I am not sure why I haven’t learned the following
1) don’t schedule medical appointments on the day you are leaving
2) don’t pre-pay for a checked bag.
The second is the important one – I could take my 19″ suitcase on the plan as a carryon. It fits in the overhead compartment but I hate struggling to lift anything over my head. So I prepay and plan on checking the bag. AND for the second time, I get to the end and am told the flight is full and I can check my carryon for free….. Next time I am not. doing this till the airport
The first? Well, I made the appointment last year so how was I to know that this would be the day I would want to leave?
Late flight, overnight in LA, then cruise line transpo to San Pedro. I know the port, worse, I know how bad the traffic will be even on a Saturday. So I can sit back with my headphones, relax and not worry.
——–>-8———
and I wrote the above at the start of the day….. and my appointment went off without a hitch, So did a bit more organizing and packing. As did getting to BART, the airport, and actually getting on the plane.
And then the fun began. You know when things start to slip? First there is a delay in push back which we were told was due to air traffic at LAX. Turned out that storm predicted for the US East Coast? It hit and and started to throw everyone off schedule. Ok, no problem for me,,, LAX is my end point. I am in the cheap seats in the back. After this is about a one hour flight. Turns out I can deal with just about anything including the poor gentleman next to me who didn’t really fit into the seat, Take off- fly, land. Then get stuck on the ground till our gate was clear. (shall I just skip all the people who delayed getting off the plane – the family in the row ahead of us were down to 10 minutes to get to their gate by the time they charged up the gangway. Claim – it was announced and the sign said our luggage would be on carousel 3 (this is Terminal 7, United). After waiting 20 minutes, a text shows up – luggage is on carousel 4. Ok, my suitcase shows up.
There are no up escalators – so three rounds to take the elevator to Level 2 for shuttle pick up. And I wait, and wait and wait. I attempt to call the hotel, auto answer – press,,,, which I do and get disconnected, Huh? I am extremely careful in doing it again – nope, not me, THEY dropped me. It is now after 2200, the shuttle runs till then. Back down to find that the taxi & ride share locations require a bus ride. Add in another 20 before a pack of three of the shuttle buses show up together.
Taxi stand, taxi, ride. Drop off at hotel. At this point I am completely wiped. Check in- and need to crash
