From Seattle to Ft. Lauderdale, Flight of Skateboard Disaster!
Sunday morning has come and gone and so have my adventures in flying. The flying part of the process is pretty much the same as I remember it, but the airport part has changed since the last time I went. I didn’t have any large problems between Seattle and Ft. Lauderdale, but there were a few days that I thought warranted sharing.
On Sunday morning I woke up a little before my brother, so that I could get everything I needed packed up and ready to go. When I was trying to figure out how to take my skateboard I thought I had a good idea when I strapped it to the side of my backpacking pack. Unfortunately I was wrong. As soon as I put my bag on the scale for weighing at the airport, the curteous, but seemingly disgruntled woman behind the desk quickly told me to remove my skateboard since it was going to destroy other people’s luggage. I had to hold my tongue and not point out all the people behind whose suitcases had similar hard plastic wheels sticking out of them.
After I had my boarding pass I went to the gate with my brother, dad and Sandra. We had a little bit of timr so we had some coffee and then I had to get in line to be screened through a metal detector. This was pretty normal, but now anyone without a boarding pass cannot go through. That meant I had to an early goodbye to everyone accompanying me.
I thought I was free and clear when I walked through the metal detector. Not only did I have to empty my pockets of all metal belongings, but I also had to take off my sweatshirt and my shoes and remove my laptop from its bag. This was a definite change from the pre 9/11 screening process. I guess I have that crazy shoe bomber to thank for the shoe part.
After I walked through the metal detector and thought things were fine an attendant came up to me and told me she had to ask me some questions. I wondered what she wanted, but then I noticed two other attendants pointing at the screen on baggage machine as though they were trying to figure out what something was. The attendant only wanted to tell me that I could not take my skateboard tool with me on the plane. I guess they were afraid I was going to dismantle the seat I was in. After I called my brother to take the skateboard tool home with him I was finally ready to board the airplane.
After a short subway ride to the Northwest Airlines terminal I hopped on the Boeing 757 and sat down in my seat near the back of the airplane. I was ready to start, but instead I started up conversation next to me. By the end of the flight I leaned that was not only a computer science major, but he also had a twin brother and he liked to skateboard. What are the odds? Needless to say, he was easy to get along with.
When I touched down in Detroit it was about 8:00 pm, their time, 5:00 pm Seattle time. I was kind of hungry because until then I had only eaten half of my meal on the plane, due to wisdom teeth surgery reasons, and only drank a cup of coffee. I had a pocket full of Chinese cash (thanks Paula!), but I had neglected to get some American cash and since no one accepted credit cards I couldn’t get anything to eat. I decided to pick up the third Harry Potter book and wait for the snacks on the flight.
My energy level was dwindling and I just wanted to get to Florida, so I could rest and relax by the time I boarded the airplane. I walked down the aisle and I put my skateboard in the overhead compartment just like I had done before. Remember, I couldn’t keep it with my other luggage since it would destroy every one else’s luggage. I plopped in the seat and opened up Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. After reading a few pages I heard a stuardess say ‘ Who’s is this?’ while grabbing my skateboard. After I said it was mine she proceeded to proclaim that we really needed to do something about it since it was likely going to fly out of the overhead compartment and kill the man sitting below it when it was going to hit him in the head. I said she could do what ever she wanted to with it without adding some choice words that would have reflected my mood about dealing that the situation and her ridiculous comment. It was nice to hear everyone around me making jokes about how ludicrous her statement actually was. I tried to get back to my book when I noticed a nicely dressed man who must have been a pilot or co-pilot. The stuardess proudly explained to him that the skateboard had been dealt with and the man sitting beneath was not going to die. I just wanted to tell everyone that they could be calm again because the crisis had been averted. I was glad that I was tired.
The landing was fine and after meeting my mom and getting my luggage we drove home.
I really hope the rest of my flights are not as much of a hassle. I also hope that I have to deal with people who think skateboards are going to destroy things and kill people. If anything, a 20 pound bag falling with hurt more than a skateboard. I forgot how much it bothered me to receive people’s ill conceptions of skateboarding.
On Sunday morning I woke up a little before my brother, so that I could get everything I needed packed up and ready to go. When I was trying to figure out how to take my skateboard I thought I had a good idea when I strapped it to the side of my backpacking pack. Unfortunately I was wrong. As soon as I put my bag on the scale for weighing at the airport, the curteous, but seemingly disgruntled woman behind the desk quickly told me to remove my skateboard since it was going to destroy other people’s luggage. I had to hold my tongue and not point out all the people behind whose suitcases had similar hard plastic wheels sticking out of them.
After I had my boarding pass I went to the gate with my brother, dad and Sandra. We had a little bit of timr so we had some coffee and then I had to get in line to be screened through a metal detector. This was pretty normal, but now anyone without a boarding pass cannot go through. That meant I had to an early goodbye to everyone accompanying me.
I thought I was free and clear when I walked through the metal detector. Not only did I have to empty my pockets of all metal belongings, but I also had to take off my sweatshirt and my shoes and remove my laptop from its bag. This was a definite change from the pre 9/11 screening process. I guess I have that crazy shoe bomber to thank for the shoe part.
After I walked through the metal detector and thought things were fine an attendant came up to me and told me she had to ask me some questions. I wondered what she wanted, but then I noticed two other attendants pointing at the screen on baggage machine as though they were trying to figure out what something was. The attendant only wanted to tell me that I could not take my skateboard tool with me on the plane. I guess they were afraid I was going to dismantle the seat I was in. After I called my brother to take the skateboard tool home with him I was finally ready to board the airplane.
After a short subway ride to the Northwest Airlines terminal I hopped on the Boeing 757 and sat down in my seat near the back of the airplane. I was ready to start, but instead I started up conversation next to me. By the end of the flight I leaned that was not only a computer science major, but he also had a twin brother and he liked to skateboard. What are the odds? Needless to say, he was easy to get along with.
When I touched down in Detroit it was about 8:00 pm, their time, 5:00 pm Seattle time. I was kind of hungry because until then I had only eaten half of my meal on the plane, due to wisdom teeth surgery reasons, and only drank a cup of coffee. I had a pocket full of Chinese cash (thanks Paula!), but I had neglected to get some American cash and since no one accepted credit cards I couldn’t get anything to eat. I decided to pick up the third Harry Potter book and wait for the snacks on the flight.
My energy level was dwindling and I just wanted to get to Florida, so I could rest and relax by the time I boarded the airplane. I walked down the aisle and I put my skateboard in the overhead compartment just like I had done before. Remember, I couldn’t keep it with my other luggage since it would destroy every one else’s luggage. I plopped in the seat and opened up Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. After reading a few pages I heard a stuardess say ‘ Who’s is this?’ while grabbing my skateboard. After I said it was mine she proceeded to proclaim that we really needed to do something about it since it was likely going to fly out of the overhead compartment and kill the man sitting below it when it was going to hit him in the head. I said she could do what ever she wanted to with it without adding some choice words that would have reflected my mood about dealing that the situation and her ridiculous comment. It was nice to hear everyone around me making jokes about how ludicrous her statement actually was. I tried to get back to my book when I noticed a nicely dressed man who must have been a pilot or co-pilot. The stuardess proudly explained to him that the skateboard had been dealt with and the man sitting beneath was not going to die. I just wanted to tell everyone that they could be calm again because the crisis had been averted. I was glad that I was tired.
The landing was fine and after meeting my mom and getting my luggage we drove home.
I really hope the rest of my flights are not as much of a hassle. I also hope that I have to deal with people who think skateboards are going to destroy things and kill people. If anything, a 20 pound bag falling with hurt more than a skateboard. I forgot how much it bothered me to receive people’s ill conceptions of skateboarding.
posted by Jon Keto at
11:48 PM
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