I was glad my most frustrating travel moment happened within moments of arriving at SFO, and not later in the journey:
Mom: Annie, you need to go to this bank of check-in counters.
Annie: No, those are labeled "paper ticket," I have an "e-ticket," and these other counters are labeled "e-ticket."
Mom and Annie approach the maze of barriers controlling the line, but before we can snake through, we must pass a lady with a scale. Annie and Mom both know that Annie's bags are both overweight, and are relieved that the over-weight charge is only a $25 flat rate--far less than they were expecting.
Lady with scale: You must weigh your bags.
Annie hefts bag on scale
Lady: Your bag weighs 68 pounds. It can only weigh 50 pounds for a domestic flight. Go repack your bag.
Annie: I'm moving to Europe.
Lady: Are you on a direct flight?
Annie: No, I stop in Chicago, but it's the same flight number through to Paris.
Lady: Well then, your bag may weigh 70 pounds after Chicago, but from here to there it can only weigh 50. Go repack your bag.
Annie: Repack my bag?
Lady: Yes, repack it so it weighs less.
Annie: What am I supposed to do with the extra?
Lady: (shrugs) You can put it back in Chicago.
Annie: My bags will be checked through to Paris. (choosing to ignore the more obvious questions of "what am I supposed to do with it until then?").
Lady: So you won't have a problem later.
Annie: But I have a problem now. You say my bags cannot be over 50 pounds. They aren't going to get lighter. What do we do?
Lady: You go repack so they're lighter.
Annie: You mean I have to move the stuff around in the bags so that they weigh less?
Lady: yes.
Annie: And they absolutely cannot be over 50 pounds in any circumstance?
Lady: no
Annie: That is the stupidest rule I've ever heard.
Mom: Why can't she pay the overweight fee?
Lady: (shrugs) She can...if she wants to.
Annie: I want to. May I pay at the counter?
Lady: yes.
Annie starts to walk by her
Lady: You can't come through here.
Annie: why not?
Lady: this is for electronic tickets.
Annie: I have an electronic ticket.
Lady: But you're going international.
Annie: Yes, but I have an electronic ticket.
Lady: All international travelers have to check in through the paper ticket counter.
Annie: So I never needed to talk with you?
Lady: No, you're in the wrong place.
Annie and Mom walk back to other counters
Annie: Did she really tell me to move my stuff around so that it weighed less?
Mom: Yep, she did.
9 years ago
5 comments:
I think there is a plague of under-educated ticket agents manning counters in the U.S. Do you remember my story of the woman at DIA who tried to convince me that I needed to go through customs in London, despite the fact that my bags were checked to Vilnius and I have never had to go through customs until the final destination? Not to mention that I had only 1.25 hrs to navigate the HELL that is London Gatwick, which is nearly impossible even without going through customs. I took nearly 20 minutes, a consultation with a supervisor and a lot of stern words (and raised blood pressure) before I felt I'd been given sufficient reassurance that I wouldn't have to uncheck/recheck upon getting to London. Still, that panic you feel, I understand - sometimes you wonder if people realize the terror involved in MOVING to another country when everything you own is housed in a couple measely bags!
Seriously, though, I think your lady is funnier 'cause the very IDEA that you would unpack and then repack between flight legs is HYSTERICAL!
i'm not a math major, but even I know that wouldn't have helped :) I think what you are supposed to do in those circumstances (if you don't want to pay the fee) is put on another 10 layers of clothing, & stuff sneakers and the heaviest book into your carryon or purse...roby and i had to do that once...we looked ridiculous, but we didn't have to pay! :) of course we were embarassed becauase we had to do it in front of everyone waiting in line. sigh.
Well, I was already wearing my bulkiest clothing, and my carryon was so heavy I had to really concentrate to heft it into the overhead luggage space. One bag was 18 pounds over, and the other was 9 pounds over. There was no way I was going to make 27 pounds disappear. :)
Hilarious. "Lady" was having a bad day. I think there are enough people that argue with her and yell at her to make her find vindication through her only means.
"He who uses his brain will be wrong occassionally; he who refuses to use his brain will be wrong always."
So you're saying, by re-distributing the weight inside the suitcase it may weight less? Wow, that's genius. How come I never thought of that while preparing for international travel? It's brilliant!
She needs a Physics lession, or two.
Post a Comment