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indigo_rose99My flight out of BWI was supposed to leave at 3:45pm. We sat on the ground on the runway along with many, many other planes. At one point our pilot said 60 other planes were headed in the same direction, and grounded because of the storms. We finally took off for Texas at about 6:30pm EST.
My flight from BWI was supposed to land in Texas at my connecting airport a few minutes before 6pm, CST. It landed, and then we waited outside the gate for a very long time. I actually got out of the plane about 9:30pm, CST.
There was supposed to be 4-5 flights scheduled to go to my home airport when I walked into the airport. The airline platinum desk could not guarantee me on any of them, and said talking to gate people about standby was my best bet. When I approached someone, there was only one flight left. I got on standby. When I looked at the standby list the first time, I was 31 of 74. I slowly progressed, as the supposed leaving time of 11:30pm approached, to 35 of 85.
Plan B was for me to get a hotel room, and fly out the next morning. My guaranteed flight out the next morning was at a different local airport, so this would involve multiple taxis or a rental car.
Plan C was for me to rent a car and drive home. This would take a bit over three actual hours on the interstate. I called two rental agencies (first one closed on Sundays) and reserved a car, just in case.
Plan D was to stay with a friend. The hotels looked to be filling up fast. Those airport cots went quickly. I called her, and she offered to pick me up, give me a bed, give me dinner, anything I needed. She is an hour away from the airport and I felt bad about interrupting her sleep and work schedule, but felt loved that she obviously thought it was perfectly acceptable. I also partially did this so she wouldn't yell at me when she read this post later. *rueful grin* Thank you, E! *hug* Yes, this would have been a very sensible plan.
A few minutes, after midnight, it was obvious that they were not going to get past 10 on the standby list. I headed for the rental cars. By 1am I was on the road. GPS was My Friend for getting me out of the city and onto the Interstate. I was not up to reading a map.
And now a few words about driving home when really tired between 1am and 4am. It is a bad idea. Don't do it. By 2:30am, I was hallucinating. I saw things that were not there. I didn't see actual cars and road curves that were there. I tried to steer clear of the real and illusionary.
I turned up the theme music for the weekend from S as loud as possible and sang at the top of my lungs. I danced in my seat. I tried to focus hard on any other cars around me.
The experience was not improved by the fact that I had the Second Scariest Rental Car Ever. Horribly uncomfortable seats. The whole car vibrated in gonna-fall-apart way at anything over 40mph. I would have to shake out my arms at regular intervals. And after about 2am, I was pretty much using speed control continuously.... And had trouble finding the brake and accelerator when I had to interact with the rare other vehicle. You'd think placement would be completely standard, and I don't think I was that out of it...
I turned onto my street at 4:06am. Me alive. Rental car intact. I consider it a minor miracle.
My flight from BWI was supposed to land in Texas at my connecting airport a few minutes before 6pm, CST. It landed, and then we waited outside the gate for a very long time. I actually got out of the plane about 9:30pm, CST.
There was supposed to be 4-5 flights scheduled to go to my home airport when I walked into the airport. The airline platinum desk could not guarantee me on any of them, and said talking to gate people about standby was my best bet. When I approached someone, there was only one flight left. I got on standby. When I looked at the standby list the first time, I was 31 of 74. I slowly progressed, as the supposed leaving time of 11:30pm approached, to 35 of 85.
Plan B was for me to get a hotel room, and fly out the next morning. My guaranteed flight out the next morning was at a different local airport, so this would involve multiple taxis or a rental car.
Plan C was for me to rent a car and drive home. This would take a bit over three actual hours on the interstate. I called two rental agencies (first one closed on Sundays) and reserved a car, just in case.
Plan D was to stay with a friend. The hotels looked to be filling up fast. Those airport cots went quickly. I called her, and she offered to pick me up, give me a bed, give me dinner, anything I needed. She is an hour away from the airport and I felt bad about interrupting her sleep and work schedule, but felt loved that she obviously thought it was perfectly acceptable. I also partially did this so she wouldn't yell at me when she read this post later. *rueful grin* Thank you, E! *hug* Yes, this would have been a very sensible plan.
A few minutes, after midnight, it was obvious that they were not going to get past 10 on the standby list. I headed for the rental cars. By 1am I was on the road. GPS was My Friend for getting me out of the city and onto the Interstate. I was not up to reading a map.
And now a few words about driving home when really tired between 1am and 4am. It is a bad idea. Don't do it. By 2:30am, I was hallucinating. I saw things that were not there. I didn't see actual cars and road curves that were there. I tried to steer clear of the real and illusionary.
I turned up the theme music for the weekend from S as loud as possible and sang at the top of my lungs. I danced in my seat. I tried to focus hard on any other cars around me.
The experience was not improved by the fact that I had the Second Scariest Rental Car Ever. Horribly uncomfortable seats. The whole car vibrated in gonna-fall-apart way at anything over 40mph. I would have to shake out my arms at regular intervals. And after about 2am, I was pretty much using speed control continuously.... And had trouble finding the brake and accelerator when I had to interact with the rare other vehicle. You'd think placement would be completely standard, and I don't think I was that out of it...
I turned onto my street at 4:06am. Me alive. Rental car intact. I consider it a minor miracle.
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-30 06:14 pm (UTC)And now a few words about driving home when really tired between 1am and 4am. It is a bad idea. Don't do it.
Amen. I have come -this close- to killing myself by Driving While Exhausted. My new standard plan involves calling home/destination and announcing a pull-over, in-car nap. I have done that twice so far to great success. This is where success = me not doing more than blinking hard while driving. No nodding off, nothing. I really recommend it.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-30 08:28 pm (UTC)Plan D is the best plan (if I do say so myself)
Date: 2007-07-31 12:10 am (UTC)But I can't really say I'm surprised; I was half expecting you to just damn the torpedos and drive straight home after getting off the phone with you.
Glad you're safe and at home. Goober. ;-)