Lessons Learned - A Business Trip Gone Awry

It was time. I had to catch a flight from Austin to Dallas. A vendor of ours is sponsoring a User Group event.

I arrive at the airport an hour and a half before the flight. I have plenty of time.

I check in at Southwest’s counter, and all is going smoothly. Until...

"I’m sorry," the woman behind the counter starts off. She flashes me one of those Southwest Airlines Smile they are so famous for. "Your flight was canceled due to maintenance. And I can’t get you on the 12:05."

I wonder how much training Southwest gives for those smiles.

I look at my watch; it’s 11:50.

"OK, what’s the next flight I can catch," I ask innocently. Big mistake. I should have demanded a seat on the 12:05.

She smiles another one of those Southwest Airline Smiles. "There’s a 1:55. That will put you in Dallas at 2:45."

Fine. I get my boarding pass and green card from her. As I am about to go through their metal detectors I hear a voice.

"Hey sweetie. Wanna take that thing off?"

I look at the Homeland Security Task Force Personnel (HSTFP) and give her this ‘huh?’ look.

"The buckle, sweetie. Can’t go through with that on."

I look down at the large metal belt buckle I am wearing.

"Oh. Yeah, that will set it off."

"Yes it will, sweetie."

I take my buckle off and go through. I sigh a deep sigh of relief when no alarms go off. I really wasn’t sure if my fillings would set them off.

As I get my belt buckle back from the Bin of Forbidden Objects, I hear a voice that grates across the sound barrier.

"Sir!"

I turn and look. No eye contact. A good sign.

"Sir," another HSTFP says. Her voice is loud enough for the entire airport to hear.

She is apparently looking at the guy next to me, wearing a purple basketball shirt. He appears to be in a world all of his own.

"YOU! In the purple shirt!"

Boy is she getting irritated, but I waste no time. I almost have my buckle on. I can move without being arrested for indecent exposure. I am almost running to the next area. I can still hear her.

"Stand over here and look at the officer. Do NOT take your eyes off of him!"

That was enough for me. I left quickly. I found my gate, number 9.

After a long wait and reading half of the book I brought along, my flight is finally boarding. I waste no time getting on board.

I am in my seat, and soon we are in the air. All is well. Balance in nature is always pleasing.

I take a cab from Love Field to the Arlington Hilton. Once out of the cab, I make eye contact with a young woman behind the check in counter. I check in and immediately head back out.

The meeting was being held in the Legends of the Game museum located inside the Ballpark at Arlington.

"Where is the ballpark?" I ask the same woman behind the counter.

"Just go down there to the first traffic light." She points towards an unseen light.

"Turn left," she says, "you can’t miss it."

I head out on foot. How far can it be?

1.5 miles. I find out the hard way.

After a 30-minute jaunt I arrive. I barely made the meeting on time.

After the meeting, I am given a ticket to the game. We go and watch the Rangers put the smack down on the Mariners.

The vendor gave me a much-welcomed ride back to my hotel. I was not sure if my feet could withstand a return journey.

After getting back to my room I set my alarm for 6:30 and went to sleep.

I am not sure what time it was, but a Spanish couple decided to have a knock down drag out in the corridor, instead of their room. Thank you very much! I look at the clock and see that it is 1:45. I finally go back to sleep. I wake up on my own and look at the clock. It is 6:20. I decide to get up and take a very long shower.

Afterwards I call downstairs and ask them to get me a cab.

They will. Great. I can take my time finishing up.

Finally, I grab my overnight bag and go down to the lobby. I sit with several other people.

During my wait I notice a limo pull up.

This hotel has glass doors on either side of a revolving door. I walk outside using the left door. The limo driver walks in through the other door.

I wait for about 15 minutes. During this time the limo driver has come back outside and is playing doorman for several people.

I go back into the lobby and ask the guy behind the counter, "I ordered a cab thirty minutes ago. Where is it?"

"To Love Field? He’s right here, sir. He’s been looking for you."

I turn and see the limo driver.

On the ride to the airport, we both had a good laugh over the scenario. I mean, that only happens in movies, right?

We have plenty of time to make the airport.

The morning traffic drags to a stop.

I look at my watch; it’s 7:40. No problem, plenty of time.

We chitchat and I find out he is from an African country called Ghana. The traffic slowly starts to move. He starts driving lie a New York cabbie.

We chitchat some more to make the ride seem shorter.

At 8:10, we are just getting to Beltline Boulevard. I start to get concerned.

Finally. I’m at the airport with about five minutes until departure.

I am sure the HSTFP are watching me as I am almost running.

After running the gauntlet again, I barely have time to make my flight.

I sit down and 5 minutes later we are airborne. I say a small prayer of thanks.

Once I am back at work, everyone wants to know how the trip went.

Everyone laughs at the story. They are so glad it happened to me instead of them.

But if I ever go to a conference and see a limo driver again, I will assume it is for me!

Oh well, I will chalk this entire trip up to Lessons Learned.

THE END


Christopher Dale
author@candp-ent.com
http://author.candp-ent.com/

Lessons Learned - A Business Trip Gone Awry, by Christopher Dale, is Copyright © 2004 by Christopher Dale.
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