My Pakistani adventure started at Bahrain International airport now I’m no stranger travelling to a new country to work. Having previously travelled from Birmingham to Riyadh, then London to Bahrain there is always a sense of mixed feelings that which has been left behind together with the excitement of the unknown. Having passed through the usual process involving check-in, passport control and the customary pint of Guinness in the Irish Lounge the journey begins on the terminal concourse. Having been directed to the gate that means that the transfer to the aircraft is via a shuttle bus.
The sense of being a stranger in a strange land kicks in immediately as I am the only non-Pakistani to be travelling on this flight. Having lived in Birmingham 17 years I am no stranger to a multicultural, multiracial society, and certainly not one to judge people by stereotypes. Pakistan has suffered a great deal of bad press in the international media for number of years and I found myself initially reluctant to travel there, despite a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in the planning of an entire new city. Many of my friends and colleagues asked me the inevitable question why on earth would I want to go there.
So here I am joining what could only be described as a scrum as 300 people all push forward at the same time to move through doorway that can only accommodate two at a time at best. Boarding the shuttle bus is a similar story and the whole event seems to operate on the basis that everybody thinks that they’re more important than anybody else particularly when it comes to elderly men shoving all other passengers aside to clear path for his wife to slowly shuffle towards the bus. Finally when all the passengers have boarded and been crammed in like sardines, the bus begins its journey across the tarmac around the perimeter of the airfield, to be held up for what seems like interminable amount out of time not moving.
Having reached the aircraft and the inevitable scrum of people who cannot wait to get off the bus, almost pushing those in front out of the door, followed by the slow climb up the stairs, it is as though these people have never flown before not knowing how to find their seat nor do they seem to understand instructions of the cabin crew who seem to have to fight with the passengers just to get everybody seated, followed by the inevitable constant reminders to switch off mobile phones that is largely ignored by passengers no matter which language is used, they hide their phones when the cabin attendant walks past only to continue their conversation when they think they have not been noticed. Next comes the playing with the backrest irrespective of the passenger who has a bad fortune to be seated behind them and what little personal space they have is reduced by half resulting in more fights between the cabin crew and passengers as many do not seem to understand that the seat needs to be in an upright position for takeoff.
Having eventually taxied out onto the runway, another round of firm instructions from the cabin crew comes over the PA system telling those passengers who do not seem to understand the concept of switching off their mobile phone that they are preventing the flight from taking off. Once again mobile phones are hidden, and certain passengers mumble into their pockets as though their conversation is far more important than observing Airline safety regulations. Finally the flight is cleared for takeoff and immediately seat backs are set to crushing the legs of the passenger behind position, mobile phones that have been switched off are immediately switched on and mumbling continues along with being poked in the back by the passenger behind who seems to like to fight with the in-flight entertainment system, I think this is going to be a long flight...
