De London Delay

Thanks to the poorly-managed madhouse that was Heathrow Airport (outside London) we spent our first day/night of vacation not in Riga, Latvia but in the UK. Hours and hours were spent trying to get another flight after missing ours by a few minutes due to a terrible and slow security screening process that took way too long.

Though the airport situation was horrendous, we did at least have a few hours to spare in the UK. We didn’t have enough time (or energy, really) to make the hour ride into London-proper. So, we visited he small town of Windsor where which was only 15 minutes from our airport hotel and home to Windsor Castle.

Built in the 11th century, Windsor Castle has been occupied by a British monarch continuously since Henry I who ended his reign in 1135. It is the longest continuously, royally-occupied castle in Europe. The jet-lag and exhaustion really hit M around 5:00 so we opted for over-priced room service dinner and an early bedtime.

The following morning as we attempted to make our next flight, airport officials insisted on conducting a full-body pat-down on my three-year-old! She failed the screening process bc she was too little for the machine and (after several rounds of “then let me talk to YOUR manager”) they ultimately refused to offer any alternative screening options.

“We even pat down the babies, ma’am,” they offered as if that made putting their hands all over my toddler’s body anything other than state-sponsored assault. After several rounds of conversation which were getting more and more heated, it was made very clear to me that consenting to this search for my child was the only option available. Furious was an understatement. Having been patted-down many times myself (and, btw, I have never objected to my own search because I understand these people are doing their jobs and trying to keep everyone safe) I knew I needed to have a quick body-boundaries talk with M.

I explained - for M’s comfort and understanding of a situation that was now unavoidable, not because I believed it was true - the lady considering the search was a “safe person.” I asked the agent to show her badge and introduce herself. I explained was only ok because this was the agent’s job, kind of like the doctor, and because mommy was right there with her. Normally we would never let someone touch our body like this and it was only happening bc this is how to check all the princesses that go through security.

M has flown more than a dozen times and gone abroad three times before. Airport security is nothing new for her but was this was definitely the only time we have ever been required to allow them to do a body pat-down of her. I’m still so angry and upset about this entire situation, but M did perfectly fine with the pat down and hasn’t mentioned it since.

Josh thinks there is a chance I may have overreacted. But I do not. I only wish I had had the time to react even more strongly in opposition!

But, alas, security was so slow and my scene was so lengthy, that we nearly missed our make-up flight (the only direct flight to Riga of the day). Thankfully, we made it just in time!