ADSactly Personal - Confessions From the Airport

in #travel6 years ago

ADSactly Personal: Confessions From the Airport



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I have seen a lot of airports, well one particular one - Glasgow Airport, as I used to live on the Isle of Lewis (Outer Hebrides) and to go and visit my Dad, I would have to catch a flight to Glasgow, then onwards to Heathrow, where my Dad would pick me up and then drive all the way to Devon. So I made this journey every school holiday for 8 years.

So, I have an airport tale and a few memories I can share...

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The Fog that Almost Stole the Holiday

I remember this one trip in particular. It was the summer holidays and I was getting the plane down to London and the next day, we were travelling to Spain for the month long family summer trip.

That day, it was really foggy and the plane at Stornoway airport (Isle of Lewis) was not going anywhere. So I asked them at the desk to call Heathrow and let my Dad know what was happening (as this was before mobile phones were mainstream) and let him know, "fine" they said, "of course". I hate people worrying so I had to make sure that they let my father know what was happening.

A few hours later at this tiny island airport, one plane was allowed to take off and I was on it as I was a priority customer as a young flyer (Flying on my own). So I got on this propellor plane (I think it was a propeller plane, that is the picture that is retained in my brain). It still had the capacity to carry 100 people, so it wasn't a little plane at all.

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The flight was turbulent, which was nothing new, lots of bumps, shakes, bolts and fasten seat belt fasten frequently turning on and off and air hostesses staggering up and down the aisle.

I was happy doing what I usually did sitting at a window seat, looking at the clouds hunting for care bears. I looked and looked, but they must have only made an appearance when I blinked, or looked away for few minutes when I was drinking a glass of wine!

Yes, I quickly discovered that there were no rules to stop a 8 year old drinking wine on an airplane, as there is no legal jurisdiction in the air, so did always ask for a glass. Why not?

So the flight got into Glasgow and I asked them again to update my father about the progress and that I was not lost in the ethos. They said of course they would let him know and put an announcement out at Glasgow airport for a Mr Howard, (at the time I wasn't sure of the difference between a surname and first name, must have still been tipsy). Then I said he is at Heathrow and they said they would make an announcement there and let him know.

I was rushed onto the next plane to go to Heathrow as it was getting late now, pretty sure it was dark already and it was the summer, so it was relatively late. I asked if my bags would be okay and on the same flight as it was such a quick turnaround and they reassured me that they would be.

I arrived in Heathrow to find a very relieved Dad. There had been no effort to get word to him. I was very disappointed as I had tried to make sure at every step to ask them to let him know what was happening.

So we went to the baggage carousel and waited for my bag, and waited and waited...

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It wasn't on that plane. We went to the lost baggage desk, checked it wasn't there and it wasn't, so I had to give a description of it and an address of where to forward it too. Hoping sincerely it would get there in time, as the next day we were off to Spain and there was a ferry booked. My Dad used to drive us all the way through France, to the bottom of Spain to the holiday house he had there. Luckily the bag turned up via courier first thing in the morning, so that was good.

But the this experience with this particular well known British airplane company left a bad taste in the mouth, after the antics of that day. The bit that most disappointed me was the fact they did not make any effort to let my father know what was happening. He was at Heathrow airport the majority of that day, it was not hard to get an announcement out to him, or call him to a desk to let him know the situation. I'd be going spare if that situation arose with my children.

Though they were the only company that offered the Young Flyer option, so we had no choice but to stick it out with them for another few years and bags that turn up the following day, at least the bags have never got lost.

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More Airport Memories...

I remember as a 7 year old the airport people would keep a very close eye on me and let me sit behind the counter and 'help' with giving people their tickets, or they'd ask me what I thought when there was a customer service issue. I'd always have a teddy to keep me company and he would help answer questions too Hilarious really. But that was a few years ago, not sure it would happen now.

By the time I was 15, they just plonked me in the waiting area, left me to my own devices and made sure I went to the gate when the flight was called.

As my status as a young flyer I have held up a plane for an hour and a half.

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No, not a traditional hold up with guns. Not really.

My plane from Heathrow was late arriving at Glasgow and there was only one plane going onwards to Stornoway, so rather than put me up somewhere for the night, they waited for me to arrive and did not allow the plane to take off without me.

I remember when I got on the plane and they announced the reason that the flight was late. They said they had to wait for a Young Flyer and all the eyes turned on me, to which I met with a big grin. It was nice to be a VIP at such a young age!

Although once I did have to stay overnight at one of these travel hotels, when I was about 10. I got an unexpected education when I discovered a particular adult channel available on television. It must have been one of the neighbouring rooms, as it was a paid for channel and I didn’t get charged for it the morning.

These are the things I remember most about my airport years.

Do you have any interesting airport/airplane tales to share?

This post is written by @hopehuggs

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whenever I travel to my home country I have to transit which I don't like.

I think they present more opportunity to explore more places

Yes, if you aren't travelling with kids. In that case, you want to be at the destination as soon as possible!

my thought exactly

The White World

When you want to Flag them but see their Steem power lol

It's fascinating - the way you remember so vividly experiences that you had as a child and manage to express them in a way the reader doesn't feel he is bored by a little child bubbling but actually is interested in the story yet feeling this is a story told by a child!

This phenomenon of "trust us - we know what we do and we took care of everything" attitude is pretty common in big companies, the workers are a little part of the system and they find it hard to care enough - they may transfer the message to the next person on the chain nut they wouldn't bother to check the mission was actually executed- that's not what they are paid for, they might say. I'm not sure I have a solution for such situations... but somthing has to be done.

I didn't experience any flights yet so I can't share my experiences but it makes me all the more curios about stories like yours 😁

Thank you very much, hopefully you get to experience one someday

Sometimes simple things spoil your day
We must take our lives simply
Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

A good flying experience

It was my first ever flight. Dinner had just been served. And oh golly, someone had neglected to give me my utensils (cutlery).

So, my hand shoots up in the air trying to get the nearest flight attendant's attention.

Asshole steps up to my seat and asks what the matter is. I quietly and nervously explain the fact that my platter lacks any utensils.

Asshole: “Oh yeah, we're completely out.”

Me, feeling like a complete loser for even daring to assume that a miserable piece of human waste like myself would deserve food utensils, “Oh, okay, sorry.”

I turn to my plate, trying to figure out what I'm going to use to eat my dinner. It'll have to be my toothbrush. Or my glasses. Maybe I can steal the toothbrush of the guy next to me and use it like chopsticks. Just move your hand a bit…

Asshole taps me on the shoulder and bursts into laughter,

“Of course we have extras, HAHAHA, let me go get you some.”

Of course it's loud enough so everyone looks at me for a moment, further embarrassing me even more, and I started to feel like even more of an idiot because I didn't see through that guy's joke.

I got my fork in the end.

the rich never vote for the new or for the poor ... so do not expect anything from them ... write and vote for yourself

Lol great experience mate

Ohh I would have not liked that joke at all, how unprofessional :(

Experiencias inolvidables!!

Forking hell, that is good tale (sorry couldn't resist).

@adsactly-witness your airport tales are hilarious ! You were definitely my kind of 7 years old lol... Not to mention the wine drinking ! As a wine lover, I would have loved to know about the not legal jurisdiction on a flight by the age of 8 ... I would have taken flights more often lol... Just curious ? Did you get charged for the drinks?
Looking forward for more of your tales ! You made my night tonight !

Nope, I didn't get charged for them either. One of the perks of that particular airline. Don't know if it is still the same case.

Awesome ! If someone ask me for my childhood hero I will have to mention @adsactly-witness ! lol ... Under age drinking for free !! Are we related ?? lol ... You never know where you can find a lost family member lol... I have some particular stories myself ... I have always consider myself one particular kind of child , but now have come into realization I was not along ! There were more kids like me out there lol... Please keep posting! Looking forward to read more airport tales !

Im pretty new to the site. Actually, I log in for then first time last night. Hope we can keep in contact sharing uncommon (not to say weird lol ) personal tales ...

Your post has made a great read waiting for my bus!
I didn't fly at such a young age, that must have been quite an adventure for a kid :)
I've had a few experiences of planes being late and such but yours are funnier, especially drinking as a kid on a plane, wow!

It is great that my post is being read waiting for a bus. Thanks for mentioning that part.

I know individuals who adore air terminals and being there, however I can't stand, on the grounds that for me it is an aggregate exercise in futility, regardless of whether everything goes easily. Essentially, you should be at the airplane terminal 2 hours ahead of time, so you sort of waste 2 hours of your life just to experience security, how interesting is that? Furthermore, truly, once in a while air terminal experience can destroy you excursion state of mind

I rolled on the floor reading your comment. Funny guy

hahaha thank you :)

It was a dead-cold February morning. I and my wife planned this trip to her parents, my in-laws, which I am not particularly fond of, but, hell, a man gotta do what a man gotta do. I have an innate, organical, sensorial fear of planes. Flying. Heights. You name it. My other option was the train, but to reach the far north of Romania by train is a nightmare. 13 hours of pure hell in Romanian train, you have enough time to start a family, make kids, see them kids having kids and so on. Awful. So, yes, my repulsion for the train trip was bigger than my fear of flying. So I chose the damn plane.

That was a god damn mistake. I'll tell you that.

First of all, while carrying the god damn bags on the stairs, I twisted my ankle. I cursed the day I was born, that intense was the pain. I proceeded to walk like a zombie thru the hell of checking in, etc. Managed it. Gathered all my angels and happy thoughts and managed to get past the pain and the crowd, and the bureaucracy, etc.

Then we hopped on the damn plane. Wish I didn't. Some minions from the airport started to hit the plane with some crowbars or metallic things. I am guessing that they break the ice shards formed around the chassis. My anxiety levels were already spiking. Took a Xanax pill. Fuck it, no response. After the hitting, the minions retreated and a voice from the plane speakers said loudly "Good morning, I am Captain Scanteie!". Now "Scanteie" for you, the happy other languages speakers means nothing. It's ok, it's the damn Captain Scanteie. But "scantaie" in Romanian literally translates to spark. So, yes, fuck my life, Captain Spark was piloting the plane after those minions hit it with crowbars. What could go wrong? So he started the motors. Do you think they were those cool reaction motors? No, my friends, they were fucking propellers engines. Two of them. So, as I said, he started the engines. It was just after no more than 20 seconds that the entire plane electrical power just SHUT DOWN. You know that old Windows XP shutdown sound? Yeah, it was like that. Of course that my panic reached maximum boiling points so I started to mumble something in the language of the scared. My wife was just laughing at me. I managed to look on the window just to see the minions returning for more plane beating. I entered in a vegetative state, while they were pounding on the plane, Captain Spark assuring us that nothing is wrong, my wife laughing at my face grimace and my ankle getting bigger and bigger.

The whole flight I just been like that. Steady. Thinking about death. About afterlife. Cursing the trains, the in-laws, Tarom and their planes.

Btw, went directly to the hospital after landing as my ankle was turning into something else. A knee or something. So yea, was a nice holiday.

@catalincernat, you really made my day, i couldn't control my laughter, my wife had to come take a peep to what could make me laugh out so loud this hot afternoon, she joined in the laughter and you ended up brightening up our already busy and tiring day. She said to tel youl to take the train another time. Such a great Story

Ha ha, I am glad that some of you had some fun out of what happend to me. :)

You have a fantastic way of telling stories, I was hooked from beginning to end.

Hey! Thank you! Glad you liked it. Because I didn't!! :))

Quite hilarious left me dead when you said ur panic level reached maximum boiling point. Must say you are great at writing and narrating, sorry about your ankle. It was indeed one hell of experience for you

what an interesting narratives that glued me all through. Your experiences as a young flyter are quite rich and can be narrated to holy wood screen writers for a good movie.
thanks for sharing this as always

That would be so hilarious!

We hope so too 😍 Happy valentine 👌

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