Pages From Life

[cbrent1]

It’s 0300 on a rainy Friday Morning. You don’t really want to get up, but you have a flight to catch; and must be at the Airport a couple of hours before Departure. The Flight is at 0600, but you need to wake-up, make sure you haven’t forgotten anything, etc..

So you arrive at the Airport at 0415, and Check your Bags in and go on about your Business. The guy who checked your bags was all smiles and helpful. Good, I guess I’m not the only one who had to get up early in this weather.

Boarding begins at 0525…….

FROM HERE IT ALL GOES DOWN THE TUBES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


We get on the Puddle Jumper; after being informed that the On-Board Lavatory is not working. No big deal, we’ve done what we ‘need to do”.

We sit on the Aircraft…………….. the Plane finally goes “wheels up” at 0627……..for a 0600 Flight.

The nice Lady then serves Beverages; (Please see above, re: The Lavatory) [I, of course, decline a drink.]

The plane sets down in Houston (Bush Int’l) at about the time we are supposed to be Boarding our connection to Lafayette; 0835. We taxi for 12 Minutes……

Now, imagine if you will, 43 (42 actually) People on a small plane awaiting debarkation after having been on a 2+ Hour Flight; most full of Coffee, Juice, Soda, etc…. with NO LAVATATORY. It is not pretty. [What was “The Nice Lady” thinking ????? Was it a conspiracy?.....I might ask why anyone would have anything to drink, given the above circumstances. Anyway, some tempers were getting “short”….

We finally get off of the plane, and head for our Departure Gate. It’s in the “B80’s” and we have only mere minutes to make it. We arrive at the Gate, only to be told….you guessed it…..they changed Gates on us…..to a Gate back where we had just de-planed…in the “B60’s” !!!!

We rush back to where we were, only to be told that the plane WILL BE ARRIVING at 0930. This was SUPPOSED to be a 0910 Departure. Hey at least we didn’t miss it… While waiting for our plane to arrive, the SO-CALLED “AIRLINE” cancelled two (2) Flights for…get this…”Mechanical Issues”…….

Cut to the chase…..we FINALLY went “wheels up” at 1030 +/-, and arrived in the thriving Metropolitan Area of Lafayette, LA at 1140. On a “Schedule” that was SUPPOSED to get us there at 1008…..

NOW THE REAL KICKER…..

Our checked bags didn’t arrive with us……..!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THEY NEVER EVEN LEFT NASHVILLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Remember the guy who checked the bags being “all smiles and helpful"?; I think he’s a “Crack Head” who likes messing with people….)

THOSE BAGS WERE CHECKED AT 0430 FOR A 0600 FLIGHT…..!!!!!!!!!

They are now “supposed” to arrive on the 1742 Flight…….watch me, I’m holding my breath on that one…….

In Conclusion: Any one who knows me at the “Company”, knows that I very rarely refuse to do anything I’m asked to do for the “Company”. But, I forthwith REFUSE TO FLY ANYTHING NAMED “CONTINENTAL” IN THE FUTURE !!!!! (I’d rather walk…….) A “Schedule” that was to get us here in time to do some productive work has resulted in the loss of approximately 1 full day. [A scheduled 4 Hour Trip turned into a 6.75 +/- “FIASCO”. We of course, had to check our tools, etc., and some “Bozo” had almost 2 hours to get them to the Plane…..and didn’t….NO TOOLS, well, it goes without saying……]

Thanks for reading my little story…It’s all TRUE !!!

(Next time... I go to Lafayette, LA via Fargo.....on a bicycle..(and I really hate bicycles !!!)