It's been a crazy week... Typical Friday the 13th...With a Cherry on top...

[1 Wild R/T]

So for the last few weeks I've been organizing another cruise for this past Saturday... Schedule was leave Modesto around 1030 & arrive in Copperopolis around noon....

Then I got a call about doing a machine install in Joplin Missouri... I like doing the work but it can mess with my free time... Anyway, I flew into Springfield, drove to Joplin, got the install sorted & was scheduled to fly home Friday... Friday morning at 0420 the fire alarm went off... Barely got back to sleep & the alarm on my phone went off.. I was in the plant at 0800 for final crew training before heading to the airport.....When I got to the airport, my flight was delayed but eventually actually got on the plane... But then had to get back off the plane... Do to the delays I had to reschedule my connecting flight... Then they cancelled my first flight.... I tried to schedule another flight but Springfield is a small airport & the few available seats on flights out for the next few days had already sold out since other flights & other people on my flight recognized where this was going sooner than I had... I had my travel agent check Kansas City & St Louis for flights but the same thing... So I expanded the search & finally accepted that Dallas was gonna be my best shot... Next I needed a rental car... None available... Well... I travel enough I'm an Emerald Executive so I threw down with the secret hand shake & the head nod... Anyway they found me a car... Left Springfield around 10PM drove 420 miles & rolled into Dallas around 0430... My flight was at 0755... And I was in the air enroute to Sacramento before 0800......Landed in Sacramento at 1030...

.Awesome... Accept There was no way I was gonna be able to get home it time to swap cars for the cruise... So I drove my daily and drove straight to Copperopolis...

I'd been texting with friends & my GF.. Everyone knew I got hung up & wasn't able to join them... No one knew I was actually gonna be in Copper when they arrived... My GF was in the lead car when they arrived... She about freaked LOL....

by the time I finally got home & crawled into bed I'd been up for 36 hours.... I slept for 16 hours.... It's probably gonna be a few days before I feel normal... But I'm home & at least I got to catch up with an event I organized....

 

[Kern Dog]

Damn....that is an adventure that would wear on any man. It is impressive that you persevered.
2014, the wife and I were flying home from Arizona after Christmas. Sky Harbor to John Wayne airport for a quickie layover and they changed plans on us...we had to leave the plane and board another. Not usually a problem but they have a 10:00 PM curfew on noise and it was 9:55 as we were getting the FAA seatbelt warning and safety lecture. They canned the flight and we were stuck. Next flight was the next morning.
Mary and I had to be back home not only for work but to relieve the person watching our dogs so....
We scrambled to get a rental. Every agency we told the same story....Our flight was cancelled, we needed a car. A few were so friggin stupid, they asked
"Do you have a reservation?"
How damned stupid or programmed do you have to be to ask that question? Yeah...I always reserve rental cars in a town when I have a 15 minute layover there.
We got a car, a fellow traveller needed a ride so she tagged along. We did the Kowalski straight to the airport ( to drop off the tag-a-long and the rental car itself) then home, at speeds up to 90 but rarely slower than 75.
I went to sleep, Mary went to work.
Oooof!

 

[HawkRod]

So for the last few weeks I've been organizing another cruise for this past Saturday... Schedule was leave Modesto around 1030 & arrive in Copperopolis around noon....

Then I got a call about doing a machine install in Joplin Missouri... I like doing the work but it can mess with my free time... Anyway, I flew into Springfield, drove to Joplin, got the install sorted & was scheduled to fly home Friday... Friday morning at 0420 the fire alarm went off... Barely got back to sleep & the alarm on my phone went off.. I was in the plant at 0800 for final crew training before heading to the airport.....When I got to the airport, my flight was delayed but eventually actually got on the plane... But then had to get back off the plane... Do to the delays I had to reschedule my connecting flight... Then they cancelled my first flight.... I tried to schedule another flight but Springfield is a small airport & the few available seats on flights out for the next few days had already sold out since other flights & other people on my flight recognized where this was going sooner than I had... I had my travel agent check Kansas City & St Louis for flights but the same thing... So I expanded the search & finally accepted that Dallas was gonna be my best shot... Next I needed a rental car... None available... Well... I travel enough I'm an Emerald Executive so I threw down with the secret hand shake & the head nod... Anyway they found me a car... Left Springfield around 10PM drove 420 miles & rolled into Dallas around 0430... My flight was at 0755... And I was in the air enroute to Sacramento before 0800......Landed in Sacramento at 1030...

.Awesome... Accept There was no way I was gonna be able to get home it time to swap cars for the cruise... So I drove my daily and drove straight to Copperopolis...

I'd been texting with friends & my GF.. Everyone knew I got hung up & wasn't able to join them... No one knew I was actually gonna be in Copper when they arrived... My GF was in the lead car when they arrived... She about freaked LOL....

View attachment 1869928View attachment 1869929View attachment 1869930


by the time I finally got home & crawled into bed I'd been up for 36 hours.... I slept for 16 hours.... It's probably gonna be a few days before I feel normal... But I'm home & at least I got to catch up with an event I organized....

Wow - tough way to travel home!

Unfortunately it has been my experience that air travel is getting less and less consistent. I always worry now if I have any connecting flights because if there is a delay you can be screwed.

The good new here is through perseverance you made it home and made it to the cruise.

 

[Nxcoupe]

Wow! What an adventure but you made it! Same with Kern Dog.
About 7 years ago, I got a call in around April from Marriot offering me a 5 day, 4 night getaway to several cities, one of which was Orlando. I chose Orlando and picked the 4th of July weekend as that year it fell on a tuesday or something and I figured we could fly out that Saturday and stay a few days and watch fireworks at Magic Kingdom for my little girl. I may be a little off on the days, since it was so long ago. I was fairly new at my training center and the 2 guys I worked with were 22 and 23. They both hated me for, well, being old I guess. The 23 yo was the 'lead' and arranged my training. For this class I had to go to to upstate New York and flew into a little podunk airport. Well, Friday came, and wouldn't you know it, a huge thunderstorm moved in that stretched across Indiana, Ohio, MI, PA and of course Rochester where I was. We had loaded and then unloaded due to lightning strikes. I watched time fly by as we waited for the storm to pass. FAA rules dictate lightning can't happen for an hour after the last recorded strike occurs, so we waited. They put us back on the plane about the same time that my connecting flight was due to leave. We finally got off the ground and in the air. We landed an hour later to a completely dark Detroit Intl airport. I went to the customer service desk as they were about to close and the nice lady said there nothing she could do as the storm cancelled all flights. It would be at 8 am the next morning back to Dayton. I explained my flufht to Orlando left from Cincy at 8 am. She said she couldn't help me but gave me a hotel voucher. I grabbed all my crap and made my way to the hotel shuttle and then the hotel. A very nice young man who was new to the hotel overheard my conversation with my wife explaining after traveling by bus from car rental to car rental company, there were no cars available, so I wanted her and my daughter to get on the plane and I would meet them to which she was very resistant to that plan. He said, sir, do you need a ride? I told him my sob story and he said let me see if I can help. He called around to different car services in the area and said no luck, but one guy said he'd get back with him. A few minutes later he got a call back and the guy confirmed I was going to Dayton airport and he said 200. I said Deal! When do we leave? He said the driver was fueling up and would be there. I will never forget that young man. Wish they were all like him. Great work ethic. A few minutes later my black GMC Suburban looking thing showed up and a polite middle-eastern looking guy opened the door and took my bag. About 4.5 hours later I was at the entrance to Dayton Airport parking lot. I fell asleep for a couple hours, walked to my vehicle and was on my way home at around 5 am. I called my wife and let her know my eta. When I arrived home I transferred some of my stuff into our suitcases and we jumped into the minivan and headed to the airport. I was finally able to relax when we sat down and awaited our flight to Florida. When we landed we picked up our rental car, drive to the hotel and then left for the parks. I was up for 48 hours save a 2-hour nap. But it was worth it. And I made it happen. Glad to know I'm not the only one this crap has happened to. Glad your guy's stories had a happy ending too.
When I got back home and back to work, I called the training manager and relayed my adventure to him and my frustration with the climate I had to endure at my training center. He had a phone call with the other 2 guys and, well, from then on my training plan and travel were completely up to me. Found out later from another guy they were laughing about it and were sending me all over the place hoping I'd quit. Fast forward to now and I am 2 levels above where they were and they have both left the company. I win.

 

[DeltaV]

1 Wild Weekend

You endeavored to persevere. Good job!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Misery loves company, Good to see I'm not the only one.. But I hate to see anyone go through that kinda crap....

Couple things, most people who work in the travel industry are sympathetic and try to help.. Unfortunately there are times when the rules & the weather seem to be determined to ruin your day...

Point two, very important.. When stuff goes sideways (and it will) be nice to the people who are there to help you... They are trying, may not be much they can do to help but they will try... Act like an asshole & you'll discover they can also make your journey harder...

 

[68BabyBlue]

Misery loves company, Good to see I'm not the only one.. But I hate to see anyone go through that kinda crap....

Couple things, most people who work in the travel industry are sympathetic and try to help.. Unfortunately there are times when the rules & the weather seem to be determined to ruin your day...

Point two, very important.. When stuff goes sideways (and it will) be nice to the people who are there to help you... They are trying, may not be much they can do to help but they will try... Act like an asshole & you'll discover they can also make your journey harder...

Sorry to see you go through that ordeal, but speaking as a former frequent flyer, you handled it like a pro. The golden rule of don't hassle the customer service people always served me well. My wife traveled with me on a regular basis with the points I earned, and she was always amazed at the results we got compared to folks who got hot headed, rather than going with the flow.

Flying has gotten exponentially more difficult as airlines have squeezed more utilization out of their equipment. It's the only way to make a profit in any transportation industry. Stories like yours make me appreciate the fact I no longer have to deal with it.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Sorry to see you go through that ordeal, but speaking as a former frequent flyer, you handled it like a pro. The golden rule of don't hassle the customer service people always served me well. My wife traveled with me on a regular basis with the points I earned, and she was always amazed at the results we got compared to folks who got hot headed, rather than going with the flow.

Flying has gotten exponentially more difficult as airlines have squeezed more utilization out of their equipment. It's the only way to make a profit in any transportation industry. Stories like yours make me appreciate the fact I no longer have to deal with it.

I've been doing it a long time... And don't plan to do it much longer.. Fact is I had a trainee with me... Not sure he's gonna be interested in a life of travel after his first experience..
But he did get a few lessons in what to do when things go wrong which could serve him well if he does decide to stick with the job....

 

[Nxcoupe]

Misery loves company, Good to see I'm not the only one.. But I hate to see anyone go through that kinda crap....

Couple things, most people who work in the travel industry are sympathetic and try to help.. Unfortunately there are times when the rules & the weather seem to be determined to ruin your day...

Point two, very important.. When stuff goes sideways (and it will) be nice to the people who are there to help you... They are trying, may not be much they can do to help but they will try... Act like an asshole & you'll discover they can also make your journey harder...

Yep, I was polite to everyone but I'm sure my frustration showed some. If I felt that it showed, I apologized. They are just doing their jobs.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Yep, I was polite to everyone but I'm sure my frustration showed some. If I felt that it showed, I apologized. They are just doing their jobs.

Yup, we all get frustrated, I'm sure the folks in the travel industry understand that, the fact you acknowledge it & apologize usually gets you a pass...

I always think of this...

 

[Budnicks]

So for the last few weeks I've been organizing another cruise for this past Saturday... Schedule was leave Modesto around 1030 & arrive in Copperopolis around noon....

Then I got a call about doing a machine install in Joplin Missouri... I like doing the work but it can mess with my free time... Anyway, I flew into Springfield, drove to Joplin, got the install sorted & was scheduled to fly home Friday... Friday morning at 0420 the fire alarm went off... Barely got back to sleep & the alarm on my phone went off.. I was in the plant at 0800 for final crew training before heading to the airport.....When I got to the airport, my flight was delayed but eventually actually got on the plane... But then had to get back off the plane... Do to the delays I had to reschedule my connecting flight... Then they cancelled my first flight.... I tried to schedule another flight but Springfield is a small airport & the few available seats on flights out for the next few days had already sold out since other flights & other people on my flight recognized where this was going sooner than I had... I had my travel agent check Kansas City & St Louis for flights but the same thing... So I expanded the search & finally accepted that Dallas was gonna be my best shot... Next I needed a rental car... None available... Well... I travel enough I'm an Emerald Executive so I threw down with the secret hand shake & the head nod... Anyway they found me a car... Left Springfield around 10PM drove 420 miles & rolled into Dallas around 0430... My flight was at 0755... And I was in the air enroute to Sacramento before 0800......Landed in Sacramento at 1030...

.Awesome... Accept There was no way I was gonna be able to get home it time to swap cars for the cruise... So I drove my daily and drove straight to Copperopolis...

I'd been texting with friends & my GF.. Everyone knew I got hung up & wasn't able to join them... No one knew I was actually gonna be in Copper when they arrived... My GF was in the lead car when they arrived... She about freaked LOL....

View attachment 1869928View attachment 1869929View attachment 1869930


by the time I finally got home & crawled into bed I'd been up for 36 hours.... I slept for 16 hours.... It's probably gonna be a few days before I feel normal... But I'm home & at least I got to catch up with an event I organized....

Dang is your name Murphy ?
(Murphy's Law, what can go bad does or something like that)
glad it all worked out for ya'

I hope it was fun, in Copperopolis
only thing I know to do there 'is golf, 2 great golf courses'
on the outskirts, been there quite a few times & Now haven't been for a long time either...

You got 'the job done too', your client probably loves ya' too

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Dang is your name Murphy ?
(Murphy's Law, what can go bad does or something like that)
glad it all worked out for ya'

I hope it was fun, in Copperopolis
only thing I know to do there 'is golf, 2 great golf courses'
on the outskirts, been there quite a few times & Now haven't been for a long time either...

You got 'the job done too', your client probably loves ya' too

The little town center has a pretty good BBQ, a good Pizza joint, a nice Ice Cream Parlor.... And it's a fairly short drive (50 miles each way) so it's easier to get people to come out... Personally I like the 200+ mile adventures, but you lose a lot of people who don't trust their car for that distance...

We're gonna be at Indigeny next Saturday if you care to come out & say Hi...

Soon as I saw temps are supposed to be in the 70's I started inviting people to come out & play again.... Gotta enjoy the cool days, once it gets hot nobody wants to play..

 

[Budnicks]

We're gonna be at Indigeny next Saturday if you care to come out & say Hi...

Soon as I saw temps are supposed to be in the 70's I started inviting people to come out & play again.... Gotta enjoy the cool days, once it gets hot nobody wants to play..

The winery ? I assume, what times will you be there ?
If I'm in town, my sister & my young niece will be here,
(not sure their plans) but I will try to stop by...

70*s (even hi-70*s) is seasonably low temps for here

My car's (RR) not available, up on jack stands right now,
I got 2 trucks DD's I could drive still, that's about an hour from me...

 

[1 Wild R/T]

The winery ? I assume, what times will you be there ?
If I'm in town, my sister & my young niece will be here,
(not sure their plans) but I will try to stop by...

70*s (even hi-70*s) is seasonably low temps for here

My car's (RR) not available, up on jack stands right now,
I got 2 trucks DD's I could drive still, that's about an hour from me...

Bring your sister & your niece, not a winery, an Apple Cider Orchard.. Those that indulge tell me it's good stuff.... I enjoy the food, the scenery & the drive....
Should be rolling in around 12:30

 

[RR Fan Dan]

my job before I retired in December required frequent travel. I’ve had days like yours. I usually see the writing on the wall when **** is about to be cancelled. If I’m on the way to a job I turn around and go home. If I’m on my way home I get to the rental car agency as fast as I can. I once took an Uber 250 miles. And they did it too. During the last 6 months of my job, before retiring, I got fed up with the delays and told my boss I wasn’t traveling anymore and I could retire right then, or he could keep me till December. He kept me.

People would always tell me how great it was to have status and fly first class and stay in nice hotels and drive nice cars. I said no, I would rather not have status, because that means I’m not frequently traveling.

I was supposed to travel to Wisconcin a couple of weeks ago for a good friend’s retirement party. I booked everything and then a day before I was supposed to go, I canceled everything because I was anxious about traveling. Didn’t want to do it ever again.

 

[kiwigtx]

I worked for a company that would involve a lot of travel around the country installing advertising signs in shopping malls. Basically just glorified light fitting with a fancy surround. But some of these deals were hung by approved stainless steel wires from ceiling, columns and framework.....some up to three stories. If we got it wrong, people could be hurt or worse.

Anyway we got sent to one job down in Wellington, about 2 years after the big earthquake hit town, The big mall was due to re-open after significant damage had been repaired. I was asked to take the lead on the project, since my 'supervisor' couldn't make the trip. Turns out he only wanted to go to Queenstown the few days later for an overnight trip with the parent company of the Advertising Outfit to grab a meal and air-points.

Anyhoo, after battling with the traffic congestion in the crowded carpark due to Construction vehicles blocking every entrance, we managed to get our moving truck near the entry for the big unload. Several guys from our local branch came to help there.....but only because it was convenient to them for home-time. We unloaded, and then had to sit through the usual H%S briefings and sign our lives away etc.....then we could start.

As soon as we started the layout of the signs, I realised there was going to be problems. The floor plans didn't match the floor layout - things either changed or somebody took a guess at where shops were located and how big they were. The brown stuff really hit the whirly thing when I made a phone call to the Office asking for clarification on locations. I guess it didn't help when I started out with......

"Did somebody draw these floorplans using Google-Earth?"

Needless to say I was frowned upon for saying what everyone on site agreed was a fair comment. The jobs went well after many phone calls and discussions from people who had not even done a pre-work site-visit. As an example, one of the signs was drawn in such a way that it was floor-mounted about a third the way up an escalator. Others were nowhere near the floor power as they were meant to be. Just turned an easy job into a nightmare. And anyone who has ever worked in a shopping mall will know that when you start having to mess with floor tiles, you're asking for trouble. Didn't help that the fire alarm went off not long after
starting work.

At least the job two day later when we travelled onto Queenstown was a bit easier. Furburgers was a nice breakfast also.

 

[Charles Cook]

I love the parking spaces, no door dings.

 

[kiwigtx]

I love the parking spaces, no door dings. View attachment 1870358

That was the view outside out motel rooms.

 

[Cranky]

Misery loves company, Good to see I'm not the only one.. But I hate to see anyone go through that kinda crap....

Couple things, most people who work in the travel industry are sympathetic and try to help.. Unfortunately there are times when the rules & the weather seem to be determined to ruin your day...

Point two, very important.. When stuff goes sideways (and it will) be nice to the people who are there to help you... They are trying, may not be much they can do to help but they will try... Act like an asshole & you'll discover they can also make your journey harder...

My last commercial flying bus ride was in 76! My best flight in 71 was to Germany. It was in a military charter with military family and kids running up and down the isle. The family wasn't running but the kids sure were. Wasn't much into kids back then and was trying to sleep and asked a stewardess if it might be possible to ride in the cockpit knowing that it was a long shot but a half hour later she came and got me. Oh man, talk about seeing the stars (night flight and I woke up!) at that elevation and the calm in front was super. Night and day calm!! Was there for hours sitting in a jump seat but was fine with that. As we got close to our destination (Frankfurt am Main), they told me I needed to go back and buckle up. I thanked them for letting me do that and bid farewell. Do that today? No way!

 

[MarPar]

The brown stuff really hit the whirly thing when I made a phone call to the Office asking for clarification on locations.