It was my turn to operate the airport shuttle this morning. Our friends were heading out to Atlanta for their daughter's graduation from Georgia Tech and some other friends were heading out to visit family in Pennsylvania. We have a group of families who volunteer to dive to the airport for each other. Works out pretty good.
I did a memorable run to London airport helping out some friends.
I drove up a ramp to the passenger unloading area, halfway up I realised there was a height barrier at the top. I swung into the right hand lane, as I reached the top two police persons jumped in front of me, the policeman leant his elbows on the bonnet with his machinegun pointing at my face, the end of the barrel was about a foot from my eyes.
Having shot with lots of policeman on various ranges I was very worried, unbelievably worried.
The policewoman was yelling at me to drive back across to the left hand lane.
Moving only my lips, I said very clearly, I cannot drive in the other lane, I cannot get under the height barrier.
The woman, still very excited/agitated yelled again for me to drive into the other lane.
My two passengers were getting upset and asking what was wrong.
Again I explained to the policewoman that I could not drive in the other lane.
Six or seven times she just kept yelling at me to drive in the other lane.
Man on the bonnet looking even more agitated was just about ready to escalate.
I was now thinking the woman had flipped, her brain had stopped working, and I was in big trouble.
I just sat there not having a clue as to what to do.
After a time, maybe minutes, maybe seconds, you really do lose all sense of time in a bad situation.
The womans brain started working again, she realised what I had said, she stepped back on the pavement and said "Drive off".
Ever since then I have avoided going to airports for any reason.
