Guest Article from Karen in Chicago

From time to time I like to share this space with guest authors to inform and enlighten you, the viewing audience.

Today one of my loyal readers has agreed to do a post on the blog.

Karen and her husband Bob live in Chicago, travel a lot and have agreed to share one of their stories with my readers.



We have just returned from cruising the Panama Canal, starting in San Juan and ending in Acapulco.

While on board the cruise ship they had a special offer in their 'duty-free shop' -- buy 12 bottles of alcohol, get 6 small ones free and a 15% discount on top of that.

So, with this deal, we purchased the 12 bottles with the six free bottles of alcohol, not to be given to us until the end of the cruise.

As promised, the last night of the cruise, box was delivered to cabin -- but wait -- can't carry anything more than 3 oz of liquid on board the plane.

So, after some consideration, we wrapped the twelve plus bottles of alcohol in bubble wrap and towels, put them in the luggage to be carried in belly of plane.

After spending two days in Acapulco, we are off to the airport. Upon arrival at airport the security guards proceeded to open the luggage and took all the alcohol out saying that it was against regulations to carry any of them on the plane.

We tried to explain to them that we weren't carrying the bottles on the plane, they would be going into the baggage area.

They then produced a book in 'Spanish' saying that this is what the regulations stated. "You can't take any alcohol on the plane".

We asked to see this information in English. You know, press 1 for Spanish and 2 for English. It doesn't happen that way in Mexico.

More Security Guards approached us and stood around watching.

We continued to ask to see this reference in English. Finally, they brought over a Delta Agent who surprisingly enough had an English translation that stated that yes, in fact, we could carry 5 liters per person in our luggage.

This left 2 liters plus the six small bottles of the alcohol. Let's see, count the guards, hmmm, are there six, maybe plus the agents? Hmmm.

Now they couldn't confiscate all of the bottles AND more Security approaching us. Keep in mind, we had a plane to catch.

The Security personnel proceeded then to repack what we could take on board and as they did this we took all the additional bottles that they had confiscated and proceeded out the door of the airport and emptied them on the grass, making sure that no glass was broken, no littering. We figured if we couldn't party with them, neither could they.

We then were off to the plane and home. My husband, who has been for the rights of the illegal immigrants -- go figure -- has now made a complete turn around.

If, in Mexico, we can't have information in English and at this same time, they make their own rules, then why should we be so accomodating, making sure that they have all their information in Spanish and too, in America, they still want us to go by their rules? There truly is something amiss.



Thank you to Karen and Bob. My only suggestion would be leave more time at the airport next trip and drink rather then throw away the alcohol!!

Come back on tomorrow to see what is in store for you on the blog that never sleeps!!