What an interesting trip it has been so far. I arrive at Dulles this morning about 12:00pm to catch my 12:40 plane. Head to the U.S. Airways counter where I am informed that my ticket is actually for a United flight and only carries the U.S. Airways name. Problem, United is at the OTHER end of the airport. Well nothing todo but start walking. Get to the E-ticket counter to check in, only to find I'm too late for my flight. Dulles is multi-terminal airport spread across a lot of land and they didn't think they could get my bags to the terminal in time. No problem, I'll just catch the 2:45 flight. Got my ticket, bag is checked in I proceed to the terminal. I arrive at the terminal at 12:25, I still don't know how they couldn't get my bags over in time, but whatever, I venture down the smoking lounge. After a smoke I proceed to the Sam Adam's Brewhouse in the terminal. Time check 1:25, still sitting pretty. Order one Ocktoberfest and sit and watch CNN talk about the fires in Sothern California. Great. I already hate LA, now with the smog I'm gonna have lovely smoked wood too? I finish my beer and after another time check it's now 2 and I have a 20 min walk ahead. As I'm walking towards my gate, I check the board to make sure my plane isn't late. It's not. It's cancelled. WTF? I head over to customer service and try to figure out what's going on. Apparently the 2:45 plane was taken and moved to Las Vegas. Fantastic! My 2 options are the 6pm flight or the 3:05 flight to Chicago and then to LA. I take the 3:05 one since it get's in to LA at 7:30. Oh and I get a freaking $5 voucher for food. Well United, my milkshake was damn tasty.
Anyway, the flight to Chicago was uneventful as was the one from Chicago to LA (except for the part where I slipped and fell on the escalators at O'hare). We touched down in LA ahead of schedule. Bonus! I went down to pick up my luggage only to find out that it wasn't on my plane. It was on the g-d 6pm flight! WTF?! This flight isn't set to land for another hour! Fine, I take the punches and roll with 'em. I find a bench and light a cigarette and then start playing solitare on the P800. Finally the hour goes by and I get my luggage. Now the trip to the hotel. They don't provide a shuttle from the airport so I opt for a share-ride van. Prime Time is the name of the company. And I mention the company for the following reasons:
- It seems that all these van companys are in competition with each other and will not hesitate to go as far as publicly discredit each other or there drivers. Apparently several of the drivers where not “clean“ as one competing company's driver said.
- I took two trips around the Airport. home base kept calling the driver and telling him to pick up people at stops he had already been to!?
- 87 MPH down the freeway. Now I come from the land of the speeders. People whip around I-495/I-66/I-95 like it's nobodys business. But chevy extended cargo vans are NOT ment to go speeding down the freeway and over fly-overs.
- Getting almost in a head on collision because the driver was too busy wondering if the street he was turning down was a one way street. Don't f'n decide if the street is the right one in the MIDDLE OF ON COMING TRAFFIC!!!
Prime Time vans suck and I hope the rest of you stay clear of them.
The hotel is glorious so far, I 've taken several pics with the P800 that I will post soon. I'm gonna try and get some food before I pass out. The day start's early for me with a small workout and then off to check in.
If anyone is reading this and is at the Biltmore, I'll probably be in the lobby bar for a bit. I have a green shirt on and look like this