The birthday from Hell

That might be a bit strong, but you be the judge.

Our conference ended at about 4:30 CDT and with a quick trip back to the hotel to pick up bags and catch the shuttle to the airport. Traffic was yucky and it began to rain. I boaded my plane in time for its 6:55 departure and there we sat. We were late, of course, and during that time it began to really storm: rain, lightning, thunder. Did you see I said lightening? Well, when that happens they close the apron (ramps) at airports to protect the workers. To make an on-again, off-again (we are going; we are not) story short, they cancelled our flight after 3.5 hours in the plane. Another down side: Aleene was sitting in GR for about that same length of time.

I have always defended NW over the years, as they have treated me well, they really disatisfied me yesterday. This was weather related and while some expected compensation (I did not) we got none. The help or suggestions, that they gave us were snarlly and inadequate. I have been cancelled before...you go to the gate and get help...long lines, yes, but some help. Last night they gave an 800 number which resulted in being put in a 30 minute queue for help. They also gave a number to call for the names of motels in the area...and as some passengers learned, no break in price as advertised.

I was carrying my luggage and trudged outside security to go to the main terminal counters (by this time almost mid-night) to get help. There was a line, but there were several agents who gave us the low down one by one. They had rebooked us on the three GR flights in the morning and saturated those flights with those 130 or so of us.

Getting home as quickly as I could would require a trip to Detroit then to GR by 8:00 a.m....yes, I thought...back through security and to the gate for another two hour wait...this time the crew that was to fly us out had "timed out" in their hours for the day/week/month (who knows).

Back to the counter (this is Minneapolis, so this is a hike) via the security area to get booked on the second GR flight of the morning. Since the disruption had changed folks' plans, there were openings in the earlier flights popping up.

At 2:00 a.m. I had the choice to go to a hotel for 4 hours, sleep on mats in a mezzanine above the ticket couter with 120 or so other souls...or go to my gate and wait for 8 hours. I did not want to pay $80 for four hours....so I checked out the sleeping arrangements. They had mats alright (looked like the Super Dome) but people had commendeered 4-6-8-10 of them to sleep on, and were doing so, not willing to give up one or two from their pile. Several people were sleeping on a stack of mats three feet high. One look at that mess and I opted for a night at the gate.

This is the first time I have spent a night in an airport, a la Tom Hanks. I befriended an Indian couple (she with a bindi), an Asian women who spoke no English and two profoundly obese women in weelchairs...all stranded like I was, but they did not have either the energy or strength or understanding or language skills to help themselves. Where was NW? "Call the 800 number," the gate agent told the Indian man (who was bindi-less). So it was passenger helping passenger as we watched out for each other and each got about 1 hour of sleep.

Enough of the story...you get the point...at 10:45 we cleared the gate...again in a downpour, but no lightening...and flew the heck out of there.

Aleene stayed home this time until the computer said we were in the air...and she made it there with time to spare. I got home about 2:30 this afternoon.

"Nice ride," I told the skipper of our GR flight. "It only took me 18 hours to make it..." I grinned.

"Yea," he said, "You could have been in Tokyo by now."

With that conversation I bid NW farewell...until the next time, I suppose.

Amy, there were two families on board near me who struggled with "tikes" and I thought of you and Bren. People cut them a lot of slack...if...they showed some effort and skill to comfort their wee ones. There was a happy ending to both of them as I saw them finally make it to GR either before or with me....

Happy #64, T....