10-28-2022, 07:40 PM
I had my boarding pass on my phone and no bags to check, so I skipped the front desk at FAT and went straight to TSA. Realized as I was getting into the line; oh, wait: I’m on Southwest, and they don’t know me like United does… and realized that no, I did NOT have TSA pre-check on my boarding pass, crap. Long time since I had to take off my shoes, take out all my electronics (computer, steno machine, iPad) go through the “put your hands over your head” booth and then recombobulate everything.
It wasn’t until I got my shoes back on and checked the board to double-check what gate I was at that I saw that they had announced a half-hour delay for my flight. “Oh, fuck,” thought I, as I considered that my layover in Denver was only 45 minutes and the flight to Milwaukee was the last one, and started trying to think of alternatives… only to find out when I got to the gate that no, there’s no delay. Still, I was suddenly concerned about being able to get my bag in an overhead bin and get off the plane and from one end of the Denver airport to another (after all, when you have a really short layover, it’s inevitable that the gates will be extremely far apart and that groups of unruly small children and idiots on phones not paying attention will be blocking your running path between the gates). So, I coughed up extra $$$ to jump to the front of the line (as my very smart-like-bull husband had suggested earlier — I really ought to listen to him).
Anyway, I got a lovely aisle seat with my bag in the bin right above me just four rows from the front of the plane. It worked: I was able to do the 29-gate sprint, using all my best Aussie agility training style moves around the children and the idiots, all of whom showed up and blocked my path as I anticipated. I made it to the gate with 5 minutes to spare.
Then I realized that my $$$ for preferential boarding only extended to the first flight. For the second flight, My boarding number was B-38.
I really hate middle seats. A lot.
Well, another hour of flying, and hopefully no drama when picking up the rental car and driving to Madison.
It wasn’t until I got my shoes back on and checked the board to double-check what gate I was at that I saw that they had announced a half-hour delay for my flight. “Oh, fuck,” thought I, as I considered that my layover in Denver was only 45 minutes and the flight to Milwaukee was the last one, and started trying to think of alternatives… only to find out when I got to the gate that no, there’s no delay. Still, I was suddenly concerned about being able to get my bag in an overhead bin and get off the plane and from one end of the Denver airport to another (after all, when you have a really short layover, it’s inevitable that the gates will be extremely far apart and that groups of unruly small children and idiots on phones not paying attention will be blocking your running path between the gates). So, I coughed up extra $$$ to jump to the front of the line (as my very smart-like-bull husband had suggested earlier — I really ought to listen to him).
Anyway, I got a lovely aisle seat with my bag in the bin right above me just four rows from the front of the plane. It worked: I was able to do the 29-gate sprint, using all my best Aussie agility training style moves around the children and the idiots, all of whom showed up and blocked my path as I anticipated. I made it to the gate with 5 minutes to spare.
Then I realized that my $$$ for preferential boarding only extended to the first flight. For the second flight, My boarding number was B-38.
I really hate middle seats. A lot.
Well, another hour of flying, and hopefully no drama when picking up the rental car and driving to Madison.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.