Text 27618, 75 rader
Skriven 2015-05-30 07:51:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: outta there 750
=======================
I had somehow managed to get balled up on my schedule and
had leave a day early. Result: dinner with Dan and Barb was
off and I was not put on any upgrade list that I was entitled
to. Plus Annie had to stay at home to wait for some repairman
or other, so we enlisted Carolyn to take me to the airport,
which she did via various sights in her neighborhood and
downtown, which gave me small anxieties about timing, which
proved unfounded. She dropped me off right around noon, and
the ticket counter wasn't even occupied. At off-peak, one has
to ring bell for service, sort of comical. A grumpy woman who
turned out to be the station manager came out; when she saw
my platinosity she got rid of part of the attitude, and I got
exit row on all my flights, It had turned out that owing to
my silliness I had a rather circuitous itinerary, but I wasn't
too put off, because I get an extra segment credit this way.
It was all perfectly satisfactory for me, but as I left I heard
this woman reading the riot act to a passenger who had excess
carry-on or something. Plus as I was tapping away on the computer
a bit later, she made a "final boarding" announcement right at
12:30, when the inbound aircraft hadn't even arrived yet.

US4867 IPT PHL 1300 1356 DH8 4A

You get the security screening at the one checkpoint and then
go into the waiting room for the one gate; no facilities except
for an office water cooler and (I discovered once) one electric
outlet. So I wait until I think real final boarding before
hitting the restroom outside and then doing security, which
usually takes two minutes, four tops, counting waiting in line
if there is one (usually not, as I am pretty late). This time,
they were checking people fine-toothed-combedly, so I waited
maybe five, before my own minute of fame - 15 seconds for the
screening, the rest while the guys wondered about my 3 pints of
frozen leftover goulash.

The same woman was behind security (they have a back door)
fussing at her staff, telling one of the mechanics who wanted
a few minutes to do some minor repair "the schedule says
2 minutes and 40 seconds, so we board in 2 minutes and 40
seconds" and then not starting boarding for 10 minutes, so I
guess the mechanics (and ultimately the passengers) won.

The plane was nowhere near full. I had the left side of the
exit row to myself; the right remained unoccupied until this
monk (Capuchin, perhaps) took it - I'd noticed him because
his rosary or something had set off the alarm, and he got
secondary screenings along with one random and one lady who
had a metal joint. He didn't know there were reading lights;
I showed them to him, and he was appropriately grateful.

In the other exit row, 1C and 1D, there was a frequent flyer
guy who carried on a loud and funny conversation with the
flight attendant during the trip - I could hear him over
the propeller noise even. After takeoff I fell asleep and
woke to the jolt of landing gear and tarmac. I hear it had
been an exceptionally bumpy flight.

Almost 2 hours before my next departure, so I figured I'd go
to the United Club for a drink. This involved a bus ride from
the F terminal to the C terminal and a walk to D. In the
bus line behind me was the frequent flyer guy, so we had a
jolly little chat about frequent flying. I invited him to the
club, but he had his own membership at the Admiral's Club.

Mike, my second favorite bartender, was there; originally, I
was scheduled in the following day, when Pete, my favorite
bartender, was working. Mike poured me a double Ten High
without my asking. My favorite snack was there - sugar
cookies, which are for some reason excellent; there were
also chocolate cookies, which are for some reason not.

Bus back to the F terminal; I arrived just before boarding.
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