By Laura Lane
The unhappy children were responding to having their toys taken away to help their
parents and caregivers comply with the new security measures mandated by the British government. The rules required that all carry-on items be abandoned at the security check-in except for wallets, passports and eyeglasses
without their cases.
East Meadow resident Leslie Ratner was visiting Europe as part of the People to People student ambassador program when word of the failed plot was reported. She was due to return home shortly thereafter.
"The people running the program didn't tell us [about the terrorist plot], but we heard it on the radio," said Leslie, 14. "I was scared, but they told us we'd come home as usual. So we still spent the day in Wales on [Aug. 11]."
Leslie¹s mother, Jody, had planned to go to Philadelphia with her husband, Joel, and pick up her daughter from the airport on the return trip. When she heard about the terrorist plot, she reconsidered her trip. "I was very nervous, but I heard from Leslie on Friday when she called," said Jody. "She seemed calm. And I kept getting updates by e-mail. We felt that Leslie was in very good hands, and the people running the program called me twice."
Arriving six hours before takeoff, Leslie stood on a long line for over two hours. She had worried about where she would put all the items she'd planned to carry on with her, but the students worked out a solution among themselves. Leslie's souvenirs and iPod were stored in another Long Island student's suitcase.
So Leslie wasn't worried prior to coming to the airport. Once she arrived, she couldn't help but notice how things had changed. "There was a lot more security, and a lot of guns," she said. "They did a full body check on all of us, even patted us down, and I had to take my shoes off and they were put through the metal detectors."
Leslie said that although security workers were polite, they were aggressive, too, riffling through every wallet, including the students¹. "I was a little worried with so much going on," said Leslie. "But I really did think that we'd probably be safe."
She is happy to be home. Her return trip took 12 hours, but she isn't upset, focusing on the fabulous time she had visiting England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. "It's just all part of the adventure of traveling," Leslie said. "I guess my views on travel have changed a little bit, but I know that these things do happen."
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
