Horrible Trip Home!
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005 at 9:06 p.m.
I’m going to update now about the last 15 hours of my trip. I’m going to update about the whole trip later, but the last 15 hours are just so great they need their own entry.
Nate couldn’t bring me to the airport because he had class that he couldn’t miss, so Stephen brought me. We had a few fun convos on the way to Gulfport, which is about an hour from where they live. He helped me check in then we had a hug and said goodbye. I got through security and made my way to the gate. I wasn’t there long when the Delta representative announced our flight was delayed from 4:10 to 4:55. That wasn’t too bad, but my flight from Atlanta was supposed to leave at 7:29. If you never been to the Atlanta airport it’s huge! Like I mean HUGE. Plus there’s the time different so it was like leaving Gulfport at 5:55 and having my next flight take off at 7:29. Well we finally boarded at Gulfport and as we were taking off I had tears in my eyes. It was sad. We didn’t land till 7:15 and I knew unless the next flight was delayed I wasn’t going to make it. So I was trying to hurry anyway, but I had my laptop with me which weighs like 20 pounds, so that didn’t help. I got to my gate at 7:40 and it did leave on time. So I had to go to another ticket counter to find out what the deal was.
I get to the ticket counter and I find out im on standby for the next flight that leaves at 9:46, but it’s delayed till 10:18. So that gave me time to go eat. I went to TGI Friday’s; yes that airport is so big it has restaurants!! So after that I headed back to the gate to find out I was confirmed for the flight but it was delayed again till 10:35. Whatever, not too bad. So we finally started to board, but ended up waiting a little while because other flights were coming in late from delays. It was nice that plane could wait but mine could.
I guess what was happening with the whole weather scene was over Atlanta and I think some other areas, there were thunderstorms, which was causing congestion in the airways. So flights were backing up and what not.
So anyway we finally leave the terminal and the captain gets on and says he has bad news. We were #37 for take-off. Again because of the storms we had to go around certain areas which were causing a back up in air traffic. And that was only on the south side of the airport. The north side also had like 40 something planes in like for take off. So we weren’t supposed to taxi off for another 45 mins. Lovely. So I had to make some more phone calls and tell them I probably wouldn’t get in till around 2ish.
Now I was starting to get ticked, but this wasn’t even the half of it. After about 20 mins, he gets back on and says he has more bad news. We were returning to the terminal because the crew staff was approaching 16 hours and apparently that is against the law. So they could not make it in time. This went over real well. So we all pile back off and wait in line longer than Georgia. They gave is vouchers for food and a hotel and then booked us for a 7:55am flight out. This was mass confusion, but after about 45 mins I made my way out of the airport into another line longer than Georgia and Virginia for a taxi to the hotel. Luckily that line moved fast.
So I get into the cab and hand the guy some piece of paper the ground transportation guy gave me. I’m sitting there and they guy starts asking me if I have cash because he doesn’t accept vouches. I had no idea what he was talking about but told him, well you’re supposed to but I only have ten dollars on me. So I give him that and I get my room. By this time it’s 1:30 I’m exhausted, I have a headache and I’m parched. So I go down to the lobby to ask the super jerk at the front desk if there is an ATM around. He says NO! No?! Who doesn’t have an ATM and he doesn’t know what to tell me. Thanks! Meanwhile I’m flipping out. I’m like 105 degrees, and I feel like I’m going to pass out. Plus I don’t know how im going to get back to the airport because I have NO money on me. I flip out and call my aunt. She tells me to call Delta. So I call them and figure out that the hotel has a free shuttle to the airport. Ok, better news, but I still have no money to get anything to drink. So I decided to just lay down and get some sleep.
What I think happened was the cab driver, being a jerk that he was, probably took complete advantage of me. What I handed him in the beginning was probably the voucher to the hotel and he just pocketed the money. Jerk! I wish I knew of the cab company because I would rip him apart.
So I woke up right before 6, got my things together and headed down to the lobby where a bunch of people were also waiting for the shuttle. That came right away which was good. We got to the airport and I didn’t waste ANY time. I went to the ATM right outside the airport! I wasn’t taking any chances. After that I dragged myself to the security station which I seriously didn’t think I was going to make it too. My laptop case was sooo heavy, and I was starting to get shaky and burning up again. But I finally made it there and though. Then I hop on the subway to my concourse! (That’s how big this airport is. It’s just gigantic!) Things are actually better from this point on.
I grabbed some breakfast and finally got my drink. Then grabbed some Advil and a few magazines and then headed to the gate. Everything was on time. And the awesome part of the whole thing was I got first class on the way home to Albany! That was fun! As we were landing I had tears in my eyes again. I don’t want to be here, and I don’t know why. I miss Mississippi. I wish I was back…
Well I need to work in the morning so I’m going to get some sleep. I’ll update soon on the whole trip. Night kids.
*Even with everything I went through I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat just to be back there with you!*
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