things were looking pretty good. even though i had to park about seven hundred miles from the airport and had to take a shuttle to get to my terminal and had to pay $2.85 for 500ml of Evian (ps. thanks random stranger who gave me the extra 13 cents i needed to pay for my water. who knew it would be that much $?!??!), i got to my gate with time to spare. i sat down to read my new book
(ps. 3 chapters in and i already love it.)
and then i hear
“we regret to inform you that your flight has been cancelled due to the flight being understaffed. now if you’d kindly blah blah blah blah blah blah blah”
half of me tuned out once i heard her say that i was going to have to go through Canadian customs. even though i didn’t even fucking leave the country. and the other half of me coudn’t hear any sort of rational instructions because some asian asshole was ANGRY and going all caveman on the poor gate agent.
so…i raced to canadian customs. and had to fill out a customs form.
“anything to declare Mrs. Martell?”
“yes. never fly Air Canada”
then i raced - The Amazing Race style - down to the baggage claim to claim my bag and then up to ticketing to book and get myself on another flight. but at this pit stop i didn’t get to see Phil Koeghan and the bathmat of philimination (and some random midget ?!!)….
all i saw was a giant-ass line of disgruntled passengers.
and then they wanted to me to step out of line. i was 8th. and go home. and call a number to rebook. and that’s where Ali@30 whipped out her balls of steel and went apeshit on the Air Canada representative.
“we are trying to make this more convenient for Toronto residents. you can go home and call to book in the comfort of your own home.”
start of ali@30 rant
“um, how exactly is any of this convenient. i need to get to New York, um, about right this very second. if i get out of this line and go home i risk the chance that i won’t get on a flight tomorrow. or i’ll have to wait until tomorrow evening. no, there’s nothing convenient about any of this. this is YOUR fault. being understaffed is NOT an excuse. you want to tell me that the plane has mechanical problems? sure. i’ll buy it. weather issues? okay, fine. sucks, but i’ll deal with it.
but being understaffed? that’s the shittiest excuse i’ve ever heard. and it’s something you should have known before each and every one of these people checked in, put their bags on the plane, went through customs and sat at the gate.
now i’m NOT leaving here until you book me on another flight”
end of ali@30 rant.
“okay. you are booked on the 8:50 flight tomorrow morning.”
“fuck you very much. pleasure doing business with you”
i got on the shuttle. found my car, paid $13 to park it for a few hours. and drove home. and now i get to do this all over again in the morning. and apparently, this is the reason my flight was cancelled. pray for me that i get on my flight. my sister and i have serious plans at Woodbury Common tomorrow.
