Following Friday's story of the policeman arrested for growing 17 cannabis plants in his barracks, today we learn of a 21-year-old man from Rome, with previous convictions, who was growing nine marijuana plants on his balcony in via delle Fornaci, a stone's throw from the Vatican City. A stray branch, blown into the street, had alerted police.
Going potty in a different way were the 100 or so unfortunate passengers, including both Sicilians and Norwegians, who landed at Palermo's Aeroporto Falcone e Borsellino on a flight from Oslo on Monday afternoon: upon leaving the plane, they were led into a room next to the Customs post where they were abandoned, in a temperature nearing 40 C and with no openable windows, doors or air conditioning, for at least 30 minutes. The bus that should have transported them to "Arrivals" never arrived and when some of the passengers tried to go back out through the door by which they had entered the room, they were forced back by baggage handlers because they were setting foot on the runway.
By this time the elderly passengers were desperate to sit down - there were no seats in the room - the babies and children amongst them were becoming distressed and other passengers urgently needed to use a restroom. Others were anxious about missing connecting flights. Several tried to call for help on their mobile phones but no help was forthcoming.
Finally, after some of the passengers had banged loudly on the locked glass doors and shouted at the tops of their voices, a man in uniform arrived and opened them. However, recognising him as the same official who had led them into the room in the first place and then forgotten them while he spoke on his mobile phone, several passengers became angry with him and one, who took a photograph of him, was accused of insulting him.
Come, come, Palermo : this is hardly the way to encourage tourism, is it?
6 comments:
Oh those poor people whenever I hear of stories like this one I wonder how I would cope. I am a reasonable, rational, logical human being not prone to panic BUT I wonder would I keep my calm? I hope so but more so I hope I am never tested!
Hi, cuby poet. I would go absolutely hysterical, I am sure.
Hi, Pat. Lucky it would never happen at Catania! Thanks for your post, I'm glad you liked my pet walrus, douglas
Horrible. Especially the temperature and lack of WC facilities. Makes you wonder why the baggage handlers didn't alert the officials of the situation.
Nightmare! Could you tell Cuby Poet that I'm unable to leave comments on her site?
Oh, it wouldn't, Douglas! As pet walruses go, I thought it was very fine. I suppose their main concern was the security and safety of the runway, Miss Footloose and they probably didn't realise what was happening. Will do, WW.
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