So it's Sunday afternoon, and I'm on the place back from DC to Chicago. US Airways flight 3335. About 30 minutes outside of Chicago, the pilot gets on and says,
"Sorry ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately we're gonna have to divert our plane to Indianapolis. We have a low reading on one of our hydraulic systems and we need to land as soon as possible. Too much air traffic in Chicago means that we'll be circling for a while and we don't want to take that risk."
Great. You gotta be kidding. So freaking close to home.
So the flight attendants get on the com and start telling everyone remove all items from the seat pocket in front of you. They stress especially any large or hard items. I think to myself,
"Shit, their gonna ask us to assume crash position."
The pilot gets on again to explain,
"Ladies and gentlemen, the situation is that our front wheel may not respond and we may not be able to steer. So, as a precaution, there will be fire trucks on the runway. No need to be alarmed about this."
Several passengers chuckle. One makes wise cracks. The woman in front of me looks out her window nervously. She's not amused.
So, we come in for landing. No instructions to assume crash position. I guess it's no that bad. I look out and see at least ten bright yellow fire trucks, lights flashing, lining various parts of the runway. We come in and land and it's the softest, most gentle landing I can remember. People sigh. The fire trucks mobilize and follow us at a distance on both sides, a bright gauntlet of welcome.
So, we deplane at the gate and wait for further instructions.
"It's Thanksgiving weekend, the busiest travel time. Please be patient as we figure out what to do with you."
Thirty minutes later the announcement comes out,
"Ladies and gentlemen, your plane is being taken to a hangar for repairs. Unfortunately, there are no spare planes available. We have no flights out until tomorrow (Monday) evening. We are happy to put you up in a hotel."
What? You gotta be kidding. I'm not staying a night here. I gotta be at work. I gotta be at O'Hare in a few hours to pick up MarianEvans from her inbound flight. I gotta move on with my life.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are exploring the possibility of a bus to Chicago. Please put your name on a sign-up list. Also, you are welcome to rent a car. We can't pay for this up front, but we recommend you rent one and send a letter to customer relations and hopefully they will reimburse you."
Hopefully? Crap, it's a risk I gotta take. So I go to the Enterprise counter and explain the situation and that I need to rent a car. No problem, plenty of cars available. Whew. Only $55 a day. Great. "What, you are driving one way to Chicago and won't be returning the car here?" "Um, hello, yes, that's the idea." "We'll since it's interstate and one way, we'll need to charge you a drop fee, since we'll need to drive the car back ourselves. The fee is... let's see here... $400." Fantastic. Couldn't be better. Sure, I'll take it. (US Airways, you better cover my ass here!)
So I rent the car, totally smooth process with peachy keen smiley Enterprise lady, ex sorority girl who partied too hard in college. (Why are ALL enterprise salespeople ex frat boys or sorority girls? I have major issues with the enterprise "type" they recruit.)
So I get on 465, then 65 and drive my ass the 3.5 hours from Indianapolis to Chicago, amidst light rain and thanksgiving traffic, all the while hacking up a lung with this cough that won't go away, and out $400 and hoping I don't get stiffed by this piece of crap airline, having just had my first emergency landing experience, and really wanting to be home, warm and in bed.
Fuck.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Too little, too late
Current war protesters annoy me.
When I heard about that huge march on washington a few months back, I just rolled my eyes.
When I heard all the hoopla about what's her face down there camped in front of our turkey-in-chief's house, I just shook my head.
When an upstanding, republican acquaintance of mine said his confidence in Mr Pres was eroding, I just smiled while inside I boiled.
Look, all you newbies, this is as much sense as I can make of your newfound outrage:
1) Perhaps your quota of death has now been reached. "A few soldiers dying, well, that's ok. It's for a good cause, the cause of liberty, democracy, freeeeedom. But now, gosh darn it, just too many have died. It's too much, bring em home. Lets just stop whatever the hell it is we're doin and pull out. "
2) Maybe your attention span has reached its limits. "Damn, this here war's taking too long. We shoulda been done n gone b'now. I can't sustain this kind of focus, let's put an end to it. "
3) Similarly, has your patience run its course? "Now, i was behind you when this thing got going, but, dog gonnit, it's taking too long. Too long. Just finish up already."
4) Are yours financial concerns? "These here tax dollars should be going to other things. What about schools, healthcare, Katrina relief?"
5) Did you suffer personal loss? "I was 100% behind the war, waving those flags. But now that my boy has died over in Fallujah, well, now, all of a sudden, I'm against this war. Shame on you mr Pres, shame on you. Now that you took away my kid, now my principles have changed."
I dont mean to sound self-righteous (Im as apathetic as the next chump) but arent you turkey's a bit late and getting on board for all the wrong reasons? Shouldnt you have been against the war because it was unjust, because it was a farce, because it was so obviously started for reasons we weren't being told, because it went against the international community, shunned diplomacy, and broke with consensus war theory (ie preemptive)? No, you jackasses were right up front waving the red, white and blue and egging on the warmongers in the name of God and country. You were behind "God's man in the whitehouse" 100%.
But now, oh now, things have changed. Should the war boys have cleaned up their shit quicker? Should they have waged injustice at less cost and casualty? Should you not now have to fork over the change to fund your adventures in bullshit? Or now, because you personally had to pay a price and lose someone close to you, has your view suddenly changed? Are you all of a sudden ready to shout down this war that you helped start since you had to pay the ultimate price? Dont be a fair weather friend to our cowboy in chief. Stick by your man. You supported him, you rode with him into the streets of Baghdad in the name of capitalism. Don't abandon him now.
When I heard about that huge march on washington a few months back, I just rolled my eyes.
When I heard all the hoopla about what's her face down there camped in front of our turkey-in-chief's house, I just shook my head.
When an upstanding, republican acquaintance of mine said his confidence in Mr Pres was eroding, I just smiled while inside I boiled.
Look, all you newbies, this is as much sense as I can make of your newfound outrage:
1) Perhaps your quota of death has now been reached. "A few soldiers dying, well, that's ok. It's for a good cause, the cause of liberty, democracy, freeeeedom. But now, gosh darn it, just too many have died. It's too much, bring em home. Lets just stop whatever the hell it is we're doin and pull out. "
2) Maybe your attention span has reached its limits. "Damn, this here war's taking too long. We shoulda been done n gone b'now. I can't sustain this kind of focus, let's put an end to it. "
3) Similarly, has your patience run its course? "Now, i was behind you when this thing got going, but, dog gonnit, it's taking too long. Too long. Just finish up already."
4) Are yours financial concerns? "These here tax dollars should be going to other things. What about schools, healthcare, Katrina relief?"
5) Did you suffer personal loss? "I was 100% behind the war, waving those flags. But now that my boy has died over in Fallujah, well, now, all of a sudden, I'm against this war. Shame on you mr Pres, shame on you. Now that you took away my kid, now my principles have changed."
I dont mean to sound self-righteous (Im as apathetic as the next chump) but arent you turkey's a bit late and getting on board for all the wrong reasons? Shouldnt you have been against the war because it was unjust, because it was a farce, because it was so obviously started for reasons we weren't being told, because it went against the international community, shunned diplomacy, and broke with consensus war theory (ie preemptive)? No, you jackasses were right up front waving the red, white and blue and egging on the warmongers in the name of God and country. You were behind "God's man in the whitehouse" 100%.
But now, oh now, things have changed. Should the war boys have cleaned up their shit quicker? Should they have waged injustice at less cost and casualty? Should you not now have to fork over the change to fund your adventures in bullshit? Or now, because you personally had to pay a price and lose someone close to you, has your view suddenly changed? Are you all of a sudden ready to shout down this war that you helped start since you had to pay the ultimate price? Dont be a fair weather friend to our cowboy in chief. Stick by your man. You supported him, you rode with him into the streets of Baghdad in the name of capitalism. Don't abandon him now.
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