Ryanair baggage gestapo @ Lanzarote Airport

2sides2everystory

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

I didn't realise that little old ladies or limping men were less able to read or were more stupid than the rest of us.

Well you'd better realise it before you become one because the less able to read part often happens to many people quite fast once over 50, and most people become noticeably less sharp or 'mellowed' if you like as they become older, Bob. More to the point, you are unlikely to see many little old ladies or limping old men making the necessary adjustments to the shape of their baggage using brute force or by getting down on the floor to rearrange things.

In my experience 90+% of the times it is females under 40 years old who fall foul of this, I make no comment it's just an observation.

One lady under 40 I saw who "fell foul" of it clearly had got tired of faffing around alongside her other half who had suggested that they drape several layers of clothes around their waists but they'd failed somehow in this endeavour to satisfy the gestapo. There must have been some other misdemeanour outstanding so she took charge, he went red and quiet, and she just got out her card and coughed up. We actually saw that whole dance pan out.

Meanwhile there was the big irate Irishman aged about 60 who clearly had overdone his airport shopping (maybe the last time he used an airport he had been used to being able to buy what was on offer airside and did not realise he was falling into a trap. (Yes Bob, it is a trap). So his 55x40x20 or whatever it is supposed to be (see I'm a regular and not sure!) was still zipped shut but bulging. In his easily provoked irate mood he actually was quite a good illustration of why they used not to let children in pubs - the argument he was having contained few lengthy stanzas - merely the staccato "Gimme my boarding card!!" ... "I'm late!!" ... "You'll not be having forty quid!!" "I'm late enough" "Dont you be telling me" "Let me have my boarding card NOW" ... "You've no right" - so it was clear he was very angry. His glares at the gestapo were worrying if only because he looked like a heart attack might be on the menu, but the whole mini-drama would certainly have frightened many children who were trying to make sense of it.

The little old lady quite rightly and cleverly ignored the lady gestapo's request for her boarding card after she had just managed to put her bag atop of the frame, but after it hadn't obliged by dropping through. She didn't have the strength to squash it, although as it was one of those medium-sized cylindrical holdalls it would clearly have been squashable to Bob or me. In any event it had already weighed ok. The irate Irishman had been suckered into handing over his boarding card which is a cue for the beginning of the last word by the gestapo. Get the next step wrong and it's a gotcha. Instead the astute little old lady kept her boarding card safely out of sight and took herself and her bag off to a quiet corner and rearranged it. The Swissport staff had been unnecessarily brusque with her, had not offered to help her try the bag in the frame and so when she ignored them I thought that was exactly what they deserved. They simply moved on to the next stream of vulnerables about to pass the desk:

Sir!, Sir!! Can you come back please?! ...
Erm Excuse me Madam! Ehm Madam !! Over here please ...
Can you weigh your bag please ? ....
No Sir, you are not late ....
I need you to weigh it now, here ...
No the frame Sir, ... you've already weighed it yes ...
Yes I have seen you weigh it but I need you to put it in the frame ... there
The frame ... yes lift your bag ... let me see it go in
The frame ... in there ...

Can you all weigh your bags please ...

(announcing to no-one in particular just those in earshot who might be in 'I must be sensitive to spurious commands in an airport - I must obey' mode.)

Just before we we called through the gate we were also treated to the spectacle of another lady (anoher of your under 40s I presume, Bob - I only got a back view) who in any other environment you might have said was pulling her drawers up after some strangely public reason for them being down. But no, this was the Ryanair baggage gestapo desk so what she was doing was pulling on an extra pair of culottes or netball pants under her skirt in front of the desk - not strange at all in the environments Ryanair creates - much

As I said, all very ugly.

vix2000

Not quite yet being a very old lady, or bereft of my eyesight or brain, I had purposely bought a case to ryanairs exact specifications and I ensured it was the exact weight, and not at all bulging.

On leaving the UK it fitted the cage in and out perfectly. On returning from Barcelona airport I inadvertently inserted it into the cage with the 2 front zips to the back of the cage. On removing the case from the cage the zips got caught on the back bar of the cage. Being disabled with arthritis I do not have much arm strength and was very grateful for a kind man helping me get it out. Although it was then shown that it fitted perfectly the other way round, I was told that I must pay 40 euros.

My Partner had our cards and had gone ahead with the grandchildren, my daughter who was waiting for me was told she could not go and get him or the cards. I was then told to pay up or miss my plane. I offered to remove some things from the bag, although it was the correct size and weight. I was told it was now too late to take my bag on board and I would miss the plane if I did not go now. I had no choice but to leave my bag.

I then boarded the plane and my partner spoke to the cabin staff who let him go back to the gate. They would not let him through until he paid the 40 euros. He paid this and they let him through to put the things I had started to remove back in and close my bag. He effortlessly put the bag in and out of the crate and asked what the problem was? They said "it is too late now you have already paid."

Meanwhile, the stewardess came and asked me what was the problem. I related the story and she was very apologetic and said that the air staff had no jurisdiction over the ground staff, but they had many problems with this airport. She advised me to complain. I said my main worry was that my partner would miss the plane as I was told there was only 5 minutes to take off. She assured me he would not.

At least 10 more passengers boarded with bags after me in the 25 minutes before take off. I believe that I was targeted because they could see my infirmity, and that they lied about not being allowed to carry on a bag and that take off was imminent to scare me into paying, as has been said above.

To all the pious "you are told the terms and conditions" brigade, I assure they were well read and kept to, but that did not protect me from their bully boy tactics. And, yes, I have written and complained.

stilltheone

spiro wrote: »

What about Easyjet then, they only have a size limit. The only weight limit is that you can lift it into the overhead locker. Image some bodybuilder who takes his dumbells in his hand luggage :eek:

I thought the Easyjet limit was 7 kgs. Perhaps I need to check again.

stilltheone

vix2000 wrote: »

Not quite yet being a very old lady, or bereft of my eyesight or brain, I had purposely bought a case to ryanairs exact specifications and I ensured it was the exact weight, and not at all bulging.

On leaving the UK it fitted the cage in and out perfectly. On returning from Barcelona airport I inadvertently inserted it into the cage with the 2 front zips to the back of the cage. On removing the case from the cage the zips got caught on the back bar of the cage. Being disabled with arthritis I do not have much arm strength and was very grateful for a kind man helping me get it out. Although it was then shown that it fitted perfectly the other way round, I was told that I must pay 40 euros.

My Partner had our cards and had gone ahead with the grandchildren, my daughter who was waiting for me was told she could not go and get him or the cards. I was then told to pay up or miss my plane. I offered to remove some things from the bag, although it was the correct size and weight. I was told it was now too late to take my bag on board and I would miss the plane if I did not go now. I had no choice but to leave my bag.

I then boarded the plane and my partner spoke to the cabin staff who let him go back to the gate. They would not let him through until he paid the 40 euros. He paid this and they let him through to put the things I had started to remove back in and close my bag. He effortlessly put the bag in and out of the crate and asked what the problem was? They said "it is too late now you have already paid."

Meanwhile, the stewardess came and asked me what was the problem. I related the story and she was very apologetic and said that the air staff had no jurisdiction over the ground staff, but they had many problems with this airport. She advised me to complain. I said my main worry was that my partner would miss the plane as I was told there was only 5 minutes to take off. She assured me he would not.

At least 10 more passengers boarded with bags after me in the 25 minutes before take off. I believe that I was targeted because they could see my infirmity, and that they lied about not being allowed to carry on a bag and that take off was imminent to scare me into paying, as has been said above.

To all the pious "you are told the terms and conditions" brigade, I assure they were well read and kept to, but that did not protect me from their bully boy tactics. And, yes, I have written and complained.

That's a bit of a rum do.

antenna

stilltheone wrote: »

I thought the Easyjet limit was 7 kgs. Perhaps I need to check again.

It,s people that "Think" and dont know that fill these forums with "a man down the pub said" useless untrue scarmongering......i know that's true cos my mate's friend overheard a man on a bus saying so.

richardw

vix2000 wrote: »

On returning from Barcelona airport

Was this El Prat BCN, Girona GRO or Reus REU airport?

nokturnal

Yep I was subject to the Lanzarote bag gestapo too - fly with RyanAir regularily,fly with the same bag all the time - at 180 x 360 x 360 well within the recommended size in their terms and conditons - got it taken off me just before boarding the plane last week in Lanzarote because 'I used two hands to put it in the size rack' - on arrival back in Edinburgh I went back to RyanAir checkin to ask if the bag was suitable for hand luggage,to be told it was well within the size restrictions...as you can see in the avatar photo...

Bob_the_Saver

2sides2everystory wrote: »

Well you'd better realise it before you become one because the less able to read part often happens to many people quite fast once over 50, and most people become noticeably less sharp or 'mellowed' if you like as they become older, Bob. More to the point, you are unlikely to see many little old ladies or limping old men making the necessary adjustments to the shape of their baggage using brute force or by getting down on the floor to rearrange things.One lady under 40 I saw who "fell foul" of it clearly had got tired of faffing around alongside her other half who had suggested that they drape several layers of clothes around their waists but they'd failed somehow in this endeavour to satisfy the gestapo. There must have been some other misdemeanour outstanding so she took charge, he went red and quiet, and she just got out her card and coughed up. We actually saw that whole dance pan out.

Meanwhile there was the big irate Irishman aged about 60 who clearly had overdone his airport shopping (maybe the last time he used an airport he had been used to being able to buy what was on offer airside and did not realise he was falling into a trap. (Yes Bob, it is a trap). So his 55x40x20 or whatever it is supposed to be (see I'm a regular and not sure!) was still zipped shut but bulging. In his easily provoked irate mood he actually was quite a good illustration of why they used not to let children in pubs - the argument he was having contained few lengthy stanzas - merely the staccato "Gimme my boarding card!!" ... "I'm late!!" ... "You'll not be having forty quid!!" "I'm late enough" "Dont you be telling me" "Let me have my boarding card NOW" ... "You've no right" - so it was clear he was very angry. His glares at the gestapo were worrying if only because he looked like a heart attack might be on the menu, but the whole mini-drama would certainly have frightened many children who were trying to make sense of it.

The little old lady quite rightly and cleverly ignored the lady gestapo's request for her boarding card after she had just managed to put her bag atop of the frame, but after it hadn't obliged by dropping through. She didn't have the strength to squash it, although as it was one of those medium-sized cylindrical holdalls it would clearly have been squashable to Bob or me. In any event it had already weighed ok. The irate Irishman had been suckered into handing over his boarding card which is a cue for the beginning of the last word by the gestapo. Get the next step wrong and it's a gotcha. Instead the astute little old lady kept her boarding card safely out of sight and took herself and her bag off to a quiet corner and rearranged it. The Swissport staff had been unnecessarily brusque with her, had not offered to help her try the bag in the frame and so when she ignored them I thought that was exactly what they deserved. They simply moved on to the next stream of vulnerables about to pass the desk:

Sir!, Sir!! Can you come back please?! ...
Erm Excuse me Madam! Ehm Madam !! Over here please ...
Can you weigh your bag please ? ....
No Sir, you are not late ....
I need you to weigh it now, here ...
No the frame Sir, ... you've already weighed it yes ...
Yes I have seen you weigh it but I need you to put it in the frame ... there
The frame ... yes lift your bag ... let me see it go in
The frame ... in there ...

Can you all weigh your bags please ...

(announcing to no-one in particular just those in earshot who might be in 'I must be sensitive to spurious commands in an airport - I must obey' mode.)

Just before we we called through the gate we were also treated to the spectacle of another lady (anoher of your under 40s I presume, Bob - I only got a back view) who in any other environment you might have said was pulling her drawers up after some strangely public reason for them being down. But no, this was the Ryanair baggage gestapo desk so what she was doing was pulling on an extra pair of culottes or netball pants under her skirt in front of the desk - not strange at all in the environments Ryanair creates - much

As I said, all very ugly.

But to sum up your very detail posting

THEY ALL HAD TOO MUCH STUFF THAT EXCEEDED THE T&C

stilltheone

antenna wrote: »

It,s people that "Think" and dont know that fill these forums with "a man down the pub said" useless untrue scarmongering......i know that's true cos my mate's friend overheard a man on a bus saying so.

Your post is just foolish. I wrote that I "thought" that it was and that I needed to check it.
That is clearly not the same as me stating that is 7 kgs.

antenna

I thought you would have said that...........but i will check to make sure..........even though the "NO WEIGHT LIMIT ON EASYJET FOR HAND LUGGAGE" was mentioned 4 posts before your 7 Kg thought.