This was so strange; also strange as I was finishing a 2 day mileage / lounge run (more on that soon) and by this time you are always a little “crispy” after that much flying and more.
I landed in DTW and went over to the B/C concourse Skyclub and finished up some work and e-mails but then wanted to grab a quick bite to eat before my 10:PM fight as “snack baskets” just do not work all day long.
As I was walking down the tunnel connector between the main A & B/C concourse the divider wall was closing the tunnel (did you know there was a wall to close it off?). But as I approached it, it retreated 50% of the way. Strange I thought but maybe just a glitch. Off for a quick snack.
On my way back to B/C I see what you see above, that is, a mass of people congregating in the middle of the concourse ready to exit the airport. I ask, what is up and am told there was a security breach and the airport was under lock down. Ruh-Roh.
It was time to quickly get back to the B/C side as I could see my 50% door returning to 100% closed. It was still stuck ½ way and I was able to make it to my gate.
Once I got over to the “land of the mini-jets” the noise was deafening. The sirens going off were off the charts loud and constant. It was bad. There were gates you just could not stay in. Redcoats were nice enough to go around handing out ear plugs and water to those of us stuck in the gate areas. Good call Delta as it was not Delta’s problem but they were doing what they could for us.
If you are at this point wondering what happened, you can see news reports HERE and HERE to get all the facts but in a nut shell, a nut-job, attempted to return to the airport secure side back through the same place he exited without being re-screened. Ugg. A risk to all? Sure, but maybe not worth closing down the airport. Maybe wiser people than me can comment on this risk vs. inconvenience to so many.
I did end up making it home 1.5hrs late and as a plus side all the lights, in the middle of the night, were blinking yellow so I made it home much faster than during daytime driving. So have you ever been at an airport under lock down? – René
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Never been in a lock-down, but when I was a kid, we flew through an area in Africa where the made everyone get off the plane, guarded by soldiers with machine guns, questioned people, and then reloaded us and let us fly onward. It was pretty scary for a 9=year-old. My mom was probably about to flip out.
Twice. DTW and ATL. Interesting to watch the gridlock and panic of missing connecting flights.
Aug 18. 1988 Ankara no air cond, while waiting and seemed everyone was trying to smoke up their allotment of tobacco products as fast as they could.
detroit the walls closed and people were segregated in the terminal i was in the delta lounge looking out thru the window and saw it .. we were locked into the ;ounge for awhile and not with the HUDDLED MASSESD