Mountain Echo

Issue date: 1/30/08 Section: Life

Kayleigh Gelles - Study Abroad Columnist

Rule number one while traveling abroad: Expect the unexpected. Rule number two: Wear rubber shoes.

So with the rules in mind, let's just take a minute to discuss German security.

As far as I know, the fifteen of us on the student flight(s) to Florence passed through U.S. security just fine by taking off our shoes. The same cannot be said for Frankfurt, Germany, where we were told to leave our shoes on their respectable feet.  But then a handful of us had to be patted, sat, and stripped...of our shoes.

When I say patted, I don't mean patted like in the States where you stick out your arms and they pat your pockets before a concert or sporting event. Instead, the patting involved gloved hands and metal detectors through every unimaginable uncomfortable region you can image. All we wanted to do from the get-go was take off our shoes.

My fellow Mounties and I had a three hour layover in Frankfurt after the minor security debacle where we had nothing better to do than sit around and observe our interesting surroundings.

There was a man dressed as a colonial handing out free chocolate in the duty free store and then there was a man riding a bike. Yes, a bike.

So the entire Frankfurt experience comes down to this question: you cannot get the leather boots on your feet through security, but you can get a metal bike?! I should have just worn my Crocs.

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