Tina's Taxi Trials

Sitting in my room on the 12th floor of the Hilton, I reflect on my day.

Oh, it started out innocently enough. Early rise at 4:30 am for my flight, got to see hubs before I schlepped to the airport. Even got COFFEE! I was feeling like this day would be great.

Oh silly, silly me. What was I smoking in my sleep?

Storms raging in Chicago, flights delayed. Sitting on the tarmac, on a plane for 90 minutes. A wonderful joyous day!

I made the decision to not rent a car once I arrive in Chicago. I have come to resent that decision. In fact, I feel like punching myself over it since I can't find anyone to do it for me.

The cab ride started out just fabulous. I had to spell where I wanted to go. Then he asked me what cross street it was on. HELLO! I have no freaking clue! Sorry, didn't think I needed to bring my Tom-Tom with me for a cab ride.

Doodly-doodly-doo, free and easy down the road I go...HAH!

We arrive at my clients place and I hand the cabbie my credit card. For some reason he rubs it on a napkin. My antennas on the bitch crown start twitching. hmmm.

Read error.

"No work." Cabbie says.

No shit I think. I know it's not my card. Hand him another.
Wipe on his napkin.

Read error.
"No work, you have to pay in cash."

Um...I don't have any cash. Well, I do. But I think he is doing something to make my card not work.
He argues with me. Tells me he is going to drive me to a cash machine.

Yeah okay. Let's get right on THAT. NOT.

I take my card out again. Wipe it on my shirt sleeve. Hand it back.

"So you know, I have taken pictures of your ID, cab number, the fees and know my rights as a patron of your cab."

He replies "I have never had a fare like you. Why you argue? Machine no work. You pay cash."

"Well today was your lucky day then. I told you when I got in that I would not pay in cash. Period. You took me. So, I suggest you scan my card."

Big sigh, look of disgust. "Ok, it won't worrrkk, it broken."

Swiiiipppppe....ding! Jackpot!

BTW~cabbie-ass, I am a heck of a tipper if you help me with my bag (or even offer). Today, the only thing you got was an argument with the Queen B. And I won. And I like winning.

Ohhhhh, but it didn't end there! After a great day at work...I have to take another cab back to the hotel....oh happy, happy, freaking joy joy.

It's raining, it's late, I am already pissed but I put a smile on my face and am as nice as a peach pie in Georgia. Okay, sweet like a rhubarb pie in Minnesota. That's always a bit tart no matter how much sugar you have in it.

Tolerate the smell of nasty butt. What the heck died in here? Seriously, this cab smells!

Get to the hotel. He has this fancy schmancy computer where he has to manually type in the numbers. This is where it gets good.

Try#1: type number in. Miss a number. Card denied. No shit.

Tell him that he missed the 5 at the end.

Try#2: type number in. Miss the 5. AGAIN. Card denied. Really? Again.

Tell him that he missed the 5 again. He has the cajones to argue with me. He asks for cash. WTH is it with them and cash? I mean I get it but do you really want to piss a tired, petite blonde from Minnesota off? Minnesota nice? Up yours. It should be Minnesota Smackdown.

I tell him just please type it in AGAIN. I tell him to stop so I can verify the number. It is right. Hit enter.

Holy hannah! It worked. Imagine that.

NO TIP FOR YOU.

Note to self: rent a car in Chicago. Driving would have been better than the headache I got.
And to think I forgot to shine my Queen B crown today. I didn't think it would need to come out.

All in a day's work.

Off Again

Off to Milwaukee in the morning.

It was a surprise trip sprung at the last minute. As you know, I am a preparer and I don't have time to prepare for this trip. And it pisses me off.

Running to the store at 11:30 pm is not what I want to be doing. I want to be sleeping, dreaming of a nice easy day in the office tomorrow. HAH! I wonder what I did to Karma this week?

On the plus side. I need to look at this a a mile run. I get 4 more segments, 3000 more miles towards Gold Medallion, which I covet. As Silver Medallion on Delta I get treated just like a non-frequent traveler. Except that I get to check my bags for free. Never any upgrades available anymore. I know, shut up, right?

Maybe I will see some more strange people, get jacket flap slapped or have my neck used as a shelf. All possibilities.

Stay tuned, this is sure to be a trial!

Kudos to Kara the Flight Attendant

Today, despite the way I felt, flying wasn't bad. I was fortunate enough not to get delayed, luggage wasn't lost and my head didn't explode like I thought it would. All in all, a good day. Oh and the freaks were out in force in Detroit! But that is a topic for tomorrow...

I am sure you have seen the white-knuckle flyer who is really nervous and may have even laughed at them. I admit, I have too. Flying is not a big deal to me but to some people it is. And there is nothing wrong with them.

I had a little bit of trepidation this morning when the door was starting to close and a passenger came rushing up the aisle. Panicked.This poor woman was in total anxiety attack. My heart went out to her. I have to give major kudos to Kara, the flight attendant on a Delta flight operated by Pinnacle. She was amazing with the passenger. She was calming, put her arm around the passenger and talked her down from the peak. She did what it took to take care of this woman and helped her to get off the plane without causing a big commotion and calling attention to the passenger.

I cannot imagine what may have caused this woman's anxiety but I am glad that Kara was able to help her. So, the next time you think that the flight attendant is just a glorified waitress in the sky, remember the other things that they do for the traveling public. They are not just there to keep you buckled in their seat and pass out drinks and snacks.They are there for your safety.

Put yourself in their shoes. Their lives are not as glamorous as you may think. If you think you are inconvenienced when you encounter weather, think about how it affects them if they miss their flight too. One missed flight could mean their whole schedule gets messed up. They live out of a suitcase and have to deal with more flights in a day than you and then have to put on a smile and handle passengers of all kinds.

So next time you are flying and are handed your drink and snack, look up, smile and say thank you. That anxious woman could be your mother, daughter, grandmother. Wouldn't you like a Kara to be there for them?

Have you seen other examples of kindness like this on a flight?

Assaulted by a Booger

My son has been sick for almost two weeks. I have been waiting for the next person to be afflicted. As I am sitting at my computer willing myself not to be sick, even though I can feel my chest tightening, throat getting scratchy, it reminded me of all the people who I have sat next to on a plane and felt like fumigating right then and there.

You've seen them. They cough and hack without covering their mouths. Or they cough into their hand. Seriously dude, you are grabbing the seat backs, trays and overhead bin doors after using your hand as a spit shield!

They make a real cool thing that you can carry with you. It's called hand sanitizer. They make it in liquid form, sprayable form, handy little wipes and they all work to protect us from YOUR germs.

Now, before you get all "ohhh...she's a germaphobe!", I need to make it clear. I am not a germaphobe. I don't buy antibacterial soap. In fact, I go out of my way to NOT buy it. I think that is why there are so many strains of bacteria that are resistant.

I do not get a paper towel to turn the faucet off, I use my elbow. I don't make my kids wash their hands before we eat.

What I do require is that they cough into their elbow instead of their hand. Make sure that they wash their hands after blowing their nose or going to the bathroom. Oh and for full disclosure...I will sometimes cut up veggies on the same cutting board as chicken. GASP!

I never really thought of this until the one day I was flying from San Diego to Minneapolis. I was deplaning and reached up to open the overhead bin. (Cue mystery music here. DUH-DUH-DUH)

As I opened the bin, I felt a gooey spot. If you have ever flown, there should be NO gooey spots on the latch! Pull my hand away and gaze in wonderment...it was a BOOGER!!! 

Twentieth Century Fox 1984

Ewwwwwww!!!! So what do I do? I shriek in utter horror and do what anyone would do. I wiped it on the back of the seat. 

I know, it was wrong of me but you have to understand, it was gross. It was someone else's booger and I was in grossed-out panic mode! GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!

All I really want to do is punch the person who did it. Whoever you are, you just got lucky, very lucky that I didn't know who you were!

And no, I am not a mysophobe either.

Preparing for a Business Trip

There's plane tickets to buy. Hotels to book. Cars to rent. Talking to the client to arrange for meeting times.

Then there's the moment when I have to tell my husband I am going on another trip. This is the part that I dread the most. It used to be breaking the news to my then 5 year old son...now it's my 43 year old husband.

In fact, I hate having to tell him about the next trip so much, that I leave in 7 days and I haven't told him yet. The ticket has been bought and on the credit card statement for a month, but he still has no clue.

Today is the day. I can't wait any longer to tell him. I feel like a little kid waiting for Daddy to come home and tell him that I made Mommy angry. And I do not like feeling this way.

Why do I feel this way?

Because I know how he will react. This isn't just an overnight trip this time. It is a Monday to Friday trip, which don't come very often. But he will get pissed (yup) that it will be so long, then he will whine because he will have to deal with the son's schedule, worry about dinner...blah, blah, blah. It's all about avoidance for me. Avoid it as long as I can!

So what do I do? I overcompensate. I plan and cook all the meals for the week, make sure all the laundry is done, lists of what to warm up on each day, schedules posted of when to pick son up. Then, with son in sports, arrange for someone to bring him home after the late night track meet. All to make it easier on him.

Okay, who am I kidding? Wearing myself out like that, really makes it easier on me because then I don't have to listen to the whining. It just makes it easier to enjoy the restaurant meals and the housekeepers cleaning my room when I am traveling.

I always get the feeling that I am alone with all my planning and preparation before I leave. If you plan like I do, please let me know...I want to know that I am not the only crazy wife out there. We can compare war stories!

Wish me luck... Armageddon occurs in T -10 hours.....

***Side note: My DH is great at helping out with laundry, dishes etc...He just doesn't like being a "single dad" during the week when he has to get up early for work and all that. And yes, he does count on me to keep the household running smoothly without him having to think too much.