Instead of taking the 12 hour bus ride from Ottawa to NYC, I decided to treat myself to a flight so I could save time and arrive somewhat refreshed. No biggie – I had some Aeroplan points saved up, so after taxes I only spent ten bucks more than the plane. Not bad, considering I’d save eight hours.
Except…
After circling around in the air for two hours on the stretch from Montreal to Newark, the captain announced that due to traffic control problems, we’d be heading back to Montreal. After I’d already wistfully wished my homeland goodbye, there I was, arriving back on Canadian soil about 9 months too early.
Luckily, they put me on the next flight to Newark at 6pm (I was supposed to arrive in Newark at 3:30.) Boarded the plane. After rolling down the runway, we slowed to a stop. The pilot announced that we’d have to wait (on the plane) until 9pm. Sigh.
Finally arrived in Newark at 10:30pm or so. There, I missed the 11pm train to Manhattan by a split second – literally, the doors slammed shut when I was just two steps away. Caught the 11:40 train. When all was said and done, I left Ottawa at 11:30am, arrived in Manhattan around midnight. Got to my friend’s house in Brooklyn at 12:30, after not eating for twelve straight hours. (If you know me, you know I get horribly cranky if I don’t eat frequently.) I grabbed her and headed straight out to a deli to get a sandwich. Nothing has ever tasted so good.
Moral of the story:
Take the bus
But you know, I’ve had so many flight delays or other such misfortunes that I am starting to perfect the art of rolling with it. Sure, I had the first frustrated hour of imagining that I’d be stuck in Montreal for 48 hours, miss my plane to Guatemala and have to return to Ottawa to get a boring 9 to 5 job with the public service, move to the suburbs, stay in the same cubicle for 30 years… Ok, my imagination runs wild.
But after that initial hour of panic, I started to get back into a mode that is actually quite enjoyable:
You have every excuse to eat shitty food, think about nothing and read bad magazines.
There is absolutely no responsibility when you’re stranded in an airport. Nothing to worry about at all. Life is out of your control now, so sit back, read some celebrity gossip, and have a king-sized Bounty bar. No reason not to. Be a slob and revel in it.
Anyways, I am here in Brooklyn right now, killing time at my friend’s apartment before I leave for JFK in an hour. Here’s hoping that my flight with Mexicana turns out a bit better.
Comments 2
Heh
No, seriously, heh.
Reminds me of gettings stranded in Montreal and missing my flight because I didn’t set the alarm correctly (did I tell you that miserable story?)
Thing is about airplanes though, you only have to sit in it for a few hours, watching movies or reading a book or dozing off. In a bus, on the other hand, your laptop runs out of batteries before the movie ends, reading a book is impossible (at least for me, road sick), and dozing off is hard even after 39 hours of travel from Ottawa to Calgary.
So it sounds like you got the better end.
And as my mother would say, next time you go be sure to pack some sandwiches with you! and maybe an apple…
and don’t forget a bottle of water.
Banana is good too, lots of potasium (my mom can’t spell either).
And take a coat, the plane might get cold.
Posted 18 Jun 2009 at 10:02 am ¶Hehe, I’m just catching up your blog. I agree with you here, flights for me equals donuts, trashy fashion magazines, and E! Talk Daily on plane tvs.
ps: I have a crazy story for you.. miss you!
Posted 29 Jun 2009 at 7:48 am ¶Post a Comment