Son is lost...for now

Forty Rod · December 11, 2005, 12:06:23 AM

They told them to go to O'Hair about midnight, but didn't furnish transportation. Paid $100.00 for an off duty cabbie to take them because no one else wanted to take 5 in a cab. No winter clothes, baggage missing. No lodging anywhere. Offered to clean a couple of rooms that had been vacated (They're all in housekeeping management in Vegas) but were told the local unions wouldn't allow that. Slept in airport. Ticket counter not open.

Finally got a flight out. TSA found five single men named Taylor, Abersold, Jenkins, Atwater, and Stone...no luggage...and decided they were suspicious. Held them up until they missed the flight and had to wait six more hours for the next one.

Arrived in Vegas and most of the luggage was waiting for them...except two suitcases, one of them Matt's.

He called about an hour ago.

10 hours without a cigarette, 28 with out any food except peanuts, candy bars, coke, and coffee, no meds for his stomache and esophogus problems, no warm clothing, almost no sleep, no shave, no shower, brushed his teeth with his finger in cold waterr, massive aggravation, one lost suitcase, and they didn't even offer an apology.

He ain't happy.

DarkBlack · December 11, 2005, 12:16:40 AM

Welcome to the 21st century. $:-\$

El Peludo · December 11, 2005, 12:58:43 AM

Glad to hear you heard from him. The rest will all sift out sooner or later. Aggggrrrravatin', ain't it??

Forty Rod · December 11, 2005, 01:15:20 AM

I cannot imagine anything that could convince me to ever board a commercial flight again. I don't need to be anywhere so quickly that I can't drive or take a train, even ride a bus (as nasty as they are).

My life is too short to put up with that sort of crap.

Four-Eyed Buck · December 11, 2005, 10:00:27 AM

Guess the skies ain't so friendly now...........Buck

$:-\$

Matthew Duncan · December 12, 2005, 06:24:36 PM

Quote from: Forty Rod on December 11, 2005, 12:06:23 AM
They told them to go to O'Hair about midnight, but didn't furnish transportation. Paid $100.00 for an off duty cabbie to take them because no one else wanted to take 5 in a cab. No winter clothes, baggage missing. No lodging anywhere. Offered to clean a couple of rooms that had been vacated (They're all in housekeeping management in Vegas) but were told the local unions wouldn't allow that. Slept in airport. Ticket counter not open.

Finally got a flight out. TSA found five single men named Taylor, Abersold, Jenkins, Atwater, and Stone...no luggage...and decided they were suspicious. Held them up until they missed the flight and had to wait six more hours for the next one.

Arrived in Vegas and most of the luggage was waiting for them...except two suitcases, one of them Matt's.

He called about an hour ago.

10 hours without a cigarette, 28 with out any food except peanuts, candy bars, coke, and coffee, no meds for his stomache and esophogus problems, no warm clothing, almost no sleep, no shave, no shower, brushed his teeth with his finger in cold waterr, massive aggravation, one lost suitcase, and they didn't even offer an apology.

He ain't happy.

So would he be happy if everything went smooth except he was injuried ... or worse?

Forty Rod · December 12, 2005, 07:40:34 PM

He IS injured.

I didn't even get a crack at him, though. His Ma busted his chops for not callin'.

We went to Vegas (back home already) for my grandson's pre-school Christmas program... the adults screwed it up something awful, but the kids were cute...and my wife popped Matthew right in the kisser when he got home from work. POW!

Gotta love it.

DarkBlack · December 12, 2005, 09:44:25 PM

Mamas have special privilege, whatyagonnado?

Horses are starting to sound like a reasonable means of transport, though.

Be Good
--DB

Winston Dawg · December 13, 2005, 01:57:23 PM

Yah! Mama!

Quote from: Forty Rod on December 12, 2005, 07:40:34 PM
He IS injured.

I didn't even get a crack at him, though. His Ma busted his chops for not callin'.

We went to Vegas (back home already) for my grandson's pre-school Christmas program... the adults screwed it up something awful, but the kids were cute...and my wife popped Matthew right in the kisser when he got home from work. POW!

Gotta love it.

Guess he will be remembering his raising now!
Rule One
"Don't worry Mama!"

Hugs WD

El Deguello · December 18, 2005, 02:47:51 PM

It may have been a big inconvenience but he got home with all the blood & body parts he left with. Inconvenience, insensibility on the part of the carrier, improper emergency training of the flight & cabin crews, airport ground EM crews, etc., are all part of the price we pay for low cost tickets. When times were good a carrier could afford to spend extra time on training, not any more. The airlines have been very lucky and the law of averages are still in their favor.

As someone with experience in the airline business, I don't understand why they were left on the AC all that time. In training pilots are taught to evacuate the AC after a crash and that was most definitely a crash. Fuel tanks could have ruptured resulting in a hull fire, not good. I'm surprised that passengers sitting by the emergency exits didn't react. Guess they looked at the snow and thought fire was a better alternative. I'm sure the crew will be answering questions about than from the company, FAA and NTSB.

From what's been made public, The crew will be faulted for this accident. Landing in that kind of weather with a 10K+ tail wind on a short runway with reduced braking efficiency is inexcusable and reckless operation of the AC. It's also being reported that they touched down 2000' from approach end of runway, 1000' long.

33 years to the day United lost a 737 trying to get into Midway. He iced up and stalled short. SW may also have had ice and the captain may have been carrying extra airspeed to compensate. He may also have been using reduced flaps due to ice. At the same time that United went down going into MDW I was right behind him going into ORD. Icing that night over Lake Mich. was some of the worse ever experienced. Some 737s may not have tail heat for icing, it could be an extra cost item.

Forty Rod · December 18, 2005, 06:57:00 PM

Wasn't his plane, E.D. He was on the one behind the one that tried to fly in the street. Seems airport "SECURITY" didn't want to bother processing people back aboard if they deplaned.

All in all, I've heard of better organization and coordination in a disco fire...total screw up.

What really stinks is they didn't even try to move them of the plane and then told them to go to O'Hare, but didn't provide transportation.

Be a really cold day before I ever get on a commercial airliner again. Personally I wouldn't care if they all went bust.

'Druther drive or hitch-hike.

El Deguello · December 21, 2005, 01:56:08 PM

Quote from: Forty Rod on December 18, 2005, 06:57:00 PM
All in all, I've heard of better organization and coordination in a disco fire...total screw up.
'Druther drive or hitch-hike.

Now there's a line I plan to put into memory and use myself, Rod.

Low cost carriers and airfares go hand-in-hand with low cost service. The airlines have all become the Greyhound, AmTrack cars of the airways.