India - Thoughts - Part 1

So I just got back from India... While the trip is still fresh in my mind I would like present a thought or two each day...

Today's discussion topic will be arrival at Mumbai's International Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji International). Indian friends of mine tried to psychologically prepare me for the unpleasant smell I would encounter upon the jet doors opening following arrival in Mumbai. On descent I had a birdseye view of the ramshackle corrugated aluminum shacks that surround the airport. While taxiing after touchdown the smell of Mumbai and the adjacent "slumpockets" started to permeate into the plane. I turned off my ventilation nozzle, but it was hopeless, my nostrils were doomed. I was surprised at what little separation there is from the airport to these homes. In the US homes this close would require all kinds of variances and soundproofing. I couldn't help but wonder whether these shacks lining the airport in Mumbai occasionally get knocked down from taxiing planes' exhaust.

After picking up my baggage from the carousel I proceeded through customs. I expected long lines and I heard stories of officials demanding petty bribes. What I saw was two international flights arriving and the customs officials completely overwhelmed. There was one X-Ray machine belonging to the customs office for a flood of people. This x-ray machine had a conveyor belt sorely in need of some WD-40. The customs officials then waved most of my flight straight out of customs despite many customs officials looking rather idle. After passing customs I had to recheck my bag onto my domestic flight, so my bag needed to be x-rayed again and dropped off. This x-ray machine is in a narrow hallway, barely wide enough to fit one cart through. The following cart traffic chaos was a microcosm of the chaotic driving I would soon witness. After waiting on the long x-ray line and the push-fest for re-checking bags, I was now finally ready to wait on the line for the bus to the domestic terminal (Mind you, this is over 24hrs after leaving LA). But before you enter the domestic terminal you must go through security. Like most security in India, it is just a gesture. In retrospect, this was the tightest security check I saw in India.

From observation, metal detectors are improperly used almost uniformly throughout India. At a railway station, malls, etc, metal detectors were just used to check if people had something metal - the source of the metal is not really of concern. Posh malls had security. At one such mall, I was impressed when the security guard inspected the underbody of a van with this special mirror contraption. Then I saw the guard proceed to open the trunk and wave his beeping handheld metal detector along the interior of the trunk. After that I realized he probably wouldn't know terrorist device from his elbow.

The connecting flight to Gujarat was barely an hour long and not at any obvious mealtime, but in Jet Airways tradition a meal was served. I didn't even have time to finish my meal before the tray tables had to be stowed for landing!!