Flying fiasco: Part 3

Flying Fiasco: Part 3 (The Finale!)

My first taxi ride

I have to admit I felt rather glamorous taking a taxi in NYC. It wasn’t really that exciting but I still felt very cool. The driver called me “ma’am” and the taxi was warm and comfortable. It took about 15 minutes to get the La Guardia. I sat up a little taller pretending I was some important woman on my way to catch a flight to a business meeting rather than a home-bound, sleep deprived, exhausted college student.

La Guardia

This airport was a nightmare. I walked in and panicked. People were everywhere in horribly long, daunting lines. It was 7:30am so I wasn’t quite pressed for time but with these lines I would be. I jumped, fought my way might be more appropriate, in a line with a boarding pass or something to that effect. All I knew was the guy at the ticket counter who issued me my ticket/boarding pass/??? told me not to lose it or I couldn’t get on the plane. My lifeline if you will. I stood in line, got to the front when the obnoxious woman on a power trip who was shouting at people and telling people what to do glanced at my ticket, smirked at me and said, “That is not a boarding pass. You’re in the wrong place.” Wrong place?!?! WHAT?!?!? It's one airport. How could I be in the wrong place? Don't tell me I have to go to another airport. She wasn’t even nice about it. Ok, benefit of the doubt, it was ridiculously busy and she was doing her job but you know what, we’re stressed out too and it’s your job to be nice to us. Good grief. I was snapped at to take the Delta Shuttle (obviously…because everyone knows that!) to the Delta terminal because, again obviously, that’s the one that goes to Boston. How in the world would I know that? Well, she wouldn’t know that I had never been to JFK so I can’t get too upset, but her tone made me want to snap right back at her. I didn’t though because there were hundreds of other people who were in far worse conditions…

I found the shuttle stop and was standing next to a young girl who looked about my age. I asked her if she was taking the Route A bus too (giving me a little more confidence and comfort) and she said yes. She then told me this was day 2 for her trying to get to Washington. Then another girl came along. She was funny, well maybe funny isn’t quite the word. Sassy may be better. Or maybe just incredibly irritated with flying and sick of waiting, and waiting, and missing flights, and waiting. She spent all of yesterday in Rome trying to get to Washington, ended up being rerouted to JFK and then to Washington. Ok, I stopped whining to myself. I had it easy compared to these people. Girl #2 also had plenty to say about the rude woman I had encountered. I tried to suppress a smile but couldn’t. Then a cool security guy came over to us to make sure we were ok. The one kind man I had met so far at this airport. He was so chill and kind. He told us the terminal we were going to was often used by the celebrities and that we should get through quickly…and obviously we were celebrities. A little bit of much needed humor. I couldn’t have been happier to hear that because it was almost 8am and my flight left at 9:30. We got on the bus, crammed like sardines and got to the terminal. It was actually very cool. The terminal is definitely V.I.P. The ticket people (I’m writing this as I’m in the air so forgive my poor diction) were dressed nicely, very patient, and very kind. I got through no problem. It was 9am and I was on my way!

Now I’m in the air, it’s 11:31am and I should have landed 31 minutes ago. Apparently the people in Boston are trying to plow the runway as quickly as possible because there is some snow on the ground. Go Boston! Thanks for plowing guys! I don’t even care that I’m in the air still because I’m above the clouds, the sun is shining (and therefore warming me up!), I’m jamming to Safetysuit (sweet new band my roommate Alicia hooked me up with), and almost home.

That’s my adventure. I just hope my flight back to school doesn’t top this one. Please, please be a boring, on-time, easy ride….I even have to go through JFK again…oh no!

BUT I’m almost home. The captain just told us we can land so I’m off. Hello New England, how I have missed you!!!