A Teddy Bear Threatens Flight Safety; journey to Namibia with Maude

Laust’s mascot “Maude”
Stops airport security in Frankfurt! Yiehoo!

A Teddy Bear Threatens Flight Safety

The journey from Copenhagen to Frankfurt, on to Johannesburg, and finally to Windhoek was, for the most part, uneventful. However, as it turned out, Laust’s mascot—Maude—briefly caused a minor security scare in Frankfurt.

Security Alert in Frankfurt

As Laust’s hand luggage passed through the scanner, everything suddenly stopped. The small rucksack went back and forth through the machine several times while an increasing number of increasingly senior officials were called in to interpret the mysterious image.

Our lane was closed. Other passengers were redirected. Two armed police officers kept a close watch on us.

The bag went through the scanner again. And again.

Eventually, perhaps concluding that we looked sufficiently harmless - if slightly puzzled - the security team decided to open the bag and investigate the suspected “device”.

Out came Maude.

To their credit, the security staff remained polite throughout, and once the situation became clear, there was plenty of laughter. Maude responded appropriately with a cheerful “Yiehoo” when the chief inspector pressed his stomach.

Nothing exploded.

After a routine spectrophotometric test for traces of plastic explosives, we were cleared to proceed.

An Unexpected Upgrade

We continued from Frankfurt aboard one of the world’s largest passenger aircraft—an Airbus A380-800.

An unexpected bonus.

Running the Gauntlet in Johannesburg (chaotic transfer)

In Johannesburg, things became more hectic. We had to run for our connecting flight - without boarding passes.

Fortunately, this was taken rather lightly by security:

“No boarding passes?”
“Just hurry - you won’t make it otherwise.”

Even when the alarm sounded (my phone still in my pocket), the response was the same:

“Go, go!”

Boarding passes were issued at the gate, and we made it onto the flight at the very last moment.

The Missing Luggage

Our luggage, however, did not!

Relief came only about two hours ago, when the final bag finally arrived - just 14 hours before leaving Windhoek.

Our son resting with Maude after long flight
Windhoek, July 2012.

[In Danish]

Bamse truer flysikkerheden:

Flyveturen København – Frankfurt – Johannesburg – Windhoek forløb for så vidt uproblematisk. Dog skabte, skulle det efterfølgende vise sig, Lausts maskot ”Maude” lettere panik i Frankfurts security. Da Lausts håndbagage kørte gennem skanneren gik alt i stå, og den lille rygsæk kørte frem og tilbage gennem skanneren utallige gange, mens adskillige mere og mere betydningsfulde officials blev tilkaldt for at tolke skannerfundet. Vores sluse blev lukket, og alle andre passagerer i køen gennet over til andre sluser, mens to bevæbnede politifolk hold øje med os. Rygsækken fortsatte ind og ud af skanneren et par gange mere, men til slut har vores familie formentlig set tilpas fredelige og lettere undrende ud, og de besluttede sig for at åbne håndbagagen og lede efter ”bomben”. Op af tasken dukkede Lausts maskot Maude. Det skal siges til security folkenes ros, at de forblev venlige under hele seancen, og der var plads til store grin, da Maude dukkede op af rygsækken. Han kvitterede på passende vis med et ”Yiehoo”, da chefinspektøren trykkede ham på maven. Og intet sprang i luften. Efter en obligatorisk spektofotometrisk undersøgelse for plastisk sprængstof slap vi ud af saksen, og vi kunne forsætte ud af Frankfurt på vores videre færd i verdens største passagerfly. En Airbus 880-800. Det var en uventet bonus. I Johannesburg måtte vi løbe til den næste gate uden boardingpas. Det tog de heldigvis ikke så tungt i Johannesburg, da vi sagde vi ikke havde noget, og det var heller ikke det store problem da alarmen gik, da jeg i forvirringen havde min mobil i lommen: Bare skynd jer sagde security folkene, ellers når i det ikke. Ved gaten lavede de et bordingpas, og vi kom alle med i sidste øjeblik. Det gjorde bagagen naturligvis ikke, så lettelsen var stor for ca. 2 timer siden, da den sidste taske dukkede op her ca. 14 timer før vi forlader Windhoek.]