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June 28, 2006
Philadelphia
I am in the City of Brotherly Love.
I arrived at the Philly airport two hours early and briskly made my way to security. I'd gotten my boarding passes via the Internet so I had a head start on the non-computer literate.
I forfeited my headstart at the metal detector. Despite the fact I'd removed my computer, camera and PDA from their bags. Despite the fact I removed my shoes. Despite the fact I'd emptied my pockets ... I set off the metal detector. Not once, but twice. I was taken aside by a very polite security guy and wanded. The shorts I was wearing had too many rivets in them and were the problem.
I made it to my gate -- E2 -- one of the Northwest Airlines gates, and started my wait.
(Have I commented in this blog yet about Northwest Airlines changing their moniker so that is is more NWA than it is Northwest Airlines. Is the board of directors so white that NWA didn't set off the smallest alarm?)
So, there I was, standing next to our pilot, Ice Cube, when I looked up at the board and noticed a flight was canceled. Too bad for those guys, I thought.
It was a Detroit flight, but not my Detroit flight. Further down the board was a canceled flight to Cincinnati. Whoa, and a flight to Minneapolis was also canceled.
Now, I mentioned yesterday that I am geographically challenged. Despite this, I'm quite capable of envisioning an imaginary line extending from Cincy to Minneapolis -- a line that could be comprised of hellatious thunderstorms. And I started thinking ... not long ago Pat Robertson said something akin to, "If I understood the Lord correctly, the east coast is going to be lashed by storms."
Maybe Pat misunderstood the Lord. Maybe the Lord has an account with Sprint/Nextel and his calls are hard to understand. Maybe the Lord had said an imaginary line extending from Cincinnati to Minneapolis would be lashed by storms.
Maybe the Lord is tired of me ragging on Pat and just want to inconvenience me.
But wait! My flight was still good. And then it wasn't. I got in line and I got on the phone.
Anthony, my phone contact, pushed some buttons and told me the computer automatically put me on a Detroit flight, tomorrow, with connector to Columbus. I'd leave Philly around 7:30 and arrive in Cow Town at 12:30. A mere five hours later.
He also told me I might be able to get a hotel voucher from the gate agent. The ticketing agent would have them if the gate didn't.
As I'd already had a good long time invested in the Gate Agent Line I thought I'd wait a bit longer to see if she had a hotel voucher.
As luck would have it, she wouldn't. She was, however, able to get me on a US Air flight that leaves just after 9 a.m. and is a non-stop to Columbus. Tomorrow, of course.
So, I'm spending the night in the City of Brotherly Love.
I'm using the experience as an excuse to partake of some General Tso's Chicken and some Diet Coke.
As always ... I know how to party.
Posted by delmer at June 28, 2006 12:17 AM
Comments
I think I'd hit the touristy areas if I got a day off in a strange city.
Posted by: Rob at June 28, 2006 12:06 PM
I had considered taking a small trip outside -- but only if something was in walking distance.
Nothing was, so I just hung around the room and watched NCIS.
Posted by: delmer at June 29, 2006 5:38 PM