In lieu of my usual Coin Show Report, this is a "Trying to Get Home from the Dallas Coin Show&q
ThePennyLady
Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭✭✭
So you all probably know I was at a coin show in Dallas since Thursday. Well, it as many of your know, it snowed heavily here in Dallas (I am guessing Dallas is like SoCal in that it doesn't really know how to handle ice and snow) which put a stop to just about everything, even the coin show since hardly anyone could actually get to the show since the highways were at a standstill. No worries, we dealers did a lot of business among ourselves which made it worthwhile at least for me.
So I call American Airlines on Friday afternoon to confirm or change my Saturday evening flight since I had heard they were canceling a lot of flights. The nice AA rep said, no worries, that my flight was late enough so the snow would melt and I should have no problems getting out. Ok, great. I call the front desk of my hotel and ask for a late checkout on Saturday since I wasn't going back to the show on Saturday and would catch up on some work before the Portland show. Again, no problem.
At 1pm I head to the airport for my 6pm flight, only to discover my flight was indeed cancelled. No so Great! Since I used points to get First Class, I stand in the priority line to rebook my flight. But there were only 2 reps handling all the priority people, so it took an hour standing in line just to reach the rep to rebook my flight. Ok, no worries, I still had plenty of time. She finds a flight leaving at 6:30 to LAX. I'm wondering why my 6pm flight to OC was cancelled but they can still have a 6:30 flight to LA. That's ok, again I'm happy she found a flight, even though I no longer have first class and my hubby Lou will have to drive to LA to pick me up. I'm just grateful I don't have to try and find a room here in Dallas like the hundreds of other travelers with cancelled flights.
I get in line for security, easy peasy I think because there are hardly any travelers who actually have flights. But NOOOOOOOO! Of course they have to do extra screening for my bags - which is usual for me since I'm traveling with coins that are dense and hard to see through the x-ray screening so I'm used to this and ask for a private room. But after they remove all the raw coins from one of my bags, they use the little cloth thingy to do a "swipe" test on the inside of my small bag and it sounds an alarm for explosives!!!! OMG!
Now they have to do a special "pat down" after they first tear apart and empty both of my bags. Great, I think, more wasted time, but again I'm grateful that I have plenty of time for them to waste before my flight leaves. Ok, fine, I say and take the "legs apart, arms out" stance for them to start rubbing their hands all over me. The Nazi lady does this, and then they take another little cloth thingy and wipe it all over her gloves and insert it in the machine to test. Guess what! It sets off the alarm AGAIN for explosives!!! OMFG!!!
Now I'm really pissed. I ask her what would set it off if it's not explosives because, as far as I know, I haven't handled any bombs lately. Of course she doesn't know, or won't tell me. But they tell me now they have to call in the explosives experts. WTF!!! I feel like I'm being treated like I'm a terrorist.
However, the supervisor checks with her supervisor and they decided to just do another more "personal" pat down, all over my pelvic area. I ask her if it's on the outside or inside of my pants and she says - thank God - just the outside! I'm thinking ok, whatever, just get it over with, because now I'm worried they're going to actuallydetain me in some locked room til the feds come and get me.
Finally, the third little cloth thingy comes out negative. Thank God! So now I can proceed to my gate which is 3 terminals over on a tram. I get to the gate, double check that it hasn't changed, and guess what! My new flight to LAX has been CANCELLED!!!! OMFG! I now hate that word, CANCELLED!! I ask the gate attendant to help me and he tells me he has to deal wit the next flight at his gate and that I have to go to AA customer service.
I hurry over there, and guess what, there are 5,000 people in line waiting to talk to them. OK, I exaggerate a little, but only a little. I get in this extremely long line feeling like cattle, when I hear the girl behind me talking on the phone to an AA rep. When she's done I ask her how she got ahold of them since it has been taking hours on hold before you can actually speak to a rep on the phone. She said it only took a few minutes so I asked her if I could have the number she called.
While I'm standing in this monstrous line, I called that number, only had to wait a few minutes just like her, and got to speak to a very nice AA rep. She found a non-cancelled flight to LAX, got my flight rebooked again, this time leaving at 10:30 pm, hopefully arriving in LAX around midnight. Poor Lou who has had to listen to me rant on the phone to him about all this, and now has to drive an hour to LA to come get me at midnight!
So now, I sit here at the Cantina, with my second double gin and tonic, which is beginning to have its calming affects on me, while I wait to see if my second new flight actually occurs, or if I have to read that dreaded nasty word up on the flight board again - CANCELLED!!!! I'll keep ya'll posted (that's how they say it here in God's country!)
So I call American Airlines on Friday afternoon to confirm or change my Saturday evening flight since I had heard they were canceling a lot of flights. The nice AA rep said, no worries, that my flight was late enough so the snow would melt and I should have no problems getting out. Ok, great. I call the front desk of my hotel and ask for a late checkout on Saturday since I wasn't going back to the show on Saturday and would catch up on some work before the Portland show. Again, no problem.
At 1pm I head to the airport for my 6pm flight, only to discover my flight was indeed cancelled. No so Great! Since I used points to get First Class, I stand in the priority line to rebook my flight. But there were only 2 reps handling all the priority people, so it took an hour standing in line just to reach the rep to rebook my flight. Ok, no worries, I still had plenty of time. She finds a flight leaving at 6:30 to LAX. I'm wondering why my 6pm flight to OC was cancelled but they can still have a 6:30 flight to LA. That's ok, again I'm happy she found a flight, even though I no longer have first class and my hubby Lou will have to drive to LA to pick me up. I'm just grateful I don't have to try and find a room here in Dallas like the hundreds of other travelers with cancelled flights.
I get in line for security, easy peasy I think because there are hardly any travelers who actually have flights. But NOOOOOOOO! Of course they have to do extra screening for my bags - which is usual for me since I'm traveling with coins that are dense and hard to see through the x-ray screening so I'm used to this and ask for a private room. But after they remove all the raw coins from one of my bags, they use the little cloth thingy to do a "swipe" test on the inside of my small bag and it sounds an alarm for explosives!!!! OMG!
Now they have to do a special "pat down" after they first tear apart and empty both of my bags. Great, I think, more wasted time, but again I'm grateful that I have plenty of time for them to waste before my flight leaves. Ok, fine, I say and take the "legs apart, arms out" stance for them to start rubbing their hands all over me. The Nazi lady does this, and then they take another little cloth thingy and wipe it all over her gloves and insert it in the machine to test. Guess what! It sets off the alarm AGAIN for explosives!!! OMFG!!!
Now I'm really pissed. I ask her what would set it off if it's not explosives because, as far as I know, I haven't handled any bombs lately. Of course she doesn't know, or won't tell me. But they tell me now they have to call in the explosives experts. WTF!!! I feel like I'm being treated like I'm a terrorist.
However, the supervisor checks with her supervisor and they decided to just do another more "personal" pat down, all over my pelvic area. I ask her if it's on the outside or inside of my pants and she says - thank God - just the outside! I'm thinking ok, whatever, just get it over with, because now I'm worried they're going to actuallydetain me in some locked room til the feds come and get me.
Finally, the third little cloth thingy comes out negative. Thank God! So now I can proceed to my gate which is 3 terminals over on a tram. I get to the gate, double check that it hasn't changed, and guess what! My new flight to LAX has been CANCELLED!!!! OMFG! I now hate that word, CANCELLED!! I ask the gate attendant to help me and he tells me he has to deal wit the next flight at his gate and that I have to go to AA customer service.
I hurry over there, and guess what, there are 5,000 people in line waiting to talk to them. OK, I exaggerate a little, but only a little. I get in this extremely long line feeling like cattle, when I hear the girl behind me talking on the phone to an AA rep. When she's done I ask her how she got ahold of them since it has been taking hours on hold before you can actually speak to a rep on the phone. She said it only took a few minutes so I asked her if I could have the number she called.
While I'm standing in this monstrous line, I called that number, only had to wait a few minutes just like her, and got to speak to a very nice AA rep. She found a non-cancelled flight to LAX, got my flight rebooked again, this time leaving at 10:30 pm, hopefully arriving in LAX around midnight. Poor Lou who has had to listen to me rant on the phone to him about all this, and now has to drive an hour to LA to come get me at midnight!
So now, I sit here at the Cantina, with my second double gin and tonic, which is beginning to have its calming affects on me, while I wait to see if my second new flight actually occurs, or if I have to read that dreaded nasty word up on the flight board again - CANCELLED!!!! I'll keep ya'll posted (that's how they say it here in God's country!)
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Comments
Really, really hope you were put on the one bird that's going [LAX]. Tomorrow looks ugly too, but there are a few seats to SNA.
For next time, when speaking Texas... y'all is singular. All y'all is the plural.
I had to learn this when I moved here 17 years ago.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
I once tested positive for explosives on my way back from a week fly fishing the mountains of Colorado. They then had tear all of my meticulously packed bags apart, I was not allowed to touch anything thing and could only beg for them to be careful ripping apart my several thousand dollars worth of fly rods.
We are hoping you get home to warm LA - VERY SOON.
WS
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Coin's for sale/trade.
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US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
Oh, explosive test......nah, never mind, just have another gin fizz...
bob
I've calmed down greatly, am feeling no frustrations (or pain) at the moment, and am crossing all my fingers and toes that my flight is a go! But if it's not, this Cantina has a very nice comfy looking booth that I think they'll let me curl up on if I have to, not to mention never ending chips and salsa!
The Penny Lady®
Good luck with the rest of your travels getting home.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
The Penny Lady®
==Looking for pre WW2 Commems in PCGS Rattler holders, 1851-O Three Cent Silvers in all grades
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==Looking for pre WW2 Commems in PCGS Rattler holders, 1851-O Three Cent Silvers in all grades
Successful, problem free and pleasant transactions with: illini420, coinguy1, weather11am,wayneherndon,wondercoin,Topdollarpaid,Julian, bishdigg,seateddime, peicesofme,ajia,CoinRaritiesOnline,savoyspecial,Boom, TorinoCobra71, ModernCoinMart, WTCG, slinc, Patches, Gerard, pocketpiececommems, BigJohnD, RickMilauskas, mirabella, Smittys, LeeG, TomB, DeusExMachina, tydye
Happy landings!
Rest assured, your trip to Portland Oregon Wednesday will be very routine. Your friends will be very happy to greet you here in Portland, and hopefully, put you at ease. We here in Portland are very laid back, sometimes too laid back for old me. I will see you either at set up time Wednesday, or dealer opening Thursday. I will have Sheridan Downey's table as my home base.
When I was at the airport on Friday, the American Airlines operation at DFW was in complete meltdown mode. Terminals A,C and D all looked like scenes that resembled Saigon in 1974. As I understand it, because of ice the operations at DFW are actually worse off today than they were on Friday, if that was even possible.
My Friday evening flight on United departed DFW on time. I actually felt guilty about it.
Authorized dealer for PCGS, PCGS Currency, NGC, NCS, PMG, CAC. Member of the PNG, ANA. Member dealer of CoinPlex and CCE/FACTS as "CH5"
I'm glad I decided to pull the plug and head home on Friday, and I'm glad my boss at ANACS agreed that it was the right thing to do.
It took 2 hours to get from the show in Grapevine to the outskirts of Fort Worth, and another 3 hours to get back to Austin. It was absolutely the worst conditions I've ever driven in.
I will say this about the show- the catered breakfasts and lunch were outstanding.
You are correct about ice, sleet and snow in Texas. They tend to shut the state down.
Mike
Whatever you are, be a good one. ---- Abraham Lincoln
I was a little worried about my bag since it had been booked on my second flight that was cancelled, so I really didn't know if/when it would make it to LAX. When I got down to the baggage claim area, I was literally SHOCKED to see an actual sea of bags behind a makeshift fence area around the baggage claim office. There were hundreds of unclaimed bags stacked everywhere. There were also hundreds of poor folks like me wondering around trying to find their bags. And the line to speak to an agent to locate your bag was over an hour long. I had no idea if my bag had arrived on some earlier flight, or came with the flight I was on. To make matters worse, it was unclear which baggage carousel my flight's bags were coming on. We were told one, then another one. So I kept dragging my carry on bags back and forth between carousels and the fenced-in sea of bags trying to locate it (luckily my bag has a lime green tag on the handle and most of the bags in the fenced area were standing upright).
All this while, my poor hubby was circling and circling around the airport waiting for me (also, my flight was 1/2 hour late). I was on the phone with him telling him he should just go park in the parking lot because I didn't know how long this would take, when a very nice kind young lady on the bag-side of the fence heard me talking to my hubby and offered to look up my bag on the computer to see if she could tell where it was. She was a Godsend! She allowed me in the gated area to search but we still couldn't find it. It was important for me to find my bag, not just for the usual reasons, but because it had everything I would need to take to the Portland show and I doubted, with the hundreds of bags AA would have to deal with, that it would be delivered to my house in time for my flight to Portland.
I was just about ready to give up and decided to search the carousels one more time before I left. AHA! There was my bag!!!! I scooped it up, called my hubby who quickly met me outside, stacked my bags in his truck, and took me to my home sweet home - and of course, my cute little Penny!!!
The Penny Lady®
Lovely talking to you & I'll see you in Portland!
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Personally, I've decided never to fly anymore.
Not because I'm scared of heights, but rather with flying, you have absolutely no control of anything whatsoever.
Name me ONE thing that has anything to do with flying that you are in total control of.
I'll spend my time driving to the local golf course.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
<< <i>Glad everything worked out.
Personally, I've decided never to fly anymore.
Not because I'm scared of heights, but rather with flying, you have absolutely no control of anything whatsoever.
Name me ONE thing that has anything to do with flying that you are in total control of.
I'll spend my time driving to the local golf course. >>
You have just as much control over the car your brother is driving that you're riding shotgun in as you do over the aircraft you could be flying on. Just remember how many people are killed on the roads in Canada in one single day versus the number killed while flying on a commercial flight in one year worldwide.
Authorized dealer for PCGS, PCGS Currency, NGC, NCS, PMG, CAC. Member of the PNG, ANA. Member dealer of CoinPlex and CCE/FACTS as "CH5"
Your story reminds me of our aborted trip to Dallas in December of 2013 to visit my daughter and grandchildren. A big ice storm hit just before we were to go and after rescheduling twice we never made it. All the flights were cancelled. When we called the airline the morning of the flight we were told a representative would be with us in "approximately 4 hours". So we had to drive to the airport to learn the flight was, indeed, cancelled. Of course we checked the flight status on the computer which said the flight was "on time". Lots of fun, huh!?
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