It wasn't that bad. I had to go to the airport yesterday and jump through some hoops to pick up a friend's child. My friend Karen moved to Florida with her son Veto (Jake's BFF) a few years ago. She called me Saturday to ask if I could put him up for a few weeks because his Grandmother just died and he needed to fly here for the funeral. She called again on Sunday to ask another favor. There was a screw up with his flight and he was coming in early Monday and her older son wouldn't be able to get him. Of course, I said. He is a minor (11) and I needed to get a gate pass and get through security so I could collect him.
It wasn't as bad as I thought, of course, I wasn't traveling so I could eliminate any "bad items" before going through. I wore sandals so slipping off my shoes was no biggie. It was a fairly quick process and the TSA people were really nice. One agent even complimented me and I dig that, I dig that a lot. So, I got the boy and brought him home and spent the day with my kids. Jake and Veto have been inseparable since we walked in the door.
Blogging is back on schedule today.
R.I.P. Steven Malcolm Anderson
It reminds me of a joke...
Guy goes to the airport and when he gets to the security checkpoint he finds their methods are, ahem, rather thorough. When he comes out on the other side, the TSA agent says:
"I've got some good news and some bad news."
"What's the good news?"
"Your connecting flight to Chicago is on time."
"What's the bad news?"
"You have an enlarged prostate."
Maybe he should go into politics. :-)
Hey, I feel cheated. Nobody checked me that completely.
I don't fly as much as some, but I fly a lot more than most. And I can tell you that the last couple of months have been hell at airports all over the country.
And it's not just me...the WSJ had a piece on it this morning ("Summer Flying Turns Ugly"):Do we need another Mussolini to make the trains run on time? After my last two trips, I'm seriously considering it.
I flew to Seattle in late May and then Washington DC in early June and both times the experience was FUBAR -- flights delayed, flights cancelled, missed connections, sitting on the tarmac for hours at a time, etc. It was gruesome, I tell you, gruesome!
Here are some words to the wise if you are booking air travel this summer:
Fly early in the day
It's the same as seeing your doctor: get that first slot in the in the morning because delays build all day. By late afternoon who knows how late you'll be? Which leads to the next tip...
Don't book tight connections
You can easily get from one end to the other of any major airport in the US in under 60 minutes -- if your inbound flight is on time (see above). But if your inbound flight is late, you are going to be stranded. And the airline will not (repeat NOT) bend over backwards to put you on the next available flight to your destination. Put your airline company on speed-dial and be prepared to call them to re-book asap if you think you will miss your connection.
And that fantasy you had about getting a free hotel room? Bwahahahahahaha! Wake up, it's time for school.
Bottom line: don't book a layover of less than two hours.
Carry on food and water
This has always been a good idea. After all, who wants to eat overpriced, high-sugar, high-sodium airport/airplane food? After you eat it, the last thing you want to do is sit on a plane, if you catch my drift (no pun intended).
Nowadays, if you take an empty water bottle through security they're OK with that and you can fill it from the drinking fountain near your gate. And I always pack (or buy) a couple of bananas because they are the perfect snack.
But the real reason to pack food and water? You just never really know how long you'll be sitting on the tarmac.
One last hint: Guys, an airsickness bag can come in handy once the airplane bathrooms shut down from overuse after several hours on the ground. (Don't ask me how I know this.)
I remember coming IN ... At Chicago they made us hike through immigration - YEAH, lots of tired sweaty foreigners and bitch Americans with kids, great time! The stupidest part was the "checking" the bags. They made us DUMP the luggage and WALK OFF! There were mountains of bags waiting to be x-rayed before being put back on the plane for the leg to DFW. Yeah, that made us feel soooooo 'safe'. Uncle Sam is NOT the best guy to do that job, seriously...
Hey, I feel cheated. Nobody checked me that completely.
If someone wants to check your prostate, grab your shotgun first.
Next time tell them: "Carlos sent me."