Text 4345, 63 rader
Skriven 2013-09-05 16:21:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: trip 113
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I met Annie at the club entrance, and we went upstairs only to
find that Yuengling is not free any more - only Bud and Bud Light
are, matching the American Airlines policy - these airlines
despite the vigorous opposition of the government to the proposed
merger are beginning to align their operations in ways like this.
Everything else is $5. Annie bought three Yuengs, and I, being a
cheapskate, matched with two Buds and a Bud Light; though there
is a sizable difference between Yuengling and Bud, it is not $5
a glass worth. I did leave the tips, a buck a drink, though.

In conversation with the bartender it came out that the club had
put out the operation of the catering for bids, and guess who
won the contract? Delta Airlines catering; at the US Airways Club
we were being served by Delta employees. These people are not
allowed to accept tips, as I discovered at a Delta club a few
years ago. They apparently get out of this prohibition by not
picking up the dollar bills that end up littering the bar until
the patron who put them there leaves for his/her flight,
abandoning the money, whereupon it is anybody's for the taking.
Presumably another patron if speedy enough could scarf up the
bills, and nobody could say anything.

We spent a couple hours there, with me increasingly impressed at
Annie's gift of gab - she talked with the bartenders, she talked
with the other passengers, she talked and talked. Amazingly,
our section of the bar became crowded with people, mostly men,
talking with Annie; when one set had to leave for their flight,
another took over. But I wanted to visit my friends at the other
place, so we tore ourselves away and went to pay a short visit
to my friend Pete the bartender over at the United club, where
the Yuenglings are free still, but now only in 10-oz pours. He
informed us that bigger glasses would be back (there used to be
12- and 16-oz ones on request) - but sadly, to match industry
standards, the offerings are going to be cut back to Bud and Bud
Light. No more Dominion and Heineken at Dulles, no more Goose
Island at O'Hare. Plus he's not a United employee but rather one
of Sodexo (formerly Sodexho, which is the way he still pronounces
it), better known for amusing activities such as running prisons
and feeding horsemeat to the inmates. Pete kept giving beers to
Annie, and she later accused me of plying her with alcohol.

It was time for the shuttle bus to the F terminal - it would not
take much longer to walk, but then you would have to reclear
security, in another amazing default of common sense on the part
of those running this airport, the main consolation for which is
that there are four places where I can get free beer, even if it
is mostly just Bud and Bud Light.

US4405 PHL IPT 1805 1858 DH8 4A

I told Annie that the seat next to mine was likely to remain
empty, as was the rest of the row, and so she moved up a row
to next to me. An off-duty flight attendant took the other
exit seat. The flight was short and insignificant, though we
did go near a similar line of thunderstorms, and the winds
were buffeting at times, more noticeable in a small plane.
It was really so we didn't get much talking done before the
plane came to a bumpy halt (she was a little spooked at how
rough it was).

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