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Airport Adventures:
LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT

by Simon Talbot

"Because I am really clever, when I was in a rush to get off my late National Express Coach to catch my 2200hrs flight to Larnaca, Cyprus, I left my Passport & Tickets on the coach. I ran off the coach and didn't realise I left my stuff on the bus until it had left. This was at 22.05 - I had 1.50 in my wallet and dead mobile Battery! I was in quite a predicament to say the least. Luckily I caught Maria before she left the Cyprus airways desk. She let me use the telephone to call my parents so they could track down the bus and get a taxi to deliver the passport and tickets to the airport. She stayed until 23.30 bless her - she was due off shift at 22.30.

So when she left for the night, having let me call my parents, and charge my phone using her charger, and made me a cup of tea and sandwich - I still had no tickets, no passport and no place to stay overnight until the next flight at 11.00 in the morning! So I started to look for a place to sleep - I found a nice row of four chairs behind the bus information desks, it was a secluded little place, rather far from the tannoy. It was good that I couldn't hear the security announcements, but it was bad when I slept through repeated announcements...'Could Simon Talbot please make his way to the airport information desk'....

I started to worry my parents and the airport staff because according to them I had gone missing from midnight until 9 in the morning (The announcements had been made every ten minutes!) - although my secluded spot gave me a very peaceful nights sleep. I did cause a bit of a panic!

It turns out the announcements were to say that the passport and tickets had been delivered. Unfortunately the following-morning flight was full, however because I am such a charmer they let me sit on one of the fold up chairs the stewardess's use at landing and take off (One of the staff were ill I think!)

So even being in a mess, I managed to get a good nights sleep, a recharged phone, a free sandwich and cup of tea, free calls home, and a seat on a fully booked flight. Some say I am a jammy git, I say its my charms and good looks!"

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