of my fellow brethren and with some time to kill before my friend arrived, I went over to the Customs area to observe the ‘market place’ activity that was unfolding. One thing was immediately apparent. The origin of a flight tells a lot about the kind of baggage that one was expected to find.
For instance, passengers on flights from the United States favoured lots of suitcases and large cardboard cartons usually taped and tied with some rope and identifying their owner with some heavy markers displaying the name on all sides. New cartons of baby strollers, car seats, microwave ovens and three wheelers seemed to be everywhere. Computer hardware peripherals were also a common purchase, as luggage strollers appeared to overflow with cartons suggesting printers, monitors and the likes. Gym equipment and children’s wear made up for the rest.
I noticed some western passengers in an animated discussion with Customs officials on the duty free liquor they had purchased at their point of departure. Most were not aware of the outright ban on the importation of any form of alcohol into Saudi Arabia.
Passengers from England and other parts of Europe did not haul too many cartons, but their suitcases were bulging far beyond capacity. Suitcases with broken handles, wheels or busted zippers were not an uncommon sight coming off the baggage turnstile, victims of disgruntled baggage handlers. Clothes seemed to be the dominant theme. One passenger, amusingly enough, carried fresh chilled Irish beef with him in a plastic sack. Books and magazines made up the rest of their purchases. Passengers from what used to be the Soviet Union at one time were more frugal and carried less baggage, usually less than the allowable limit.
Those arriving from the Far East were slightly more perplexing. Included in their baggage were electronics ranging from large televisions, stereos, speakers, VCRs, computer hardware, to a collection of artistic curios, coffee tables and furnishings. Also included were children’s clothes and shoes of all sizes, and lots of them. There were bamboo pieces as well as rattan crafts.
The baggage of passengers from the Near East could actually be smelled before it was opened, as aromas of different spices wafted through the air, filling the Customs hall with a sensation of the Orient. Small, clear plastic sacks tightly bound appeared to carry various shades of ground spices and Customs inspectors would have an arduous time going through the items piece by piece. Sarees and other fabric were a big buy as well, as suitcase after suitcase revealed an array of glittering and shimmering material. Brass fixtures were a popular item as well.
Those arriving from neighbouring countries of the Middle East seemed to carry the least amount of baggage. Wall plaques and decorations could be observed among their belongings, as well as Arabic sweets such as baklava in small cartons and containers soaking through with the sweet syrup.
Finally, my Greek friend Andreas entered the Arrival Hall. I had requested him to get me some fresh pistachios from the Greek island of Aegina where he was vacationing. The island was reputed for being among the best in the world.
However, the airline had somehow misplaced his luggage, which was on its way to Zurich. He did have a handful of pistachios in his coat pocket though, some of which he graciously offered to me. After he completed the formalities of reporting missing baggage with the airline staff, we both made our way out of that ‘international supermarket’ forlorn and somewhat empty-handed!
Tariq A. Al Maeena is a Saudi socio-political commentator. He lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@talmaeena
