I wipe it off as best I can, and then I get off the plane and grab my case and my duffle. Being in the hinterlands of LAX, we need to take a shuttle to get to the main terminal. As I'm sitting on this shuttle, I look down and there is more grease on my pants. Like a LOT more. Peering down, I realize wait - it's on my computer case, which was resting in my lap. So, I notice at that point, there is more grease on me, a LOT on my case, and I figure out it's also on my duffle bag...grrr. I'm starting to feel like people are looking at me, as I dab at this crap. I go to the airline's luggage trouble people and they are mystified at how to help because it wasn't "wrecked or lost baggage", and I didn't get a claim from when I was ON the plane, and, then they finally give me a claim form.
At this point, I look like a grease monkey (and of course it smells all mechanical, too, and it was on my hands. Ick.) I grab the claim form, take a picture of greasy me and the luggage room, and, very carefully, take my stuff, and go wait for the shuttle to the car rental place. Like FIFTY rental car vans go by, and I'm getting really angry, like smoking volcano angry. I try to sneak onto a related shuttle, knowing it is around the corner from my car rental company, but since I was stupid and MENTIONED the other company, the guy would not let me on the shuttle. ("You're not a customer." No, but I COULD BE). Apparently fearing the wrath of people filing complaints, he follows me as I'm trying again on my phone to reach a human at my car rental place. I laser-eye the guy and say, "I need you to move away from me, now." "I was trying to help you!" (yeah, right....) I was supposed to meet friends, and they are texting me "it's ok... breathe" because they didn't want to have to bail me out from the LAX jail or fish me out from the local hospital after I stroked out.
Finally, the rental car van shows up (about a minute and a half after the near-murder occurred). I stand in line at the rental car place, and I'm SUPPOSED to get a subcompact, but after the person notices my clothes (and my telling them I got grease on me from the flight) I end up getting a van (LMAO - I'm sure they didn't want me to get grease on the new rental cars they had.) The shirt I was wearing which got grease on it had a VERY PROMINENT Giants logo. One of the rental car parking lot dudes motions to me to roll the window down. "Go Dodgers" Ha! Actually, we had a very fun and civil quick conversation!
THEN, I go over to Ross and, because I realllly packed light this time, I buy a new shirt and a pair of pants. And, tell the clerk I need to change into these clothes (which is obvious because of the grease all over my pants and the t-shirt...). The cashier asked how it happened, and then he very, very carefully asks me if I'm perchance 55 or over. Heh. So, I tell him I am, and I get an instant discount, and I go change into my new clothes...and that was my TUESDAY!
Wednesday, after a three-hour presentation, I leave Camarillo to go back to LAX thinking, no problem, even if it does take 2 hours I'll still have about 1.5 hours to return the car and get through security (i have Pre). So, of course, there is construction AND at least two accidents on the freeway, and it takes 2.5 hours. I get gas, where a nonofficial gas station employee regales me with how he meets nice travelers (and the two dollar tip I gave him was totally worth it because he knew where the GAS RELEASE was on the rental car.) I return the car, and at least the shuttle only took TEN minutes to arrive...now I'm getting very anxious because I'm thinking, boy if I have to go to that other hinterlands terminal, I'll never make it.
I ask the representative guy at the American terminal how to get to Gate 151 (jeeeez - 151 plus gates~!!) and he tells me to go to the international terminal (next door), go to the back, up the escalator and through "x-ray." I'm doubtful, especially about my ability to faithfully reproduce his instructions, but I go ahead. As I charge through the international terminal check-in section, I can SEE the plane at gate 151 through the glass window at the back! Now, I'm like,YAY! I'll make my flight. Except, since it's the international terminal, they only have Priority security, NOT Pre. So, this means the line is shorter, but it's the full, take off your shoes, clothes, wigs, falsies, etc... and use the full body scan, which is way slower. And, the security lady says (at first) "this terminal doesn't HAVE Pre." I start to go to the other line, and think, honestly, maybe it'll take less time to go back to the first terminal, go through security and take the shuttle! I go back and ask her, do you know how long the line takes? And, she gestures me to the Priority line after all. (Phew).
I'm sweating now...so, boarding was supposed to begin at 7:15 p.m., and I'm not even fully through the security gate by then. I finally pop out, fortunately, there was no special testing or anything... and I make haste to the gate, which was actually a little further down than I thought...I come huffing and puffing and still holding my luggage way out from me because of the residual grease (!).... announcing "I'm here!"
And I slide in at last call for the flight. Whew. (Having learned my lesson, I did NOT set my luggage down on the jetway.)
Then, we sit on the tarmac. It's a bad sign when they give you pretzels BEFORE you take off (because you know you're going to be delayed). I inhaled those pretzels, begging for an extra bag, because I didn't have any time to get dinner. LOL. We finally land only about 10 minutes later than we were supposed to. So, anyway, that was my day Tuesday and Wednesday ...
No comments:
Post a Comment