If you look back at where we as a civilization once was, it isn't rocket science to figure out, we have accomplished some really amazing things. And although you would imagine that all accomplishments would create the better in people, you can only imagine I have some resistance to that. Accomplishments can often times cause weakness in others, sometimes things we see in ourselves. On the total extreme side of that, there are accomplishments that just completely wipe society of all brain cells, and cause complete and utter stupidity.
Lets take flight as an example. The mere fact that travel once started just by foot, then came horse and buggy (camel if you are reading this from the Middle East), then the car....of course skipping some along the way. It wasn't enough that we travel on ground, but then came travel by air. The fact that we can hoist a HUGE piece of metal, high into the clouds, and enjoy a flight all the way around the face of the earth.....it is just beyond amazing. The technology behind this is absolutely astonishing. On the downside of this, you have people that have something to prove, and completely abuse our abilities as human beings to create such successful endeavors.
So, by the sounds of it, you would think that I enjoy flying...making the flight 7,000 miles from home, and 23 hours later. Truth be told, I actually HATE (I mean HATE) flying...but, there are so many places to see and go, I just deal with it.
It was Summer of 2011, I had a couple weeks left of vacation, before returning to school. Michelle (a good friend of mine here in the UAE) and I decided to go to Cyprus for one last vacation, in which we THOUGHT:
1. Cyprus is close, it is only 3 hours from Abu Dhabi
2. Cyprus has beautiful beaches to relax on
3. Cyprus in somewhere new and fun to go.
We boarded our plane by mid morning, expecting to get to Cyprus that evening, and have a little time to look around and learn the area. I couldn't wait....
The flight started off strange, as we left from the Abu Dhabi Airport, we loaded from a terminal that I had not ever seen before. We left from the terminal, boarded a bus that took us to the tar-mac, and then we boarded our plane. Michelle and I had a strange interaction with a group of three guys that had boarded the bus when we did. They were rather rude, very pushy, annoying, and loud. I didn't think too much of it, as I figured they were young, and felt obliged to act in this manner. All I can remember thinking, "why, did I have to stand next to them?"
I was first off the bus, going toward the airplane; the three guys and Michelle would follow in my footsteps. I had not taken but three steps up the ramp to enter the aircraft, when I was pushed from behind and scooted to the side by one of the three gentlemen we had already had an encounter with. It was very strange, as if this guy could NOT wait to get on the plane.
Michelle and I had taken our seats, excited beyond belief. Again, very different from the usual, I had an aisle seat (which I prefer window, so I can see the outside) and Michelle had the middle seat (which she always wants the aisle seat).We figured it was only a 3 hour flight, so things would be okay.
We finally took off from Abu Dhabi, and headed toward Cyprus. I reached for my book and IPOD, assured I would be able to relax for a bit and catch up on my reading. Michelle and I started to chat, talking about all the things we would do within the next week.
It wasn't but 30 minutes into the flight, when my gut feeling told me something was wrong. The staff had started to act a little strange. They had panic stricken looks on their faces, but yet, still held it together enough to be SO kind and helpful. A little too nice. Meanwhile, there is a lady in 1st class hyperventilating, babies crying, the AC isn't cooling....things just aren't right. The plane had never reached the proper altitude, it suddenly felt as if we were about to take a nose dive into the ground. I was panic-stricken, as I was so far away from the window, I couldn't see anything, and I was depending on Michelle to tell me what she could see. All I could think about was the plane having motor issues, and I was about to plummet into the ocean or sand dunes. A good 15 minutes of panic was happening before an announcement was made. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be making an emergency landing in Doha, Qatar."
I am sorry, a WHAT?!?! An emergency landing?? Why? What is going on? What is happening? Am I about to die and don't know it! This wasn't part of my plan today! You could feel my heart pounding. It is that moment in time when you feel completely helpless, and there isn't anything you can do.
The rest of the story becomes a blur, as it became very chaotic and quite surreal. All I remember, and will never forget is the landing of the plane (very fast and abrupt) and the pilot screaming, "RUN, there is a bomb on the plane."
Complete and utter chaos broke loose, as people starting pushing and shoving to get off the plane. I remember grabbing my purse and bag, shoving my way off the plane, and RUNNING for dear life. Stepping from the stairs, I hit the cement, and took off running for dear life. People, scattered like little ants from an ant mound, ran into the hot, dusty, and baron desert grounds. I didn't turn back, as I wanted to be as far into the desert as possible and away from what I was sure would explode in any given moment.
Once I had reached a fair distance out, Michelle shortly behind me, I turned...awaiting what would FOR SURE be the worst sight my blue eyes would have seen- an airplane blow to small pieces and my life taken for granted. It was then, a plane full of people waiting, saw the Doha police arrest three men and escort them away. We waited....confused, irritated, hot, scared, and shocked. What do we do now?
Finally, after 20 minutes of sitting in the hot Middle Eastern sun, buses came to pick us up. We were taken into security, all of us would have to be searched. We were quarantined, away from the main airport, handed plenty of water to drink, and asked to sit and wait. So, that is what I did...sat and waited.
I remember frantically trying to get on wireless Internet, so I could call home. Knowing it was 2:00 am, I wanted to talk to my parents. I just knew this was going to be splashed across FOX News, and this is the story my dad would see before his first cup of coffee. Granted I was able to get through, in the midst of a midnight dream, I don't think even my father realized the words that were coming out. It was all just disbelief.
To this day, I can't believe this actually happened, and it happened to me. Although it ended up being a joke and there wasn't a bomb on the plane, it was the scariest moment in my life. I wasn't done living life.....I hadn't said the proper goodbyes....I didn't want to die THIS way! And, why was it his responsibility to take the lives of 300+ travelers? It wasn't....and to this day, I THANK GOD for every good thing that came out of that day and that I am still alive today.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/aviation/holiday-cypriot-s-bomb-joke-ends-doha-arrest/20110827
Lets take flight as an example. The mere fact that travel once started just by foot, then came horse and buggy (camel if you are reading this from the Middle East), then the car....of course skipping some along the way. It wasn't enough that we travel on ground, but then came travel by air. The fact that we can hoist a HUGE piece of metal, high into the clouds, and enjoy a flight all the way around the face of the earth.....it is just beyond amazing. The technology behind this is absolutely astonishing. On the downside of this, you have people that have something to prove, and completely abuse our abilities as human beings to create such successful endeavors.
So, by the sounds of it, you would think that I enjoy flying...making the flight 7,000 miles from home, and 23 hours later. Truth be told, I actually HATE (I mean HATE) flying...but, there are so many places to see and go, I just deal with it.
It was Summer of 2011, I had a couple weeks left of vacation, before returning to school. Michelle (a good friend of mine here in the UAE) and I decided to go to Cyprus for one last vacation, in which we THOUGHT:
1. Cyprus is close, it is only 3 hours from Abu Dhabi
2. Cyprus has beautiful beaches to relax on
3. Cyprus in somewhere new and fun to go.
We boarded our plane by mid morning, expecting to get to Cyprus that evening, and have a little time to look around and learn the area. I couldn't wait....
The flight started off strange, as we left from the Abu Dhabi Airport, we loaded from a terminal that I had not ever seen before. We left from the terminal, boarded a bus that took us to the tar-mac, and then we boarded our plane. Michelle and I had a strange interaction with a group of three guys that had boarded the bus when we did. They were rather rude, very pushy, annoying, and loud. I didn't think too much of it, as I figured they were young, and felt obliged to act in this manner. All I can remember thinking, "why, did I have to stand next to them?"
I was first off the bus, going toward the airplane; the three guys and Michelle would follow in my footsteps. I had not taken but three steps up the ramp to enter the aircraft, when I was pushed from behind and scooted to the side by one of the three gentlemen we had already had an encounter with. It was very strange, as if this guy could NOT wait to get on the plane.
Michelle and I had taken our seats, excited beyond belief. Again, very different from the usual, I had an aisle seat (which I prefer window, so I can see the outside) and Michelle had the middle seat (which she always wants the aisle seat).We figured it was only a 3 hour flight, so things would be okay.
We finally took off from Abu Dhabi, and headed toward Cyprus. I reached for my book and IPOD, assured I would be able to relax for a bit and catch up on my reading. Michelle and I started to chat, talking about all the things we would do within the next week.
It wasn't but 30 minutes into the flight, when my gut feeling told me something was wrong. The staff had started to act a little strange. They had panic stricken looks on their faces, but yet, still held it together enough to be SO kind and helpful. A little too nice. Meanwhile, there is a lady in 1st class hyperventilating, babies crying, the AC isn't cooling....things just aren't right. The plane had never reached the proper altitude, it suddenly felt as if we were about to take a nose dive into the ground. I was panic-stricken, as I was so far away from the window, I couldn't see anything, and I was depending on Michelle to tell me what she could see. All I could think about was the plane having motor issues, and I was about to plummet into the ocean or sand dunes. A good 15 minutes of panic was happening before an announcement was made. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be making an emergency landing in Doha, Qatar."
I am sorry, a WHAT?!?! An emergency landing?? Why? What is going on? What is happening? Am I about to die and don't know it! This wasn't part of my plan today! You could feel my heart pounding. It is that moment in time when you feel completely helpless, and there isn't anything you can do.
The rest of the story becomes a blur, as it became very chaotic and quite surreal. All I remember, and will never forget is the landing of the plane (very fast and abrupt) and the pilot screaming, "RUN, there is a bomb on the plane."
Complete and utter chaos broke loose, as people starting pushing and shoving to get off the plane. I remember grabbing my purse and bag, shoving my way off the plane, and RUNNING for dear life. Stepping from the stairs, I hit the cement, and took off running for dear life. People, scattered like little ants from an ant mound, ran into the hot, dusty, and baron desert grounds. I didn't turn back, as I wanted to be as far into the desert as possible and away from what I was sure would explode in any given moment.
Once I had reached a fair distance out, Michelle shortly behind me, I turned...awaiting what would FOR SURE be the worst sight my blue eyes would have seen- an airplane blow to small pieces and my life taken for granted. It was then, a plane full of people waiting, saw the Doha police arrest three men and escort them away. We waited....confused, irritated, hot, scared, and shocked. What do we do now?
Finally, after 20 minutes of sitting in the hot Middle Eastern sun, buses came to pick us up. We were taken into security, all of us would have to be searched. We were quarantined, away from the main airport, handed plenty of water to drink, and asked to sit and wait. So, that is what I did...sat and waited.
I remember frantically trying to get on wireless Internet, so I could call home. Knowing it was 2:00 am, I wanted to talk to my parents. I just knew this was going to be splashed across FOX News, and this is the story my dad would see before his first cup of coffee. Granted I was able to get through, in the midst of a midnight dream, I don't think even my father realized the words that were coming out. It was all just disbelief.
To this day, I can't believe this actually happened, and it happened to me. Although it ended up being a joke and there wasn't a bomb on the plane, it was the scariest moment in my life. I wasn't done living life.....I hadn't said the proper goodbyes....I didn't want to die THIS way! And, why was it his responsibility to take the lives of 300+ travelers? It wasn't....and to this day, I THANK GOD for every good thing that came out of that day and that I am still alive today.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/aviation/holiday-cypriot-s-bomb-joke-ends-doha-arrest/20110827
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