The great British public

Every now and then something happens that restores your faith in the Great British public.

An example occurred one Sunday a few years back at the departure gate at Stansted Airport as I was flying out to Faro on business.

I guess he was only doing his job but for some reason the Ryanair employee on patrol that morning homed in on my hand baggage as he checked my priority boarding pass and passport.

"That's looks a bit big, mate," he said, adding, "See if it fits in there," as he pointed towards the I-can't-believe-it's-not-the-right-size contraption at the gate desk.

No problem, I thought - this was the bag purchased (at some expense) many years ago for my then six or eight flights a year to the Algarve. I made sure it met Ryanair's measurements as I felt I ought to meet the lowest common denominator.

And it had never let me down. Until that Sunday. Would the bloody thing fit? I think you know the answer.

A BBC Watchdog investigation immediately sprang to mind - the one where they checked out the I-can't-believe-it's-not-the-right-size contraptions at Luton Airport and found them to be smaller than the airlines' accepted guidelines.

Anyway, I digress. I huffed and I puffed, with no joy.

"That'll have to go in the hold," I was informed – at a cost of £40.

I was confused. Not a totally alien feeling, I must admit, but why wouldn’t the bag fit when it usually did?

Then it came to me – in a flash. The magazines I'd bought for my business partner were pretty bulky. Maybe if I took them out.......Eureka! Minus the magazines, the bag fitted perfectly into the I-can't-believe-it's-not-the-right-size contraption.

This was marked by a round of applause from my fellow passengers and a lap of honour from me. I threw the magazines into the bin - £10’s worth against £40 for a bag in the hold; no contest.

"I'll take one of those for you," said a man in the queue.

"I'll take one as well," said someone else.

So, a bit of bin diving and some quick distribution and things were sorted.

Once the seat belt lights went off somewhere over east Essex, my fellow passengers filed up to me, returning said magazines.

A couple of days later a story appeared in the Daily Telegraph:

Airport staff offered scheme to help catch Ryanair passengers with excess baggage

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/8890300/Airport-staff-offered-scheme-to-help-catch-Ryanair-passengers-with-excess-baggage.html

I realise that this referred to John Lennon Airport in Liverpool - but can my experience have been mere coincidence?

Answers on a postcard, please. You see, I don’t get out much.