Talc

>>  Saturday, May 16, 2009

I found out that some people have a massive reaction to talcum powder the hard way, flying back from holiday.

The flight had been delayed about 4 hours, the airport was dreadfully inadequate with no facilities so we were very glad to get on the plane and finally be away.

They did a competition once we were up - how fast was the plane going at take off? Hubby submitted his entry.

My Daughter gets very hot and itchy on planes (we've done a lot of travelling, so it's something we are used to), I got out the talcum powder as usual. Now on long-haul we would pop off to the loo to do it, as there is room but this was a fairly small plane and we were very tired. So I popped a little bit between her legs where we were sat.

The lady on the row behind suddenly started to gasp for air, she called for a hostess, they laid her down in the aisle and put her on oxygen. She was taken to the back of the plane, her 2 young children were left behind and were crying.

An air hostess marches up the aisle and sharply says to me "You used talcum powder - did you know it's an explosive? you can't have it on a plane*" (This was still in the wake of 9/11). The whole plane's eyes were upon me. I mutters desperate apologies, but my feeble words of ignorance were brushed off. She told me the Captain would have to flush the air through and was very unhappy.

There was then an announcement saying there would be no food served as all the staff were taken up with a medical emergency. Again a 150 eyes of disapproval burned into me. My daughter had slow tears of guilt running down her face and I slunk lower into my seat.

As we were coming to land the Captain announced the winner of the competition. "Would Mr HWMBO, make himself known" OMG it was us, the hostess nigh on threw a bottle of wine at us and again 150 searing looks.

Hubby, who had let the whole thing pass over him was rather proud but I convinced him to give the bottle to the lady who had now been returned to her seat.

As we stood in the airport waiting for the cases, she was wheeled passed us in a chair still on oxygen (clutching her wine!) and 2 sobbing children at her side and again I felt all the eyes of "look what you did".

On the upside we didn't catch a cold on the plane - very unusual - presumably because the air was expensively flushed!!


*I haven't managed to find anything to support that statement since and it is allowed in hand luggage.

4 comments :

Jen 5:47 pm  

Oh you must have been mortified! You sound it! And the bottle of wine - what a crowning glory!

Stephanie 6:06 pm  

We fly at least a couple of times a year and I can say I have never heard of this particular rule! Sounds like a dreadful experience.

Working Mum 7:48 pm  

Oops! I have heard of allergies because we can't use it in school. However, now I know how to get clean air in my plane when I'm flying! Off to Boots to buy the talc now!

The wife of bold 10:55 pm  

OMG!!! I am recoiling in horror for you.....that is awful but also on retrospect very funny. I am laughing to myself now at the thought of the poor woman being wheeled past you whilst all dissaproving eyes are on you...priceless!!!

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