Travel Nightmare (its so sad, its funny):
(background: Softball Championships, Columbus OHIO. My buddy Bob and I **HAD TO** show up in Columbus by 7 AM Tuesday or our team would forfeit and be ejected from the entire tournament due to insufficient # of players --->> we have 3 more players arriving Tuesday night for the rest of the week's games, but for Tuesday 7:40 AM game, we have EXACTLY 10, including me and Bob)- 3:30 PM - I get a panicked phone call from Bob McNulty Telling me "dude, i have no flight reservation in my name". I say "Silly boy, that can't be true...i booked a flight for ME and for YOU like 40 days ago! You must be mistaken..."
- 3:32 PM - I check my email, and realize that I booked TWO FLIGHTS IN MY OWN NAME!!!!
- 3:34 PM - I stop kicking the wall and cursing at my stupidity
- 3:35-4:00 PM, I spent 25 excruciating minutes with customer service reps from Bangalor, India - representing US Airways and Travelocity. I find out that I can not do a name change and all I can do is book a new flight. FOR $680!!!!!!!!!! Ouch.
- 6:00 PM - We get on our flight from Boston to NYC, which will connect to a flight to Columbus.
- 6:15 PM - Boston flight CANCELLED due to bad weather in NYC
- 6:45 PM - with no other options to get to Columbus, we change our flight to Pittsburgh, and figure we will drive from there
- 6:50 PM - I get a notice that the NYC to Columbus flight is delayed 75 minutes. So, we scramble and rebook on the 7 PM flight to NYC, with 30 minutes to make our connecting flight
- 7:05 PM - we are the last two on the plane (dirty looks from everyone)
- 7:06 PM- Captain says "Folks, we are going to be delayed by 30-45 minutes to to lots of air traffic
- 7:07 PM - we RACE off the plane, hoping to get on the pittsburgh flight again
- 7:10 PM - as they are booking us to Pittsburgh, they close the door to the plane and detach the jetway
- 7:12 PM - I realize I LEFT A BAG ON THE PLANE. Not any bag...the bag with my CLEATS AND GLOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
- 7:15 PM seeing my distress, the gate agent says "no problem honey, we'll get back on there and get it. They arent going anywhere for 30 minutes anyway
- 7:16 PM - as she is putting the key in the door to walk me down to the plane, they start TOWING THE PLANE AWAY FROM THE GATE! I am screwed...and my unmarked bag is in Guam or Vancouver or God knows where by now!!!
- 7:35 PM- we get on our flight to Pittsburgh
- 9:45 PM - we land in Pittsburgh
- 9:55 PM - we get on the Tram to take us to the terminal. I am lamenting how horrific the past 6 hours have been. My bag is standing next to me, with the "roller-arm" extended. There is the CUTEST little 7 year old boy standing next to me, enjoying a giant bag of skittles. he is quite happy with his snack choice. His pregnant mother looks at him with love in her eyes. The tram starts moving...my bag falls over **SLAMMING** the bag of skittles out of the kid's hand...skittles are flying everywhere and this poor boy looks as if he is about to cry. Little does he know that **I** want to cry at this point...
- 10:05 - I go to Budget Rent-A-Car, and ask about renting an economy car to Ohio. They say "we have only Mini-Vans" (which are twice as expensive). I go to Dollar Rent-A-Car, and they tell me its $200 for "other location dropoff" (on top of the $60 rental) to rent from them. Umm..NO!
- 10:10 PM - Brianstorm. I flip my computer on and go online. Hotwire.Com. They compare prices at all companies!!! I get a $160 price on a compact car from??? You guessed it - BUDGET RENT A CAR! Yes, the same people who 5 minutes earlier told me they had to economy cars!
- 1:15 AM - After 2 hours and 45 minutes of driving, we arrive in Columbus at our hotel and steal 3 hours of sleep before our first game
OY VEY!!!!!!!!!! $840 later and I want to punch something...but I'll probably just break my hand..so whats the point.
Well, things can only go UP from here...right? RIGHT?????
