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Long Day Traveling
Mar. 25th, 2013 01:03 pmI'm trying to be a more positive person. This is going to be a bitchy post, but hopefully it's at least entertaining.
Yesterday was a disaster. I can't describe it any other way. I was flying out to DC, so around 11:30 AM I left home for the airport, parking in the long-term lot. My first bout of trouble was the long-term parking bus when the lady driving the bus wouldn't help me with my bags. You want tips, honey? Help a guy out when he's struggling with the bag, backpack, and computer bag. If you don't, you get nothing -- money or sympathy.
I made it through security and parked myself at the gate after grabbing a quick lunch. My flight had been delayed by an hour. No big deal, I thought. I was planning on meeting a buddy for an early dinner and I thought I would still make that.
Then it got delayed again for another hour. I was getting irritated now, but I thought I can cope. While waiting I managed to finish drawing the last pages of the next "Grizzly & The Bear Patrol" issue, so it was time well spent.
Then it got delayed for another two hours. At this point, an early dinner with my buddy was turning into a late one, which he couldn't make. I texted him that I was going to miss it and we'd try again later.
So four hours after we were supposed to leave, six hours after I'd gotten to the airport, we finally boarded. Then we sat for a half hour while the plane was de-iced with the air turned off. To make it equally fun, sitting behind me in the stifling warmth, was Goober Pyle and Otis the Drunk from "The Andy Griffith Show." One sang, the other laughed, and both were giving off a slight racist vibe. When we finally took off and were flying over DC, one commented "Oh, look I can see Obama's girls playing in their yard," to which the other replied, "At night? You couldn't see them." Nice, huh?
So when the flight finally landed and we got off the plane, I trekked through Dulles Airports maze to baggage claim. It took a bit for my bag to roll around. It showed up, face down. I pulled it off the carousel to find the front ripped -- large gash through the front of the bag, the zipper torn off the fabric, etc. I was livid. It wasn't a new suitcase, but it was pretty solid.
So I dragged it to the United Baggage Office and stood in line. It's now after 9 PM and I'm exhausted and angry. The little mouse of a clerk I finally spoke with said, "Sorry, sir, we don't cover external damage."
"Well," I sternly replied, "your airline managed to rip into the bag, so the external damage went INSIDE."
She quickly added, "Would you like to speak to a supervisor?"
"Yes, please," I retorted.
I never saw the supervisor. She came back, did some typing around on her computer, and said that she had a similar bag to give me. So they replaced the bag with a new one. I was relieved actually as I didn't expect that. I was thinking I'd just get some cheesy voucher. So I transferred my clothes and stuff from the old bag to the new one and left.
Finally, I arrived at my hotel at near 10:30 PM. I was worn out and hungry. After dropping off my bag in my room, I walked to the 24-hour McDonalds for a shake and finally got settled.
A crappy day, right...?
Yesterday was a disaster. I can't describe it any other way. I was flying out to DC, so around 11:30 AM I left home for the airport, parking in the long-term lot. My first bout of trouble was the long-term parking bus when the lady driving the bus wouldn't help me with my bags. You want tips, honey? Help a guy out when he's struggling with the bag, backpack, and computer bag. If you don't, you get nothing -- money or sympathy.
I made it through security and parked myself at the gate after grabbing a quick lunch. My flight had been delayed by an hour. No big deal, I thought. I was planning on meeting a buddy for an early dinner and I thought I would still make that.
Then it got delayed again for another hour. I was getting irritated now, but I thought I can cope. While waiting I managed to finish drawing the last pages of the next "Grizzly & The Bear Patrol" issue, so it was time well spent.
Then it got delayed for another two hours. At this point, an early dinner with my buddy was turning into a late one, which he couldn't make. I texted him that I was going to miss it and we'd try again later.
So four hours after we were supposed to leave, six hours after I'd gotten to the airport, we finally boarded. Then we sat for a half hour while the plane was de-iced with the air turned off. To make it equally fun, sitting behind me in the stifling warmth, was Goober Pyle and Otis the Drunk from "The Andy Griffith Show." One sang, the other laughed, and both were giving off a slight racist vibe. When we finally took off and were flying over DC, one commented "Oh, look I can see Obama's girls playing in their yard," to which the other replied, "At night? You couldn't see them." Nice, huh?
So when the flight finally landed and we got off the plane, I trekked through Dulles Airports maze to baggage claim. It took a bit for my bag to roll around. It showed up, face down. I pulled it off the carousel to find the front ripped -- large gash through the front of the bag, the zipper torn off the fabric, etc. I was livid. It wasn't a new suitcase, but it was pretty solid.
So I dragged it to the United Baggage Office and stood in line. It's now after 9 PM and I'm exhausted and angry. The little mouse of a clerk I finally spoke with said, "Sorry, sir, we don't cover external damage."
"Well," I sternly replied, "your airline managed to rip into the bag, so the external damage went INSIDE."
She quickly added, "Would you like to speak to a supervisor?"
"Yes, please," I retorted.
I never saw the supervisor. She came back, did some typing around on her computer, and said that she had a similar bag to give me. So they replaced the bag with a new one. I was relieved actually as I didn't expect that. I was thinking I'd just get some cheesy voucher. So I transferred my clothes and stuff from the old bag to the new one and left.
Finally, I arrived at my hotel at near 10:30 PM. I was worn out and hungry. After dropping off my bag in my room, I walked to the 24-hour McDonalds for a shake and finally got settled.
A crappy day, right...?
