Did You Ever.....

Hi gang....

Did you ever get the sense that something shouldn't be done due to events that go astray prior ?
Well, let me tell you ....this one should be a 'model' to follow.
Last week, I was heading up North for a visit to surprise my oldest daughter on her anniversary by purchasing and setting up a brand spanking new computer and network. What transpired to get there really makes one think.

It all started by having the pickup shuttle coming early and not calling me regarding the unexpected time. Really wasn't too bad since it was only about 20 mins early and lucky me I had already packed the day before and was just finishing up from stepping out of the shower being pretty early in the morn. So that wasn't too bad....huh....hmmmm...but it just gets worse from there.

The ride to the airport usually takes about 30-45 mins on average, however this trip was over an hour and 10 mins without any real reason for traffic delays. Now that isn't so bad either since I had well over 90 mins prior to boarding, but still something to take note of.
I make my way over to the ticket counter and using the automatic sign in to obtain the boarding pass. Everything seemed to work ok at first. My finger activated the first screen, finding me and noting the exact information to be true. So far so good..lol.....now I want to print out my boarding pass....seems easy enough.....just press the screen ...right ?? lol....Not quite.........I not only used every finger on both hands I even used my nose and contemplated pulling my sneakers off and using my toes.....hmmmmm....that damn screen would not print my boarding pass....instead it just kept roatating around the various screens on each attempt to print. Ok...so I cancel out of one of man's greatest fiasco and head for the 'live person ' counter. I explained my dilema and a kind gentleman assured me that it was just one of those things with the kiosk and he'll take care of it.
That he did, in 20 mins time...hmmmmm......I could have taken a bath and had breakfast within that time....what was the hang up...I don't know....but he returned with my boarding pass in hand and a seat assignment. Whaalla...I home free....lol......sure I am !

I manage to navigate the concourse to my gate heading for the 'security checkin'. As usual, the typical 'stripping down' to min basic is pretty much the rule and things seem to go fairly smoothly without a hitch, finally! I make it to my gate and I take a seat noticing I have about 30 mins to spare before the schedule departure and maybe a min or two before they allow the boarding. I take a sigh of relief and feel that I made it. As most of you know they board by zones and I had zone 9 indicating a low numbered seat because they board from rear to front of the plane. After a host of people boarding I can now present my boarding pass and proceed to my seat, or so I think.

When I gave my boarding pass to the 'gate keeper'...I hear all kinds of bells and sirens as she swipes my ticket. What is this I think...hmmmm....I never heard this before! She grabs me back as I was taking my step to proceed and tells me...WAIT !! After about 30 seconds she tells me...."I'm all ready on the plane and seated ! " .."I am", I say, "then who is standing in front of you ?"
Perplexed she seemed and began to push buttons on her computer only to say...."oh...you're ok...they changed your seat so let me assign you a new one." Well, that is "ok"....I say..."sure"......so she asks...."do you mind sitting on the emergency door?" ...course I don't, I am well capable of wrangling open that contraption should we need to. So she issues me a new boarding pass with the correct seating asssignment and I board the plane. Walking down the aisle as we all do looking at the markings of the seats and rows I make it to the newly assigned second seating only to find two people sitting in my assigned seat......hmmmm.....
Now I have a predicament....So I motion over to the attendant to explain my situation ....without a blink of an eye...she instructs me to sit two rows behind my 'emergency seating' seat, without confering with anyone. Ok ..I think..heck...I have at least a place to sit my slightly agitated body, and guess what...the seat next to me apparently remains open....now that is my good fortune.
As usual, after about 30 mins from boarding we make it to the runway to proceed to take off.
Not too bad only second in line for the actual takeoff and the pilot informs us that things are going as planned and how the weather is in Boston.
Two mins later the engines start to rev up and we are racing down the runway when right near the end of the 'ground speed' required to do a 'lift off'....I hear a 'whirring noise' from one of the engines of the two engine plane. It just doesn't sound right to me since I have flown a gazzillion times and suspect something is wrong. Right when the nose usually starts to lift off the ground the pilot dramatically shuts down the engines and we bounce a bit nose first. Now I know something is drastically not right. The pilot comes over the intercom and states that there is nothing to be concerned with and we well be placed back into rotation for the liftoff in a few mins.
Who's kidding who ?
Two mins later he returns via the intercom to tell us that he couldn't obtain the peak engine torque that he required for a safe lift off and 'roll' so he shut down the engines down so we will be heading back to the gate for their maintenance people to check things out but we must leave the aircraft for when they fix the problem, the craft will need to do a 'power burn' and its federal law that no passengers are to be on the plane at that time. Well, that makes sense to me....and all disembark thinking that we will shortly be back for takeoff. ...hmmmmm....Had the pilot attempted that liftoff we most likely would have crashed on takeoff. My hat goes off to the pilot for using good judgement and probably preventing some sort of catastrophe....so going from from good to bad to worse !..more to come !!...lol

After about 30 mins of roaming around the gate area I notice the information screen is informing all passengers of my flight that they cancelled it. Oh no...how can they....heck their base airport is only an hour away in Georgia..why not just ship in a new plane ? The most we would loose is about maybe 2 hrs. The only options now available is to try to rebook thru connecting flights into Atlanta, the exact place they should have sent a new aircraft from. The only trouble with the connecting flights is of course you are on 'standby mode' and no sure way of knowing once in Atlanta what happens next. And to boot the arrival times in Boston wasn't that far off the mark for the last direct flight from Tampa ! Oy Vey...lol......The other option was to rebook for the last flight of the day which would bring me into Boston at about 10:45 pm , a whole day lost in the airport just like the movie 'Terminal Man' with Tom Hanks. Boy did I feel 'lost', helpless, and destitute ! But one thing going for me in my favor was the fact.....if it got any worse....I could always go back home. A safety net for sure !

So I opted to book the last flight of the day...only to find out....they had no seats...totally booked solid. Gosh...when would this day end ? lol So in my infinite wisdom....I started to hassle the gate attendents constantly having them check and recheck for any sudden 'open seating'. ...Hmmmm....think it was on my 10th or 11th try my luck changed for the 'good'. A seat finally opened up and I immediately attempted, yes...I said attempted to book it.

What happened next is comical if nothing more and the way the day was going seemed right in step with everything else.
The attendant attempted to book the seat for me but it just wouldn't take....she used every 'code' known to man and it just wouldn't accept the reservation. So she called over a second atttendant and she tried. All to no avail.....so a third was called over and a fourth and yes...even a fifth. NO Luck. The seat was available but they just couldn't book me on it. ....Hmmmmm.....the 'sixth' gentleman attendant was called in to assist in the what seemed to be a fairly easy task to accomplish and low and behold he was able to drop me from the two connecting flights that was done automatically when the original flight got cancelled and rebook me on the last direct flight for the day. Whew....boy was that work or what....all those gals working feverishly to get the job done and bingo....this lonely male made my day....lol......Ya ..ya... I know that sounds sexist...but I'm just glad for whatever the reasons the seat got booked. Horray !
Well...needless to say the remaining hours dragged on as if they were days and by the time I boarded that last flight I was far from refreshed and eager.
Three hours later I landed in Boston without any further hitches and glitches and was very thankful for that pilot's skills and wisdom not to fly a crippled aircraft.
Oh by the way...did I mention the last flight out for that day was a different aircraft.....but with the same flight crew of the morning's cancelled flight.....lol.......Oh no....de ja vous !

So America....keep smiling...when you think things just can't get any worse off....they usually do !..lol.....
Always,
Steve