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+--- Thread: A Jourey of 1,000 Miles (/showthread.php?tid=6737)
A Jourey of 1,000 Miles - Ginger - 11-21-2007
 begins in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City happens to be the hometown of a nice chap named Ian. Ian had a motorcycle I wanted. We agreed on a price and he was gracious enough to agree to pick me up from the local airport. I would fly out and ride home. The deal was made, a plane ticket bought, and a route penciled out.
Fuck.
Did I mention that I'm from Northern Virginia? Kansas City is 1,100 miles towards the left coast. Its November ÔÇô a cold November ÔÇô this was a good idea? Too late.
At the crack of dawn my girlfriend dropped me off at Dulles airport. My plan was to fly over and be on the road by 2pm. My airline, United, was, of course, the only airline with a huge queue of people waiting to check in. Awesome. I should note that I was nervous about my to-be-checked bag because of the tools, and funny looking things inside of it (like my heated jacket, which, with all the wires running up and down it, Im sure looks something like an improvised oh, what do they call those things? Improvised TSA Make Mad Thing? Sure, that works, ITSAMMT. Oh, bomb  who worries about those?). Without any alternative to moving the stuff, I kept my fingers crossed.
When it was my turn to check in, all the Airline Agents (search term: United Airlines : Did I mention that I was flying United Airlines?) seemed to disappear, leaving me to navigate the touch screen check in by myself. Great. After a walk through I get my ÔÇ£Departure Management CardÔÇØ and the nice lady talking out of the side of the touch screen says ÔÇ£an Agent will now take your checked luggage.ÔÇØ Well, a United Airlines (did you catch that? It was United Airlines) Agent did appear. She asked me to step away from the terminal so somebody else could check in.
Bitch.
ÔÇ£What about my bag?ÔÇØ I asked. At this time a behind-the-counter rep tried to help me. The original rep shooed him away, though, and pointed down to the other end of the airport terminal.
ÔÇ£Take the bag to the TSAÔÇØ she shouted at me.
Confused and pissed off, I delivered my bag to a giant pile of other ousted baggage. They were all, apparently, homeless. There were 10 or 15 other people as confused as I was. Why our bags werenÔÇÖt put on the regular conveyor behind the counter IÔÇÖll never know. My anger turns to worry, though, and I start to wonder if my bag will make it on the plane. IÔÇÖm screwed if it doesnÔÇÖt.
After a tram to my planeÔÇÖs gate I wait. And wait. When I got bored, I read my ÔÇ£Departure Management CardÔÇØ ÔÇô then I re-read it. It doesnÔÇÖt have a seat number. I worry again. ÔÇ£Will I make it on the plane?ÔÇØ IÔÇÖm extra screwed if I donÔÇÖt.
I visit a United Airlines Customer Service desk (it almost seems oxymoronic at this point). The man behind the counter tells me to wait until the flight boards and ask the gate attendant, at that time, to print me a boarding pass.
Does anybody actually do anything useful at United Airlines?
Unsatisfied, I visit the gate attendant and ask her to print me a boarding pass Right Now [cue: Van Halen]. Everybody else has one, after all. I donÔÇÖt even know if I have a seat. Gimme, gimme, gimme! The attendant prints me a pass and I ask her to check to see if my checked luggage will make it on the flight. With all the funky shit that happened I wanted to be sure. She stards in with ÔÇ£uhmmÔÇØ then ÔÇ£uhh, errÔÇØ and I say
ÔÇ£Oh, you canÔÇÖt check that?ÔÇØ
Oh, no, I can but Im too busy. Ask me later.
OK ÔÇô really, when youÔÇÖre a customer service agent, how in the hell do you get away with this? I guess itÔÇÖs OK if you work for United Airlines. So, I went back to the customer service desk. The gentleman confirmed that my bag ÔÇ£should be getting on the flightÔÇØ. No shit? I know it SHOULD be, but is it? Oh well, I guess thatÔÇÖs the best they can do.
After all this, the flight was delayed (Ian later told me that he had checked the United website for flight updates and the reason listed for the delay was ÔÇ£crew.ÔÇØ Whatever ÔÇô fuck United, IÔÇÖll never fly with them again). Nobody was told the flight was delayed... it just didn't board. The flight after us boarded, then the one after that. It's 8:30 - the plane was supposed to leave at 8:20 and it hasn't even pulled up to the gate.
I have a day and a half to ride halfway across the country. I don't know if my luggage will make it... I don't even know if I'LL make it... and I've got no support trucks. This could be a bad day, "am we even flying today?" I wondered aloud...
Stay Tuned For More Story.
- HAULN-SS - 11-21-2007
flying the day before thanksgiving ftw!
- Ginger - 11-21-2007
I didn't realize I hadn't mentioned - this was last Saturday.
- CaptainHenreh - 11-21-2007
This story has everything! Comedy, tragedy, romance, action, and adventure! It would make an amazing musical.
- .RJ - 11-21-2007
tittywwop
- HAULN-SS - 11-21-2007
I thought maybe you were posting from the airport or something.
- PDenbigh - 11-21-2007
Sounds like a cool adventure Andrew! Where are you now? How's it going?
- ScottyB - 11-21-2007
my family flew United once, years ago, and that was the last time that happened.
- Ginger - 11-21-2007
Unfortunately, I'm posting from the office and writing a trip/ride report. I had a very interested journey and I'm very sure nobody will be disappointed with the conclusion. The events I'm writing about took place over the course of November 17 to November 19, crossed 1,100 miles, 7 states, 2 nights, and one visit from the Local Smokies.
Oh, and it's all about an Orange Bike. But you gotta wait to see what kind it was
I hope to have the next segment posted by the time I leave the office today.
- Apoc - 11-21-2007
Shoulda done online check-in and then paid $2 to check your bag at the curb. Rookie.
I fly United almost exclusively and for the most part have been pleased.
- Apoc - 11-21-2007
asteele2 Wrote:Oh, and it's all about an Orange Bike. But you gotta wait to see what kind it was
I know what it is... and have links... give me $5 or I blab!
- CaptainHenreh - 11-21-2007
.............00000 Drew Steele presents 00000..............
"The Most Direct Route, With No Support Vehicles!"
A musical.
- Ginger - 11-21-2007
Apoc Wrote:Shoulda done online check-in and then paid $2 to check your bag at the curb. Rookie.
I fly United almost exclusively and for the most part have been pleased.
I guess I could have brushed it off if I hadn't been ignored and pushed away by ever customer service agent there. I understand that things don't go right all the time... but when you say you can't help me because you "don't have time" that's just shitty.
- Apoc - 11-21-2007
I'd agree... but I've found that most people who work at the airport aren't there because they want to be. That doesn't make it okay, just makes me avoid people as much as possible.
- .RJ - 11-21-2007
+1 on curbside check in. Its $5 or so, but well worth it - no lines, and my shit always gets on the plane.
- .RJ - 11-21-2007
CaptainHenreh Wrote:.............00000 Drew Steele presents 00000..............
"The Most Direct Route, With No Support Vehicles!"
A musical.
Rex brings t3h funnay!
:golfclap:
- mrbaggio - 11-21-2007
It sounds like you have a pretty average airport experience. Lot's of people think the self-check in is better. Everyone has to drop their bags off in a big pile at the TSA scanner. Everyone has to wait in a long line. So the people that work there were being dicks. Your plane was 10 minutes late and you freak out? Relax. You are getting worked up over nothing.
- Maengelito - 11-21-2007
CaptainHenreh Wrote:.............00000 Drew Steele presents 00000..............
"The Most Direct Route, With No Support Vehicles!"
A musical.
TTIWWOzombieturkey
- CaptainHenreh - 11-21-2007
Maengelito Wrote:CaptainHenreh Wrote:.............00000 Drew Steele presents 00000..............
"The Most Direct Route, With No Support Vehicles!"
A musical.
TTIWWOzombieturkey
![[Image: pt-cantsing.png]](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g271/MMRex/Phantom%20Turkey/pt-cantsing.png)
- G.Irish - 11-21-2007
mrbaggio Wrote:It sounds like you have a pretty average airport experience. Lot's of people think the self-check in is better. Everyone has to drop their bags off in a big pile at the TSA scanner. Everyone has to wait in a long line. So the people that work there were being dicks. Your plane was 10 minutes late and you freak out? Relax. You are getting worked up over nothing.It depends. Sometimes they make me take my checked bag to the TSA scanner, sometimes they don't. Either way, if I have a checked bag and do self check-in a desk agent usually has to put the luggage tag on the bag before I take it to the TSA scanner. Maybe Andrew missed that part.
But yeah, 10 minute delays are nothing. Actually I'd prefer to wait 10 minutes to board than to sit in the plane for 10 extra minutes.