Peter's California Adventure (And The "Adventure" Occured Before I Even Arrived)
On Saturday, February 24, 2007, I was scheduled to fly from Detroit to Burbank, California, with a connecting flight through Dallas.
The Dallas to Detroit flight was cancelled soon after I arrived at the gate, due to "high winds" in Dallas.
I was able to book a later flight through Chicao O'Hare to LAX. You'll note from a previous post that I now refer to O'Hare to as "O'Hell."
A guy in college sat next to me on the flight. Apparently, he had said something to the flight attendant about his baggage, which she took as a threat. Two minutes later, the captain is standing over both of us and telling both of us that he will not tolerate any unruly behavior, or else. All while people were filing past to take their seats. I had no idea what was going on, but I was picturing myself correcting the captain, the situation escalating beyond control, and me being kicked off the plane and arrested at the gate. So, I let it go.
I made it to O'Hell, which was in a state of Hell because of an approaching winter storm.
My flight from O'Hell to LAX was originally scheduled to take off at 5:47. It was pushed back to 6:37, then 7:00, then 7:37, then 8:00. We finally boarded a little
after 8, by which time the snow was coming down at the rate of a few inches an hour.
The flight was nearly full. We waited for nearly an hour for the plane to be de-iced - the first time. Then we pulled back from the gate, only to return for a second round of de-icing because the time limit on our first round had expired.
Then we waited some more.
Sometime later, I'm not sure of the exact time, the first officer came on to the intercom and said that due to the weather the flight had been cancelled.
All the passengers and I deplaned into the terminal, which by now was completely packed with all the other people who's flights had also been cancelled. There was a line for re booking that was reported to be between three and four hours long.
I didn't get in line.
I wasn't sure what to do next. There would be no other flights that evening. I didn't want to sleep in the airport. Fortunately, my sister-in-law lives in downtown Chicago. My brother was staying with her that weekend. I called him and he said to come down and stay with them for the night. He directed me to the CTA metro station in the airport that would take me downtown. Then my phone starting beeping,indicating the battery was almost dead. So, I booked it through the airport trying to find the CTA station before my phone died, all while repeating "get off at Grand Avenue" and "441 E. Erie" out loud (didn't have time or free hands to stop and write them down).
I found the CTA station and got on the blue line for the 45-minute ride downtown. I got off at Grand Avenue to hail a cab. Unfortunately, cabs aren't in high supply at the corner of Grand and Milwaukee. It seemed to be more of a residential/industrial neighborhood, with a pub on one corner. So, I stood on the corner for twenty minutes - in freezing rain.
I finally hailed a cab and jumped in. Two drunk guys, apparently having spent the evening at the pub, jumped in on either side of me. They saw my luggage and I told them what hadhappened. They paid for my fare and tod the cab driver to take me to my sister-in-law's place first. Thanks drunk guys.
I arrived at her building, talked with them for a little while as I ate her leftover food from dinner, took two Tylenol PMs and called it a night.
The following morning, I was able to book a flight for that afternoon.
Suprisingly, I wasn't angry or bitter from everything that had happenned. I guess I was either too tired or in vacation mode.
The Dallas to Detroit flight was cancelled soon after I arrived at the gate, due to "high winds" in Dallas.
I was able to book a later flight through Chicao O'Hare to LAX. You'll note from a previous post that I now refer to O'Hare to as "O'Hell."
A guy in college sat next to me on the flight. Apparently, he had said something to the flight attendant about his baggage, which she took as a threat. Two minutes later, the captain is standing over both of us and telling both of us that he will not tolerate any unruly behavior, or else. All while people were filing past to take their seats. I had no idea what was going on, but I was picturing myself correcting the captain, the situation escalating beyond control, and me being kicked off the plane and arrested at the gate. So, I let it go.
I made it to O'Hell, which was in a state of Hell because of an approaching winter storm.
My flight from O'Hell to LAX was originally scheduled to take off at 5:47. It was pushed back to 6:37, then 7:00, then 7:37, then 8:00. We finally boarded a little
after 8, by which time the snow was coming down at the rate of a few inches an hour.
The flight was nearly full. We waited for nearly an hour for the plane to be de-iced - the first time. Then we pulled back from the gate, only to return for a second round of de-icing because the time limit on our first round had expired.
Then we waited some more.
Sometime later, I'm not sure of the exact time, the first officer came on to the intercom and said that due to the weather the flight had been cancelled.
All the passengers and I deplaned into the terminal, which by now was completely packed with all the other people who's flights had also been cancelled. There was a line for re booking that was reported to be between three and four hours long.
I didn't get in line.
I wasn't sure what to do next. There would be no other flights that evening. I didn't want to sleep in the airport. Fortunately, my sister-in-law lives in downtown Chicago. My brother was staying with her that weekend. I called him and he said to come down and stay with them for the night. He directed me to the CTA metro station in the airport that would take me downtown. Then my phone starting beeping,indicating the battery was almost dead. So, I booked it through the airport trying to find the CTA station before my phone died, all while repeating "get off at Grand Avenue" and "441 E. Erie" out loud (didn't have time or free hands to stop and write them down).
I found the CTA station and got on the blue line for the 45-minute ride downtown. I got off at Grand Avenue to hail a cab. Unfortunately, cabs aren't in high supply at the corner of Grand and Milwaukee. It seemed to be more of a residential/industrial neighborhood, with a pub on one corner. So, I stood on the corner for twenty minutes - in freezing rain.
I finally hailed a cab and jumped in. Two drunk guys, apparently having spent the evening at the pub, jumped in on either side of me. They saw my luggage and I told them what hadhappened. They paid for my fare and tod the cab driver to take me to my sister-in-law's place first. Thanks drunk guys.
I arrived at her building, talked with them for a little while as I ate her leftover food from dinner, took two Tylenol PMs and called it a night.
The following morning, I was able to book a flight for that afternoon.
Suprisingly, I wasn't angry or bitter from everything that had happenned. I guess I was either too tired or in vacation mode.
posted by Peter at 11:00 AM
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