Right. Off You Go.

Airport, Employees, England, UK | Working | May 20, 2020


I’m an American on my first trip abroad. I am standing in line at customs and am developing my first gout attack. The line inches forward slowly and I can see people at the booths at the front of the line being detained almost endlessly. I finally get to the front and talk to an agent, who speaks in a thick Cockney accent.

Agent: “Purpose of your visit?”

Me: “I’m visiting friends and hope to do a little sightseeing.”

Agent: “How long will you be staying?”

Me: “Four days.”

The agent hands me back my passport.

Agent: “Cheers, mate.”

For a moment, I felt like I had just encountered the bridge-keeper from “Monty Python And The Holy Grail.” I muttered a “thanks” and scurried off. Maybe it was the person after me who got tossed into the Gorge of Eternal Peril