7 years ago
Feb 5, 2006
Posted by
Mark
at
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Every flight I was on happened to be delayed at least an hour. I arrived at the airport in Albuquerque around 11:30 and got my first boarding pass to chicago. It so happened that to Chicago I was on United and from Chicago to Manchester I was on American. That means I had to get my second boarding pass in chicago. It wasn't so bad really. Anyway I and had a delightful lunch with what's left of my family that lives in the same house after I got my boarding pass. I went through security with no problem (Have you been through security in the airport recently! They have a whole spiffy new section with a huge area for those ridiculous lines we all love.) I was sitting down right outside my gate, the plane was supposed to leave at one and board at 12:40. We ended up boarding at 1 and leaving at 2. Crappy weather in Chicago. Snow. Bummer.
So we land. Late. Let me tell you the Chicago airport is huge. You don't realize this unless you have to hoof it from the United section to the American section. It was at least a 20 minute walk. And I was walking fast on those sweet conveyer belts for people. I got to my gate – exhausted – 15 minutes before the plane was supposed to leave. It didn't leave for another eighty minutes. Oh sad.
There were a few things that I would like to point out. Firstly, the certain pitch and volume of the bell that goes off when they turn on the seat belt sign in airplanes makes me want to die. And even worse was that Captain Cedar West was having a fricken field day with that thing. We have eyes, turn down the volume! But he had a cool name so that makes it a little better. Secondly, when the person in front of me can't hold still it grinds on my very soul. Well not really, but it was so aggravating. Thirdly, I think planes have speakers hidden throughout the plane for sole purpose of emulating a baby's scream periodically through the duration of the flight. The longer the flight the louder the screams.
Finally I arrived in Manchester an hour behind schedule. Not that I really had a schedule other than the one I got for the planes. Walked about a mile inside the airport to the train station. Bought a single ticket to York, caught the train fine, and got off at York. Walked from the station to the flat. I got a little lost, but I knew the general direction to go and ended up finding my way. It looks like I'm going to be doing a lot of walking out here. I only have one roommate and he's pretty much awesome. There are six guys in our flat altogether, four in one room and two in the other.
So we land. Late. Let me tell you the Chicago airport is huge. You don't realize this unless you have to hoof it from the United section to the American section. It was at least a 20 minute walk. And I was walking fast on those sweet conveyer belts for people. I got to my gate – exhausted – 15 minutes before the plane was supposed to leave. It didn't leave for another eighty minutes. Oh sad.
There were a few things that I would like to point out. Firstly, the certain pitch and volume of the bell that goes off when they turn on the seat belt sign in airplanes makes me want to die. And even worse was that Captain Cedar West was having a fricken field day with that thing. We have eyes, turn down the volume! But he had a cool name so that makes it a little better. Secondly, when the person in front of me can't hold still it grinds on my very soul. Well not really, but it was so aggravating. Thirdly, I think planes have speakers hidden throughout the plane for sole purpose of emulating a baby's scream periodically through the duration of the flight. The longer the flight the louder the screams.
Finally I arrived in Manchester an hour behind schedule. Not that I really had a schedule other than the one I got for the planes. Walked about a mile inside the airport to the train station. Bought a single ticket to York, caught the train fine, and got off at York. Walked from the station to the flat. I got a little lost, but I knew the general direction to go and ended up finding my way. It looks like I'm going to be doing a lot of walking out here. I only have one roommate and he's pretty much awesome. There are six guys in our flat altogether, four in one room and two in the other.
