.. cause you had a bad day
Yesterday was my flight back to Austria. Or it was supposed to fly.
Day before yesterday a friend visited and stayed over night. We both were happy to see Tina again and since she and I had the same way (she lives near the airport where I had to go) we decided to travel together.
It started with missing our bus. That wasn't too bad, just inconvenient, we caught another one (Maarten got it in the last second, he had to run back to get my forgotten phone) and were at the train station in time Maarten said good bye and Tina and I traveled on. The train was delayed so we missed the second one, thus we arrived at the airport with only half an hour to get to the check in. The monitor showed us we had to go to check in 8, what made me wonder, usually with that company I was supposed to go to check in 30. But ok.. we walked through the whole airport, only to get the information that we are at the wrong place. We needed to be at check in 30. We walked back to our entry point and got my ticket... and learned, that the flight would go to Bratislava, not to Vienna, like it was supposed to. I would have a bus from Bratislava to Vienna. Also the flight was delayed from 8:20pm to 11:30pm. Can you imagine how angry I was? I wouldn't be able to get public transportation home from the airport and would have to take a taxi, what would cost me around 40 euros (almost 60 american dollars).
Afterward we met Tinas husband, who was interrogated by the police because he was standing there for a few minutes too long for them. We convinced them that he was just waiting for us and after a few minutes of saying good bye I went to my gate. I was hungry and hoped to get something to eat there. At the security check they took away my massage oil, that never was a problem before... now it suddenly was. Grinding my teeth I handed it over and hoped for a decent dinner... and found out, that the only thing available at the gate were a few prepacked sandwiches for a horrendous price. I looked around and decided to go out into the mall again to search for a restaurant. I got a folder from an information stand, looked three up. They were at the other end of the airport, but I thought it would be worth the walk. Guess what? The first one was for invited only and the other two were closed.
My feet were aching, but I remembered an open cafè on my way there. I went back there, sat down and asked for the menu. I got the answer that the kitchen closed 5 minutes ago. Now I started to get really angry, got up and walked on. In the end I bought my dinner in a fast food restaurant nearby. Well.. I had almost two hours left until my plane should depart, so I didn't hurry back to my gate, the security check was only a problem when that thing suddenly beeped for my collar, what it didn't do before. I sat down at the gate and started to read. 20 Minutes before boarding time a woman suddenly came in and told us, that the gate changed from M to D. D was on the other end of the airport. So I walked that distance for the 5th time that day.
I hurried a bit, since I didn't want to be late... until I noticed the board with the departing times. My flight was postponed another hour to 00:20am. That was already 4 hours delay. I turned around on the spot and went to the Starbucks I saw about hundred meters back. I got some coffee and a brownie and arrived at the gate around 10 minutes later, sat down, took out my book, noticed, that the flight was now delayed until 2 am... and heard over the speakers, that we would get food vouchers... AT GATE M!!!! AT THE DAMNED OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT WHERE WE JUST CAME FROM!!!
I wanted to hit someone, I wanted to hurt someone pretty badly, preferably one of the bosses of the flight company. It took me a bit until I was calm enough to walk back to the security check, around 7 minutes until I was there. I asked them politely if they could maybe call at gate M to bring the food vouchers to our current gate, so we wouldn't have to walk all the way and back again. They really tried to help me... but it was all in vain when I saw some of the other passengers coming by and they told me, that the flight was canceled.
I think my eyes almost popped out of my head when I heard that, they were so wide. The security people helped us again getting information, I exchanged phone numbers with another passenger, since I would go back to the gate and ask if the people there had any informations. I'd call him and he would call me if one of us learned something about how to go on. We both were told to go to the baggage hall, where we got our luggage and there we learned, that at check in 30 (next to GATE M) someone would wait for us. We proceeded there and met another group of us at an info point. Someone just came back from the gate, they explained, and noone was there to help. So we waited there, while the guy behind the counter really called people from A to Z to get any information for us how to get home.
He finally could tell us, that at the counter of the flight company (at gate M) someone would be able to help us. We went there. A long line had already formed at the counter. After some time one of the two women there came out and explained to us, there was no chance for us to get home with their help before Sunday, what would be two days later. And also only 15 of us. The rest could maybe get a place in a plane on Monday. I had had enough.
I called my mother and she agreed that I could rent a car with her credit card, since no trains would go back to my boyfriends city any more. I searched a bit, found the car rental point... and almost started to cry. It was too late, they were all closed. There I was, I was tired, I was sweaty, I was aching all over and my teeth felt like there was something growing on them. All I wanted was a bed, a shower and a toothbrush. Not in that particular row. Oh, and that was also the point where I noticed, that my second wallet with 500 euros (around 710 american dollars) that I was supposed to turn in to my boss, was stolen. I had another call with my mother and went to search for a hotel. The same guy on the information station from earlier helped me find one, I walked there (another 15 minutes) and after a complicated check in procedure, I finally had a room. I'd say around 12-15 square meters, the toilet and the shower where both in the room with just some glass walls one could close around them. At the bed on the wall hung a flat screen tv that was playing music. I tried to switch it off, 3 times, but it turned itself on again every time, until I found out, that the whole room was controlled by a small computer box at the wall next to the bed. Then I finally got peace and silence.
It took me until 3am to be able to sleep and then it wasn't refreshing. I had some weird dreams and woke up pretty groggy in the morning. A shower helped and I made my way back to the airport and the train station. This journey went well, except for the fruit shake I spilled over my trousers. When it was dry it looked like very conspicuous white smears in my lap.
Maarten waited for me at the station and we got home safely. I booked a new flight for Tuesday, what gives us a few more days together. I wished to be able to stay for a bit longer, but this wasn't the way I wanted to do it. At least now he doesn't have to send me my calendar and my ps2 games that I forgot at his place.
Tell me, have you ever had a similar day?
Day before yesterday a friend visited and stayed over night. We both were happy to see Tina again and since she and I had the same way (she lives near the airport where I had to go) we decided to travel together.
It started with missing our bus. That wasn't too bad, just inconvenient, we caught another one (Maarten got it in the last second, he had to run back to get my forgotten phone) and were at the train station in time Maarten said good bye and Tina and I traveled on. The train was delayed so we missed the second one, thus we arrived at the airport with only half an hour to get to the check in. The monitor showed us we had to go to check in 8, what made me wonder, usually with that company I was supposed to go to check in 30. But ok.. we walked through the whole airport, only to get the information that we are at the wrong place. We needed to be at check in 30. We walked back to our entry point and got my ticket... and learned, that the flight would go to Bratislava, not to Vienna, like it was supposed to. I would have a bus from Bratislava to Vienna. Also the flight was delayed from 8:20pm to 11:30pm. Can you imagine how angry I was? I wouldn't be able to get public transportation home from the airport and would have to take a taxi, what would cost me around 40 euros (almost 60 american dollars).
Afterward we met Tinas husband, who was interrogated by the police because he was standing there for a few minutes too long for them. We convinced them that he was just waiting for us and after a few minutes of saying good bye I went to my gate. I was hungry and hoped to get something to eat there. At the security check they took away my massage oil, that never was a problem before... now it suddenly was. Grinding my teeth I handed it over and hoped for a decent dinner... and found out, that the only thing available at the gate were a few prepacked sandwiches for a horrendous price. I looked around and decided to go out into the mall again to search for a restaurant. I got a folder from an information stand, looked three up. They were at the other end of the airport, but I thought it would be worth the walk. Guess what? The first one was for invited only and the other two were closed.
My feet were aching, but I remembered an open cafè on my way there. I went back there, sat down and asked for the menu. I got the answer that the kitchen closed 5 minutes ago. Now I started to get really angry, got up and walked on. In the end I bought my dinner in a fast food restaurant nearby. Well.. I had almost two hours left until my plane should depart, so I didn't hurry back to my gate, the security check was only a problem when that thing suddenly beeped for my collar, what it didn't do before. I sat down at the gate and started to read. 20 Minutes before boarding time a woman suddenly came in and told us, that the gate changed from M to D. D was on the other end of the airport. So I walked that distance for the 5th time that day.
I hurried a bit, since I didn't want to be late... until I noticed the board with the departing times. My flight was postponed another hour to 00:20am. That was already 4 hours delay. I turned around on the spot and went to the Starbucks I saw about hundred meters back. I got some coffee and a brownie and arrived at the gate around 10 minutes later, sat down, took out my book, noticed, that the flight was now delayed until 2 am... and heard over the speakers, that we would get food vouchers... AT GATE M!!!! AT THE DAMNED OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT WHERE WE JUST CAME FROM!!!
I wanted to hit someone, I wanted to hurt someone pretty badly, preferably one of the bosses of the flight company. It took me a bit until I was calm enough to walk back to the security check, around 7 minutes until I was there. I asked them politely if they could maybe call at gate M to bring the food vouchers to our current gate, so we wouldn't have to walk all the way and back again. They really tried to help me... but it was all in vain when I saw some of the other passengers coming by and they told me, that the flight was canceled.
I think my eyes almost popped out of my head when I heard that, they were so wide. The security people helped us again getting information, I exchanged phone numbers with another passenger, since I would go back to the gate and ask if the people there had any informations. I'd call him and he would call me if one of us learned something about how to go on. We both were told to go to the baggage hall, where we got our luggage and there we learned, that at check in 30 (next to GATE M) someone would wait for us. We proceeded there and met another group of us at an info point. Someone just came back from the gate, they explained, and noone was there to help. So we waited there, while the guy behind the counter really called people from A to Z to get any information for us how to get home.
He finally could tell us, that at the counter of the flight company (at gate M) someone would be able to help us. We went there. A long line had already formed at the counter. After some time one of the two women there came out and explained to us, there was no chance for us to get home with their help before Sunday, what would be two days later. And also only 15 of us. The rest could maybe get a place in a plane on Monday. I had had enough.
I called my mother and she agreed that I could rent a car with her credit card, since no trains would go back to my boyfriends city any more. I searched a bit, found the car rental point... and almost started to cry. It was too late, they were all closed. There I was, I was tired, I was sweaty, I was aching all over and my teeth felt like there was something growing on them. All I wanted was a bed, a shower and a toothbrush. Not in that particular row. Oh, and that was also the point where I noticed, that my second wallet with 500 euros (around 710 american dollars) that I was supposed to turn in to my boss, was stolen. I had another call with my mother and went to search for a hotel. The same guy on the information station from earlier helped me find one, I walked there (another 15 minutes) and after a complicated check in procedure, I finally had a room. I'd say around 12-15 square meters, the toilet and the shower where both in the room with just some glass walls one could close around them. At the bed on the wall hung a flat screen tv that was playing music. I tried to switch it off, 3 times, but it turned itself on again every time, until I found out, that the whole room was controlled by a small computer box at the wall next to the bed. Then I finally got peace and silence.
It took me until 3am to be able to sleep and then it wasn't refreshing. I had some weird dreams and woke up pretty groggy in the morning. A shower helped and I made my way back to the airport and the train station. This journey went well, except for the fruit shake I spilled over my trousers. When it was dry it looked like very conspicuous white smears in my lap.
Maarten waited for me at the station and we got home safely. I booked a new flight for Tuesday, what gives us a few more days together. I wished to be able to stay for a bit longer, but this wasn't the way I wanted to do it. At least now he doesn't have to send me my calendar and my ps2 games that I forgot at his place.
Tell me, have you ever had a similar day?