As part of an effort to expedite the process of reassimilation, holidaymakers returning to the country via Luxembourg Airport are being greeted with a bucket of cold water in the face.
The cold water is part of a new temporary program dubbed “Letz Be Real” which employs around a dozen staff members who target returning passengers who appear joyful, content, even just serene after having spent some time away.
Anyone showing the slightest hint of a suntan is made a priority, officials say, as are people who wear goofy hats they bought from beach vendors.
“It’s better we dampen their spirits right away before they get outside and encounter gray skies, stoic bus drivers, and cheerless people on the streets,” said program head Oscar Meyer. “It’s like cooking lobster. It’s cruel to do it slowly. Better to make it fast. Only hurts for a second.”
Lola Geir, who spent two weeks with friends under the sun at a resort in Mallorca, says that at first she was angry when the frigid water hit her face and soaked her cute new t-shirt that says “Viva El Sol” and depicts a snorkeling bull.
However, as soon as she got back to her street in Gasperich an hour later, still wet and annoyed, she understood how beautiful the gesture really was.
“I attempted small talk with the boulangerie lady, but she only rolled her eyes at me,” Geir said. “Even my roommate hissed and growled when I said hello. If I hadn’t been adequately prepared, I might have been shocked by the unwarranted mistreatment, but instead I shrugged it off.”
While the water-in-the-face program is being lauded for its cost efficiency and eco-friendliness as the water is generally mopped up and reused, airport officials say they are thinking of adding a few extras to make it even more effective.
“One idea is to have a looping announcement that says something like ‘welcome back, it’s always Monday, your parents like your sibling more than you,’” Meyer said. “Or, we might just ensure that everyone’s checked luggage gets lost so that within ten minutes of arriving, whatever post-vacation glow anyone might have will fade and vanish.”
***
Originally published by RTL Today
