There was another bomb alert at the airport this evening. When we got there the arrivals floor was already cleared, with soldiers guarding the central area. My heart sank. It meant waiting around for an extra 45 minutes.
As you can see, nobody was really worried. It was just another forlorn suitcase that someone forgot. Just as I got to the departures area, two policemen holding a long orange ribbon the width of the terminal were advancing toward us. Resignedly everyone walked to the end of the terminal and left the center area empty. People who weren't used to it were rapidly reassured by others that this happens a lot. When they had us far enough toward the end of the terminal, the policemen dropped the ribbon on the floor and stood around. The kiosk selling snacks and coffee did a brisk business. The flight to Conakry (Guinea) continued to check in.
We sat or stood and waited for twenty minutes or so. 
Behind me was a large Maori family from New Zealand, tall and good-looking. Two of the women had long waving black hair with a big red flower stuck into it. The males all around were considerably distracted by a floorful of pretty English teenagers. I wonder if this one knew how much she was revealing? I think she had to have known. It was so chilly that everyone was wearing coats inside.
There was a loud explosion out on the sidewalk. A lot of people started talking nervously all at once, but the old-timers looked relieved. They would finally be able to check in.
An airport worker told me a few years ago that this happens almost every day. They have a special machine that encloses the suspect object and explodes it. I felt sorry for the person who forgot the suitcase. It's so easy to do. C would have walked away without his own carry-on bag right after this if he had been alone.
On the way back into Paris, there was a beautiful sunset.
Hi,
I've been blocked at CDG because of bomb alerts before, especially in terminals 1 and 2. Terminal 3 seems to suffer less (but only in my experience, I have no stats on that), because it's a package holiday / low cost terminal. Pretty much only charter companies and Easyjet and their competitors fly out of 3. So I guess the real "risk" terminals are the internationals where the scheduled flights leave from.
-Fruey
Posted by: fruey (Let's Have It) | 30 January 2006 at 09:03