Ah the insane procedures involved in returning home...

[DandyDon]

Nothing can be done, I'm sure - just good to accept these as facts that strike me as ridiculous and accept as inevitable... :shakehead

(1) From Airport: $10 each to Caribe Blu, waiting for the van to get full, too full, multiple stops.

To Airport: $10 for a private van, total cost for both of us, non-stop.

Strong union, making unneeded work for locals, I suppose.

(2) They've changed the inspections done in front of the ticket counter. Where they used to hand search your luggage that was going to be checked, now they hand search your carry-on luggage instead, and there was no one with proficient English there to explain this. Had me confused. Once they check your carry-on, they apply a sticker, then give it back to you to carry around the non-secure area, so this clearly accomplishes nothing other than again making work for locals - which is good politics for being reelected to the airport authority I suppose. Those pay checks don't cost them anything; the passengers pay for all expenses. :silly:

Our carry-on bags were screened again as we entered the secure area, of course - and here you remove you belt, not your shoes. Don't get those confused.

(3) The same ladies who hand searched our carry-ons earlier did a repeat inspection at the boarding gate as they have for years. Doesn't accomplish anything, as they're not going to find anything that wasn't seen on the X-ray screening. I still got home with both cigarette lighters - no problem.

 

[redacted]

Seems to me that it gives you a good chance to move problem items from your carry-on to your checked luggage so you can bring it home with you rather than leave it behind. It may be a bit of make-work, but at least they work for it rather than just receive the check in the mail.

 

[ggunn]

It seems to me that the security measures are different every time I go through them. That may be intentional; any security measures that remain constant might be sussed and thwarted more easily than those that are always changing.

 

[lawofgravity]

(2) They've changed the inspections done in front of the ticket counter. Where they used to hand search your luggage that was going to be checked, now they hand search your carry-on luggage instead, and there was no one with proficient English there to explain this. Had me confused. Once they check your carry-on, they apply a sticker, then give it back to you to carry around the non-secure area, so this clearly accomplishes nothing other than again making work for locals - which is good politics for being reelected to the airport authority I suppose. Those pay checks don't cost them anything; the passengers pay for all expenses. :silly:

I'm so glad they got rid of hand checking your check in. It's not pleasant having someone go through your dirty unmentionables. I found it curious how they make you take the batteries out of your dive light, put them in again and then turn it on to make sure it is actually a light and not some cleverly designed ray gun.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

It's just part of traveling to a foreign country. If you want everything to be done the way it is in YOUR country, then stay home and don't go to THEIR country. *shrug*

 

[DandyDon]

Seems to me that it gives you a good chance to move problem items from your carry-on to your checked luggage so you can bring it home with you rather than leave it behind. It may be a bit of make-work, but at least they work for it rather than just receive the check in the mail.

Maybe that was it...?

I'm so glad they got rid of hand checking your check in. It's not pleasant having someone go through your dirty unmentionables. I found it curious how they make you take the batteries out of your dive light, put them in again and then turn it on to make sure it is actually a light and not some cleverly designed ray gun.

I guess so, I never worried about that, but did like to watch them search mine. 5 always remove batteries from lights, tho - so they won't look like possible bombs, and so the weight of the batteries won't jostle against the light in baggage handling. I usually leave the used batteries with the Dive Op, gave them to DM Mau this time. They had power left in them, but at 25c each to replace with new ones, didn't want to mess with hauling them back.

It's just part of traveling to a foreign country. If you want everything to be done the way it is in YOUR country, then stay home and don't go to THEIR country. *shrug*

Nah, not at all, but some of that does seem silly. :silly:

 

[scubapro50]

Just returned from Cozumel this morning .... had no problems with U.S. Customes what so ever.... walked right thru carring our passport and luggage and they didn't even check our bags. We went on a CARNIVAL cruise for 5 days out of Galveston. Only had one day to dive in Cozumel but it was well worth it ($469 for the crusie and $99 for a 2 tank dive)........ hard to beat that price for transportation, hotel and food if you fly. The second day we went and explored Mayan ruins. What was so great about this cruise it was a "ELVIS TRIBUTE CRUSIE" with performances by ELVIS impersonators.

 

[tlmainer]

We were in Coz in early December and again in early January and they did not hand check or put a sticker on any of our carry on's either trip. They did ask if we were carring liquids. They also ran them through the x-ray machine before entering secure area.
Strange... maybe it depends on how busy the airport is or ?????????

 

[CheddarChick]

Tsk Tsk Tsk... All this and not one picture of diving......or divers,...or fish...
Come Don are you holding out on us????

 

[DandyDon]

[hijack]Tsk Tsk Tsk... All this and not one picture of diving......or divers,...or fish...
Come Don are you holding out on us????[/hijack]
Nah, not at all. Just haven't finished the album to load on PG. I will this weekend. I did post some Photobucket stills in Myspace bulletins, but I'll delete those from PB in a week or two, hate to use them in threads here. A few pics came out, inspite of a fogging problem I had with the lens - impressed non-divers anyway. Some Cenote dive pics, close-ups of a foraging Eagel ray who was not shy about all the gawking divers, the submarie that buzzed us on the last dive and the swim suit diver who mooned them. Lots of camera flashes came out of the sub.