Travel Stories

Episode 1:  As I was waiting to check my suitcase (which I usually don't do, but since Steve was checking his golf clubs, why should I bother with hoisting my bag to the overhead compartment?), a couple ahead of me was checking their bags.  Apparently the man was going to check his briefcase which held his laptop. The agent behind the desk started explaining that the airlines would not be responsible if something happened to his laptop.  He indicated that he still wished to check it.  She reiterated in detail that the airline would not be responsible if the laptop was broken in transit, like if he turned it on and it didn't work, or if it were stolen.  Finally he decided he wouldn't check it after all.  I think the winner here was the wife - because EVERYONE knows that if something happens to the husband's computer, it's the wife's fault - he probably didn't want to go on the trip anyway ...

Episode 2:  As I was waiting to board (B27, even though I checked in exactly precisely at the first available second), a lady and man (at least one of them) were giving their boarding passes to the gate agent.  All of a sudden the gate agent said, "Whoa, wait a minute," and the rest of her comments were garbled and I couldn't understand them, probably because she was headed down the jetway behind them.  The couple returned to the gate agent's post and a short conversation ensued.  The parts I could hear (and yes, I eavesdrop - I have that kind of ordinary life) involved commments like "the person we talked to yesterday," and "I don't care who you talked to yesterday," and "write a letter to the company."  Then the lady was allowed back down the runway (after the man gave her the suitcase) and the man stood off to the side holding his boarding pass.

What was all this about?  My inquiring mind wanted to know, as I also wanted to know what was in the suitcase, but I felt it best not to ask the gate agent but instead thank her as I gave her my boarding pass.  I guess the man got on and sat by the lady ...

Episode 3:  After finding my seat (that Steve had saved since he is all "A List" and boards in the early As), the seats started filling up, as did the overhead luggage compartments.  One man got on and was looking for a seat AND a place to put his briefcase.  Which would have fit easily under his seat.  But he didn't want to put it under his seat.  Instead he wanted the flight attendant to find a place to put his briefcase.  Because apparently he mistook Southwest Airlines for first class passage on some other airlines.  But the flight attendant found a place for his briefcase.  Not under his seat.  Wonder how long he waited for his in-air meal to be served ...

Episode 4:  Thankfully, the worst of the weather was out of the picture by the time our flight took off.  However, I had a feeling we would be flying over some other weather.  And the fact that Mr. Pilot had the flight attendants sit down for a bit during the flight did not help my usual Nervous Nellie-ness.  At this point I usually think everyone should just be quiet for a while.  So it did not help when for some reason someone sitting a few rows ahead of me decided to yell out.  The person did not yell out a word - just sort of a yell.  I don't know if this person had Tourette's or some other sort of yelling "thing," but I was not a fan.  Again, I probably could have asked and found out if it was a malady or if the person had just seen the wing crack or the engine quit or something.  Luckily at that point the flight attendant (the briefcase settling one) looked over at the person and did not seem too concerned, so I decided to settle down and continue looking out the window at the big fluffy clouds that held big fluffy weather.  It was either that or look for cracks in the wing ...

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Today was a great day because:  safe, smoothish flight to MCO; nice "earning his ears" check-in dude; barbecue slaw hotdog at Casey Jones; big afternoon rains