Saturday, December 31, 2005

While Otter was sleeping and actions of the spokes weasel

I am leaving the states and returning to Lebanon. How is Lebanon the clerk asked me in the airport. “I’m thinking of visiting.”
I said “Well it’s a great place. A lot like France.” I should have said it’s trying to be… I didn’t have the heart to break the little possible vacationer.
I caught myself staring at his ID badge…
It had a Cuban flag on it. Strange I thought.
I finally have the Buena Vista Social Club CD. It’s got the best cigar song ever. The slow winding guitar of Chan Chan is what I am listening to now as I type the next update to the Blog. The flight into New York was uneventful. I got into JFK and made the ride round to terminal 7 on the inner airtrain. I weaseled my way up to the front of a HUGE line to get checked into the flight and suddenly there was a problem. They had booked my baggage on one flight and me on another. I was relegated to taking flight 186 instead of 116 which should have left at 9:00. So 2 hours later after grabbing a fish and chip dinner, I was typing in the complimentary British Airways internet zone. They gave away HIGH SPEED internet FOR FREE!! I'm gonna miss that in Lebanon. The call came and we were subjected to some jerk bringing McDonald's on a plane.
But it isn't all smiles and happiness dear readers... This flight to Beirut has been one issue after another. My baggage was booked on a different flight than the one shown on my itinerary. So after changing my flight and my seating… I got on the plane with only 2 hours layover. How did it happen?
Then the plane was DELAYED half an hour. When we got out of the plane there was a massive line in security it reached right up to the plane door almost. This took ages to get through.
I was a bit of a weasel and snuck up front complaining that my flight was soon.
The British Airways worker told me “no you are ok you are flying at 1200 noon” so after sneaking up to the front of the line and asking a question I slid into line ahead of the entire flight. I crept upstairs to the terminal and waited for the gate to appear… IT DIDN’T only stating that the time was changed to 13:30.
I went to the quiet sitting area which it isn’t because everyone here is sleeping. I left at 12:30 and wandered around again. The screen said to go to gate 15… SO I DID!
I laid down on the side near the TV and may have passed out. I got up did a quick tour and I fell asleep as it prepared to depart. I didn’t hear the pages tucked away in the quiet seating area here in terminal 4. I have enough syringes and Insulin to keep me tided over.I think I got confused tired or something because I wandered around the airport for something like 2 hours and then passed out again in the same spot. I woke up and looked over and the gate didn’t say Beirut anymore… THIS MEANT TROUBLE! I went to the information desk that promptly sent me down to connections on the butt end of that huge line area. I must say that it feels surreal the way these people got cold when they assumed I missed the flight. They told me to leave and get a hotel. Then check back in.
I know my bag is way way WAY overweight so that isn’t an option.
The way I see it, I’ll just stick it out here and try to avoid getting tossed out of the airport. My vanishing skills will be ramped up I will have to just fall off of radar.
This is another gap in security… I slipped though its cracks.
So what of my trip? I'll let you know when it's finished.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

you have a knack for missing flights

2:07 AM, January 01, 2006  

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