[Rick Lee]

I guess it's my fault for not getting there 5-6 hours early. Every time I've given myself only three hours in Frankfurt, I've barely made the flight. Yesterday ALL check-in kiosks went down. I had checked in online the previous evening and just needed to drop off my bag. Not exaggerating here - it was almost a 30 minute walk to get to the end of the line to drop off a bag. My big, to-be-checked bag just about fit into the test basket for carry-on, there was nothing in it I couldn't live without, and so I decided to railroad it through as carry-on. I was challenged at every checkpoint, but I expected that and protested that it had fit into the test basket. Finally, at the security line, a cop with an MP-5 stood nearby as I grabbed my nice Kershaw auto knife and toothpaste and threw them into the amnesty box. I ordered a new knife on Amazon before the plane left. They tore me a new one at the X-ray machine. But I expected it and tried to smooth talk the lady. Since my German is about as good as my English, they thought I was a local and should know better. She was very hostile, but I calmed her down and they only took away my Austrian honey, Mövenpick cherry marmalade and foot powder spray. I was out about $50 worth of stuff. I checked the bag at the gate. At Dulles, since I have Global Entry, I was through customs in under two minutes and my bag was the third one off the plane. WTF Frankfurt?