ravelling to the USA
I make an annual pilgrimage to see my son in the USA. I have been doing this for the last 8 years. There have always been catastrophes, mishaps and lots of tension. I sometimes feel I am a catalyst for disaster. Everyone else seems to travel with no problem at all!
This time the first lap of the journey was surprisingly uneventful. So far so good. The flight to Dubai was jam packed but the inflight entertainment was good. The flight change in Dubai was no problem. The signs and instructions were clear.
I should have realized that my luck would not hold out. We boarded the relatively empty Airbus for the next lap to the USA. We sat in the plane and waited on the tarmac. I thought we were awaiting traffic clearance. People started to get restless. An hour after the scheduled departure we were still on the tarmac in air-conditioned comfort with inflight entertainment.
“This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and remain seated. “
We all did, looking enthusiastically out of the windows. Instead of taking off, the plane doors opened, the Dubai police boarded the aircraft and escorted a woman seated five rows behind me off the plane. There was pin drop silence. No one even had a question to ask.
“This is your captain speaking. As the security approaches you please identify your hand baggage. Any unidentified baggage will be off loaded. “
Apparently the women had left without her hand baggage. Another delay while they identified her checked in baggage as well.
The normal Indian irritation and argument was noticeably missing! We left two hours later. A number of passengers were worried because they were convinced that they had missed their connecting flights. I was convinced we had escaped a hijacking! All the way, I sat sleeplessly, fervently hoping that she did not have an accomplice!
Last year I bought perfumes for the entire family in the USA itself. (Not in the duty free). When I reached Chennai, I proudly announced ,”I bought perfume for everyone!”
I opened the bag with a flourish. I searched the baggage. Those were the only items missing from the bag in Chennai. The cardboard containers were there, quite empty---.The chocolates though were untouched! Perhaps a diabetic thief?
There has never been a trip without an adventure of some kind. One year, my luggage did not reach till 3 days later. I wandered around Iowa in my son’s track pants and sweat shirts.
My son told his friends. “My mother has come to visit me. Her luggage hasn’t arrived , so she is wandering around in my clothes. I looked “homeless” so I tried not to go out for three days.
I took Air India one year because it was Rs.20000 cheaper than any other airline. (It was before they introduced the dream-liner). I soon knew why. The food was bad, the salad was wilted and stale and the I suspected the chicken was “off.” The woman next to me said, ”Oh I always carry my own food when I travel Air India.” She proceeded to unwrap chola batura. She shared it with me too.
I sat awkwardly in the flight one year. My back started to hurt. I wobbled off the plain and looked at the carousal with trepidation. My two giant suitcases were packed to weight and capacity.
I sidled up to a young IT professional. “Can you help me with my suitcases?” He did. He did not anticipate the heavy weight. He lost his balance. We put in on the trolley with difficulty. (I helped too). He limped off glaring at me. I managed the second suitcase myself--.
The year following I missed my connection in Chicago itself (It was from Iowa to Chicago) . This meant I arrived half a day late in London. My international SIM worked only in the USA. I had no way of letting anyone know. My husband and daughter waited in Chennai airport. My son in the USA had no idea what had happened . There was general panic, but my son calmly said, “I put her on the first leg of the flight. After that she is the airlines problem. I am sure she will turn up”
I did, because they eventually put me on a flight to India. In exhaustion, I slept most of the way. I woke up in Bangalore instead of Chennai .
“Can I go ? I can take a taxi to Vellore. I don’t want to go all the way to Chennai---. I have to then backtrack to Vellore.“
“No,” explained the airline official, “Your luggage has already gone to Chennai. You have to clear immigration and customs there”.
“When can I leave?”
“Only in the afternoon---.”
Wonder what next year holds for me?
I make an annual pilgrimage to see my son in the USA. I have been doing this for the last 8 years. There have always been catastrophes, mishaps and lots of tension. I sometimes feel I am a catalyst for disaster. Everyone else seems to travel with no problem at all!
This time the first lap of the journey was surprisingly uneventful. So far so good. The flight to Dubai was jam packed but the inflight entertainment was good. The flight change in Dubai was no problem. The signs and instructions were clear.
I should have realized that my luck would not hold out. We boarded the relatively empty Airbus for the next lap to the USA. We sat in the plane and waited on the tarmac. I thought we were awaiting traffic clearance. People started to get restless. An hour after the scheduled departure we were still on the tarmac in air-conditioned comfort with inflight entertainment.
“This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and remain seated. “
We all did, looking enthusiastically out of the windows. Instead of taking off, the plane doors opened, the Dubai police boarded the aircraft and escorted a woman seated five rows behind me off the plane. There was pin drop silence. No one even had a question to ask.
“This is your captain speaking. As the security approaches you please identify your hand baggage. Any unidentified baggage will be off loaded. “
Apparently the women had left without her hand baggage. Another delay while they identified her checked in baggage as well.
The normal Indian irritation and argument was noticeably missing! We left two hours later. A number of passengers were worried because they were convinced that they had missed their connecting flights. I was convinced we had escaped a hijacking! All the way, I sat sleeplessly, fervently hoping that she did not have an accomplice!
Last year I bought perfumes for the entire family in the USA itself. (Not in the duty free). When I reached Chennai, I proudly announced ,”I bought perfume for everyone!”
I opened the bag with a flourish. I searched the baggage. Those were the only items missing from the bag in Chennai. The cardboard containers were there, quite empty---.The chocolates though were untouched! Perhaps a diabetic thief?
There has never been a trip without an adventure of some kind. One year, my luggage did not reach till 3 days later. I wandered around Iowa in my son’s track pants and sweat shirts.
My son told his friends. “My mother has come to visit me. Her luggage hasn’t arrived , so she is wandering around in my clothes. I looked “homeless” so I tried not to go out for three days.
I took Air India one year because it was Rs.20000 cheaper than any other airline. (It was before they introduced the dream-liner). I soon knew why. The food was bad, the salad was wilted and stale and the I suspected the chicken was “off.” The woman next to me said, ”Oh I always carry my own food when I travel Air India.” She proceeded to unwrap chola batura. She shared it with me too.
I sat awkwardly in the flight one year. My back started to hurt. I wobbled off the plain and looked at the carousal with trepidation. My two giant suitcases were packed to weight and capacity.
I sidled up to a young IT professional. “Can you help me with my suitcases?” He did. He did not anticipate the heavy weight. He lost his balance. We put in on the trolley with difficulty. (I helped too). He limped off glaring at me. I managed the second suitcase myself--.
The year following I missed my connection in Chicago itself (It was from Iowa to Chicago) . This meant I arrived half a day late in London. My international SIM worked only in the USA. I had no way of letting anyone know. My husband and daughter waited in Chennai airport. My son in the USA had no idea what had happened . There was general panic, but my son calmly said, “I put her on the first leg of the flight. After that she is the airlines problem. I am sure she will turn up”
I did, because they eventually put me on a flight to India. In exhaustion, I slept most of the way. I woke up in Bangalore instead of Chennai .
“Can I go ? I can take a taxi to Vellore. I don’t want to go all the way to Chennai---. I have to then backtrack to Vellore.“
“No,” explained the airline official, “Your luggage has already gone to Chennai. You have to clear immigration and customs there”.
“When can I leave?”
“Only in the afternoon---.”
Wonder what next year holds for me?
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