It is acceptable that after an exhausting 5 day conference the brain doesn’t work that well but it performs to such abysmal levels is unacceptable. So I was set to fly on a 6AM flight out of LA to Chicago. Yes, 6 AM!! I guess I had started losing it that time itself. And for god knows what reasons.. actually could be the party that night.. I booked the cab for 4 freaking AM. Another friend had an International flight to catch at 6.30 AM and I rubbed of my imbecility to him as well and he too agreed to leave at 4 jinxed AM. FYI: we knew it takes min 30 mins to reach the airport from the hostel.
The lovely day before the journey was spent at Universal studios, Hollywood by yours truly without ever reconsidering the the departure arrangements. As I was shouting my tonsils out at the Jurassic park and Mummy ride, somewhere a taxi driver was falling sick and contemplating bunking work the next day. As I was happily shopping at the souvenir shop the same guy was deciding not to inform his boss for whatever goddamn reasons. And thus was sealed my date with the most traumatic journey so far...
Tired as an obese guy running the treadmill for 3 entire minutes, we returned to packing, remembering each moment of the last 5 splendid days together so that we don’t forget a single penny with each other and exchanging pictures so that we could show off on FB and back home. The session was so intense that I could hardly catch a wink. My friend and I were ready at 3.55 AM at the hostel reception to err... WAIT!!! I gave the cab guy a reasonable 30 secs of delay time and approached the manager frantically. Turns out the manager was a patient guy and decided to wait 10 mins before he would make the call. It was 4.20 AM we were still at the hostel with no signs of the taxi. Restless, I finally called another cab. And as fate had it, the same obese guy who ran the treadmill was there to pick us up. It took him an eternity to get back in the cab, buckle himself up and get going.
I was just about to heave a sigh... and there I was.. STOP... I forgot my bag pack at the reception. We were just a block away from the hostel so I got down and ran... The longest run of my life... It was 4.30 AM and we were just starting for the airport. Cab driver asked what terminal and my friend did not know his terminal no, it was not even on the print out he was carrying. Very smugly I looked at my print out and announced terminal no 3. We dropped my friend at terminal 1, which btw turned out to be the right terminal for him and his entire journey from there was uneventful and peaceful while I was just gearing up for the crazy ride.
I got down at Terminal 3 and started looking for American Airline counter when a lady which I am very sure was a witch announced that American Airline was Terminal why god why 4. I looked at the godforsaken printout with a new vision and realized terminal 3 was at Chicago. So with my 20 pounds each check in bag and a 8 pound bag pack, the 1xx pound I ran again. It was 5AM and I din not even have my boarding pass yet. I crawled to terminal 4 and tried to get in the queue, it was too long so I got in the self check in. For some reason it asked me $60 and I had no time to argue with the machine so I made the payment and got the boarding pass. Only to realize I was actually traveling to Fargo from Chicago and did not have enough time at Chicago airport for baggage transfer. This stuff cant be made up... It was happening and I was living it...
I HAD to get into the queue to get my baggage tagged to Fargo and the queue was of all the ppl on the earth who cannot use the self check in machine of course. So the pace of the queue can be imaged. I finally had my turn after what felt like sitting thru Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, the lady very graciously asked me for $60. But I just paid it to that good for nothing machine. “Then check in from there” she said with that glint in the eye. It was 5.10 and I had no choice but to give her the bucks... She tagged my bags and we exchanged fake smiles...
Thoroughly tired I ran towards my gate which was 257 miles away from the entrance. But I passed the security hurdle and made it at the gate just in time. The privileged Business class was then boarding. For once in my life I was happy to NOT be traveling Business Class... Little Joys!!!
I gave my boarding pass and entered the aircraft which felt like entering heaven. Uncannily, I was not frustrated or angry at myself. It was a lesson learned and a good change from my boring traveling routine. I even punched the air and smiled as sat on the worst seat on the plane....
5 comments:
Hmm.. Honored to be given a mention.. !! :)
by the way my journey was not all that uneventful. When i arrived at the checkin counter in LAX, i was welcomed by this stone serious guy, with curly hair and dark goggles (yes..at 5 am!!) who just uttered "check in"... i took a moment to figure out the the auto check-in machine and by the time i was done, he was done uttering "check-in please" and "any problem" some 10 times... ! He told me to drop off the baggage in another place, and before I could come to terms with that, a guy got teleported in front of me and in a moment was teleported out again, this time with my baggage. I some how had a feeling that my luggage was lost..! I couldnt find any direction signs in that place so i approached 2 ppl having a chat(who looked like airport officials) to find where to head next. The moment i asked them, both of them realized the urgency. got up from their seats, raised their hands and pointed me where to go. Just that both their hands were around 90 degrees to each other.. !!!!!. Immediately they both left from there... And in the middle of all this.. a poor chap, who travelled to US first time, who was late to the airport for a flight back home, whose luggage had been taken away, who was confidently been asked to go in 2 directions at the same time and was now looking like a hungry puppy waiting for something to eat, was standing and wondering what was in store..!!!
All this was just the beginning of a 30 hour ordeal.... !!
Hmm.. Honored to be given a mention.. !! :)
by the way my journey was not all that uneventful. When i arrived at the checkin counter in LAX, i was welcomed by this stone serious guy, with curly hair and dark goggles (yes..at 5 am!!) who just uttered "check in"... i took a moment to figure out the the auto check-in machine and by the time i was done, he was done uttering "check-in please" and "any problem" some 10 times... ! He told me to drop off the baggage in another place, and before I could come to terms with that, a guy got teleported in front of me and in a moment was teleported out again, this time with my baggage. I some how had a feeling that my luggage was lost..! I couldnt find any direction signs in that place so i approached 2 ppl having a chat(who looked like airport officials) to find where to head next. The moment i asked them, both of them realized the urgency. got up from their seats, raised their hands and pointed me where to go. Just that both their hands were around 90 degrees to each other.. !!!!!. Immediately they both left from there... And in the middle of all this.. a poor chap, who travelled to US first time, who was late to the airport for a flight back home, whose luggage had been taken away, who was confidently been asked to go in 2 directions at the same time and was now looking like a hungry puppy waiting for something to eat, was standing and wondering what was in store..!!!
All this was just the beginning of a 30 hour ordeal.... !!
Drama never leaves your life, does it?
Chased you across international waters.... :)
@Somaiah: I am glad to know your journey wasnt uneventful afterall... So lessons learned for both of us..
@Chaitra: Guess I am addicted to the drama... :)
Nice narration.. And yes, self check-in never works.
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