Last Sunday, I was scheduled to leave for Dallas, TX, for another training for work. A national domestic violence conference--the same one I went to 2 years ago. I love that conference. It is excellent. I was to travel with 6 other co-workers, Tina, Matt, Scott, Bob, Charlie, and Kathy. Our plane was set to leave Billings at about 9:50am.
Mike drove me to the airport. We got there at the same time as everyone, except Tina and Matt, who had apparently arrived 2 hours early, and had already gone through security. Just before I got up to the ticket counter, I heard the employee page Tina and Matt over the intercom, asking them to return to the check-in counter.
That can't be good.
I got up to Linda, the employee at the counter, and asked her if something had gone wrong.
Linda: "They need to come back down here. Your plane is delayed, and they need new boarding passes. There's weather in Denver, so your plane is scheduled in at about 1:00."
They hadn't seemed to hear the page, so I called Tina on her cell phone.
Tina: "What's going on?"
Me: "There's weather or something in Denver. We're rescheduled to leave at 1."
Linda: "NO. I said the plane is SCHEDULED IN at 1."
Me (to Tina): "Ok...well, anyway they need you back down here to get new boarding passes."
Tina: "We already checked our bags. Do we need to get them back and start all over again? Or will they take care of it?"
Me (to Linda): "They already checked their bags..."
Linda: "The bags will need to be retagged. Tell them to come back here."
Me (to Linda): "But will they need to pick up their bags? Or...?"
Linda: "TELL. THEM. TO COME. BACK. DOWN HERE. THEY. NEED. NEW. BOARDING PASSES."
Me: ...
Linda: "WE will retag the bags in the back."
That was kind of what I had asked. I wasn't trying to debate the issue with Linda, I just needed to tell Tina if she should pick her bags back up, or not worry about it.
Linda, you are on my list.
So, we got sorted out and all decided to go home for a couple hours and then return at about noon. Mike and I went back out to our new car. The 2006 Subaru with 17,000 miles on it, which we just bought a month ago. I have alredy had to force the car dealership to come out to my house to replace the battery for me, at which time, they also reset the Check Engine light that had come on. Exactly what you would expect from your new car.
Mike got into the driver's seat, and the car wouldn't start. He had to try several times to get the car going. And when it finally did start, the Check Engine light had come back on. Of course it was Sunday, so we couldn't take the car anywhere to be checked out. The Subaru guy had specifically told me not to worry about the Check Engine light last time, that it had probably been the battery issue causing it to come on.
Rimrock Subaru, YOU are on my list.
We drove out to the toll both--airport parking, you know. The lady inside the toll both was a small, thin, older lady. Maybe in her fifties. She had long, scraggly brown hair, and kind of a raspy voice. I did not see a name tag, but it would be perfect if her name had been Freeda. Too perfect.
Freeda: "Hi. $2.50."
Mike handed her a $20 bill, which was the only denomination we had.
Freeda: "Oh...is that the only thing you have? I'm kind of running out of change here. Do you have a debit card, maybe?"
First of all, it was 10:00 in the morning. How are you already out of change? For a $20! No, no, I take that back. She was not out of change. She was "almost out" of change. Which, to me, meant, "I still have change, but it's early, and I don't want to use it all up on you." And how does a toll booth run out of change anyway?? What else do you do, but take money and make change all day!
Mike did hand her his debit card. And, while I was irritated, I would have let it go. But just before we pulled away...
Freeda: "This is still a small airport. We don't charge much for parking. You should know to bring smaller money."
I almost came unglued at that point. I opened my mouth to let whatever was loudest in my brain come out. I began to climb across the center console. It was our fault that the toll booth didn't have enough change?? Somehow, we should have known that a toll booth wouldn't be able to break a $20, but we brought one anyway, so we needed the lecture?? Mike thanked Freeda and quickly sped away. I yelled at him that he should never have given her a debit card. He should have just said that the $20 was all we had. If she refused to open the gate, we would have just abandoned our Check Engine light car right there, blocking the exit. Let them tow it since that was probably what we were going to have to do later that day anyway.
Freeda, you are on my list.
We returned to the airport at noon. I already had my new boarding pass, and had already checked my bag, so I was planning to just go past security and to the gate. But as I walked in, I saw my other 6 group members standing back at the check-in counter. Charlie advised, "The flight has been cancelled."
FRONTIER AIR LINES, YOU ARE ON MY LIST!
The ladies at the check in counter, including Linda, were able to find us another flight. That was after several minutes of frantic keyboard-clicking on their part and...shall we say truth-stretching on our part (Scott told the check in ladies that we were instructors at the conference, so we had to get there on time).
Linda, you are now a little lower on my list.
I think we were on Alaskan Air, or something like that. Rerouted to Seattle, WA, instead of Denver, CO. We arrived in Seattle, only to learn that our connecting flight was delayed!
Alaskan Airlines, you are on my list, too!
We did arrive safely. Waaay late. Just in time to go to bed, get 5 hours of sleep, and get up for the conference. Totally worth it, though. This one was even better than the last one.
