I have been flying to and from the United States and Zambia my home country for more than 30 years. The trip has always caused me great anxiety because many things can sometimes go terribly wrong when checking in at the airport. Often that has to do with weight of my bags. May be sometimes I wrongly think it happens to people like myself who travel on the economy plane ticket. We are the people with the cheapest tickets who sit in the back of the plane. Often the check-in works out smoothly including the security screening prior to boarding.
Checking in
As I was checking in at Dulles Airport flying to Lusaka via Johannesburg recently, my stomach tightened as the official weighed my 2 bags each at 49.5 lbs. or 29.5 Kgs. The weight limit for each bag was 50lbs. or 30Kgs. There was little margin for error between my house scale and the one at the airport. Then the ticket agent said twice firmly: “Put you carry-on bag on the scale”. It was upwards of 16 Kgs of my lap top, cameras and large lenses. My carry-on bag had to be 8 Kg I was told. I could not move anything to my checked in bags. Neither could I leave anything which my son could mail to me later as my experiences with the Post Office had not been positive lately to put it mildly. I was told my carryon bag was too heavy. The agent consulted his baggage handler colleague about what to do. The colleague shrugged his shoulders. There was excruciating silence paralleling what Jesus Christ the Son of God must have felt before being crucified on the cross.
New Back Pack
The ticket agent advised me to go around the corner and buy a back pack. I was apparently allowed two carryon items. For a long time passengers were allowed to carry only one bag on to the plane. At least I was not being asked to part with my precious belongings that I had taken agonizing weeks to carefully choose and pack.
When I came back with my new backpack that had cost me upwards of $30 unexpected dollars, I removed some of my few belongings from my carry-on into the new bag. This time the bag weighed 11kgs. The ticket agent shook his head and instructed me to remove more items. I walked away and feverishly removed more items. This time the bag was 9Kgs. The agent smiled while he told me to remove more items. I realized to my anguish that he was enjoying torturing me. He was not a World War II NAZI SS concentration camp guard in Germany about to send captives to the gas chambers. But this was humiliating me. I finally told him as gently as I could that at 8 Kgs my carry bag would have almost nothing in it. He may have felt some pity for me and waved me on. Later at the boarding gate I saw the same ticket agent. I asked him why he had given me such a hard time. He smiled and tried to make a joke of it. But I was not in a joking mood. I quietly walked way being afraid he might tell me this time I could not board the plane. I have learned in my life that anyone with power can find a rule that is never enforced but they may decide to enforce it on you.
Flight Home
The flight home was long but uneventful. When the wheels of the Boeing 737 gently kissed Zambian soil at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka in the dark of night and twinkling lights, I was gripped with the usual excitement of coming home or kukaya where my soul resides. I felt the warm anticipation of seeing relatives, friends, eating Zambian food, speaking the familiar and comforting language, the blue sky, and being with the 14 million fellow Zambians on the same God given soil.
I have actually kissed the Zambian soil after landing at the airport. I have a few photos to show for it. This time it was dark on a rather chilly May night. I did not kiss the Zambian soil. The trip home is always worth the obstacles and the anxiety I always experience.
By Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D.
Professor of Sociology
This is some really bored Zed man.
Sontapo epo wasambilila ^
Iwe PF cadre!! Kekekekekekekek! At least you managed to make me laugh, I’ll call Edgar and let him know ?
Dear Professor Tembo, take weight limits for aircraft VERY seriously. An overweight plane is not good for you. We do not want to lose Zambian intellectuals like yourself through avoidable accidents. Zambian needs you. Chipata needs you. By the way, drive safely while you are in Zambia. When the road sign says ‘speed limit 80 km/hr,’ it means walking speed. Always remember that you do not have the right of way at green traffic lights or in your lane on dual carriageways, you just have the right to life.
Ba PROF aba belesha ukubika imipasa pa ku longa, thinking he is loading a “scotch cart” with all his earthly belongings!!!
Prof, as a fortunate schooled son of the soil, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE RESEARCHED & UNDERSTOOD THE SIMPLE REASON WEIGHT on an Aircraft is TIGHTLY REGULATED – IT IS FOR SAFETY, such that YOUR PLANE DOESN’T COME CRASHING TO THE GROUND like a HEAVY LEAD WEIGHT – each plane has its restricted limits – REMEMBER IT IS A PLANE & NOT A “FLYING WOODEN BROOMSTICK!!”
Secondly, if you want to avoid embarrassing moments, stick to the rules, which will allow you to confidently STAND YOU GROUND!!
Hope you enjoy tu mbeba & nshima on your holiday!!
I thank you!!
Bored out of his scull, I agree.
He ought to know better than exceed baggage allowances. Ba Tembo, with your PhD you ought to know that in economy class you are only allowed 2 pieces checked in with a maximum weight of 23 kg each. In Business class maximum weight is 32 kg. As for carry on the maximum weight is 8 kg, but you are allowed a laptop bag. Some people cheat by stuffing the laptop bag with the heavier staff.
Don’t like those Nigerian who always bother me to help take with their excess luggage.
kissing soil is unhygienic to say the least. This man is dramatic mwe!
Professor
What exactly is your point?
He must be a FAT A**
Good article Mwizenge
You need to kiss the soil in mtendere or in box 1 kanele not the relatively clean tarmac at the airport.
Chawama mud is full of cholera. Try kissing that!
Or just charter a whole airplane for US$ 300,000. then you can take as much baggage (and even your friends!) as you want. Make the poor Zambian taxpayer that can hardly afford the bus money to get to work (if he or she has a job!) pay for it. You have to be employed as President to do this. How do you manage that?
Just go to Kabwe and threaten everyone with pangas. When it comes to election time, send the police to close down a few newspapers and shoot a few opposition supporters. Pass “GO” and collect K23 million.
Easy is it not?
Yes, your writing is easy ti identify, it truly crap. What are you trying to contribute to this story anyway? You know, it is not good to expose your low education and civility on media like this one. You meet highly learned and experience people here. So you should first check you writings before publishing them. You gave a very bad picture of the type of UPND cadre education levels.
LOL!!!!!!! if you don’t have anything to do please spare us. What’s with us chifitas aii?
If everybody did what you did, do you know how dangerous that could be? How about carrying the 8 kilograms you are allowed instead of telling us how bad you are at following regulations?
Boring
“There was excruciating silence paralleling what Jesus Christ the Son of God must have felt before being crucified on the cross.” Are you sure?
[email protected], Sometimes I wonder whether you are normal or subnormal, where is the evidence in this article that the subject in the article is a ECL cadre. next time you will be accusing your own fart of supporting Lungu.
Very poorly written article . What was the point of this ???
learn to read as travel documents always set out allowable weights on a flight even trains otherwise from your experience it shows that you hardly travel.
Certainly not a seasoned traveller. 30 years of travelling? My foot!
Kissing the Chinese concrete
Very boring article find something better to do Mwizenge,Professor with no shishi in the pocket
Flying for over 30 years and yet still can’t come to grips with baggage limits. Okay…
welcome to zambia comrade where our friends in the upnd thinks bad mouthing ,belittling and insulting non- ntwenokane means freedom of speech and expression. to them unless hachitechite wrote this on his way back from clearing his intestines in his back yard garden he calls farm.
Akwasu, zikomo kwambili for the arcticle. I can relate to it. You really have sense of humor. Enjoy zambia, zungulila zambia and see wat and wat we have not achieved, wat we have not achieved, we do not blame our politicians. We blame ourselves for being part of choosing our leaders. Have a nice stay sir……
Thanks Prof Tembo, a light hearted article meant to be read with an equal amount of humour. Welcome back home, we all love this beautiful country and wait patiently to see what the August elections will bring to us. Enjoy your stay, and true, take care on our roads, especially if you are heading east, kumawa:-)
I only read the article because the topic seemed interesting since I also live outside Zambia,but lol………. uyu muntu chipuba batini. What is doing in the States because teti asonte pali certificate.
What a load of bull crap! utter rubbish
Prof. You actually got away with paying excess baggage, you shouldn’t be complaining at all.
Iam writing to Lusaka Times to fire the Editor that allowed this article to be printed.Fire this PF cadre with immediate effect.Whats the news here?Luggages and weight?what crap is this.Even when u travel with charcoal,on top of those trucks from Nakonde border,they charge extra,bag by bag.Now here is this PF cadre professor like Kambwili telling us nonsense.Was it his first time to fly or he thot Zambians dont fly or he is living in America as a REFUGEE?AH ah,mwebantu sure.Is this news that you can approach a newspaper company to print,pay for it to be printed out 4u?Even if u think u ve so much dollars,why not just donate that $3 of yours towards the burial of Mapenzi.
too much study wearies the body! for sure Prof, whats your point?
welcome home home prof
Is this story continuing? It stops short of a story. Anticlimax! Exactly what is the point of the story? Excess baggage or the kissing of the soil or what? I hope the story will be continued.
i left Zambia more 25 yrs ago but never kiss the Zambian soil on which i spat on when i left.
@World Traveller Uli chindele! Stay where you are!