Sharon's Troubled Trip
Sharon
lives in the USA and had flown in from New York. She had
intended to fly overnight on Thursday night, landing early on Friday
morning, but she missed her flight, and actually arrived at Heathrow
at 6:30 on Saturday morning. She then rented a car and managed
to get a puncture on the motorway. She still managed to breeze in
looking as fresh as a daisy, if a little later than she had planned.
Sharon continues the story......
it was wonderful seeing my mates again after so long, none of whom have changed. I had a wonderful time and I only wished I could have stayed longer. Murphy's Law followed me throughout my trip, however. You may remember that I missed my flight coming to England. Well I almost missed my flight going back to New York. Although I was in the airport, I had two of my sisters with me and they started arguing in the airport!! It was so embarrassing. But the fight didn't start there. It started with another sister before I left Northampton for the airport. Anyway, I actually boarded the plane less than 15 minutes before take-off. Needless to say the airport personnel were not happy with me.
All I can say is that after missing my flight in New York, I was
destined NOT to miss it at Heathrow.
I was standing in one of many lines to be checked through
Immigration. There were about 30 people ahead of me. I contemplated
for a while whether I should ask to jump the queue since my flight
was due to depart in about 30 minutes. Then thought against it. I
would make it, I thought. I read a sign that stated that we may be
asked to be subjected to an experimental scan of the body. As I was
reading, I thought it would just be my luck that I am asked. Soon
after I saw a British Airways agent approach a woman and took her
out of the line. A few minutes later that same BA agent came out
from behind a screen and made a B-line straight to me. Yes, I was
asked too. Although I couldn't see when I was standing on the line
what occurred to the woman before me, I surely saw the people and
wondered if they could see me. This experiment was quite
embarrassing. I had to stand in three different positions. For the
first pose I had to face a white screen with both my arms up in the
air slanted to the left, with one leg in front of the other as
indicated on the footprints. The second pose, with my back to the
screen, feet on the footprints and arms in the air. The third pose,
again with my back to the screen but standing more to the left at a
slant with my arms up in the air. The left arm stretched in front of
the right arm. Well, guess what? I got to jump the line after all.
I should have headed to the gate. Rather, I decided to visit
Harrods. Someone I know, who I actually don't like too much, had the
nerve to ask me to buy her something in Harrods, even though I had
told everyone that I was going to England just for my high school
reunion and would be there for one day. She would later say that she
didn't know. She can be very vindictive and I would have been in
trouble if I had not brought it. So after I saw a Harrods in duty
free and I decided to see if I could afford it. I bought the
cheapest and went on my merry way to the gate.
Strangely, something told me to check the monitor just to check
the gate number again. I almost died when I saw "15 minutes" and
"gate closing". I had high heels on and carrying a large umbrella
and four shopping bags. I don't remember the gate number but it was
on the other side of the airport!!! At least it felt like that. I
think it was Gate 25. I was following the gate numbers. I was
running. I was out of breathe because I smoke. I took off my shoes
and began to run barefoot. And, not a soul was in sight. I was alone
running through the terminal. My legs began to ache. I couldn't
stop. Sweat was pouring down my face, and God knows where else. Then
I saw a man walking towards me. I started to say something to him.
He told me, "Don't stop, they are waiting for you!" I ran, and ran,
and ran. Out of breathe, of course.
Finally, I turned a corner. I saw about 4 people standing at the
gate. Someone yelled, "Miss Rose!" I cannot described the
expressions on their faces, but I was not about to say anything to
any of them. I was so embarrassed. I couldn't find my passport and
boarding ticket. The sweat was pouring down my face. I finally found
my passport and as I was handing it to the agent, I apologized for
being late. He told me that I was not at all late and that they were
still waiting on other people. He lied!
He told me much to my SURPRISE that they had found me a window
seat. When I initially checked in some hours earlier, I had
complained about my aisle seat and was promised that they would try
to find me a window seat. I responded, "You reward me for being late
by giving me a window seat." He smiled. I went through the gate,
down some steps and entered a large room where there were about six
people standing to my left. I took one look at their faces and felt
like I was back in school and had done something wrong. It was a
most uncomfortable feeling. I turned into the tunnel to board the
plane and saw a man standing at the other end. He stared at me as I
walked towards him, but he looked a little more friendlier than the
six people I had just seen. As I approached him, I asked, "You're
not going to hit me over my head for being late." Much to my
surprise, he replied, "Yes. . . ." I didn't hear what else he said.
Well, I was indeed the last person to enter the plane. As I walked
down the aisle I didn't look at anyone. Then I was too short to put
my things in the overhead compartment. So I asked a nice looking
English man to help me. He did!! He even took them down after we
landed in New York without me having to ask him!!!!!!
That's my story! It makes good conversation. I had my colleagues
and court officers rolling in laughter. Of course, they all
thought I was crazy to go to England for just one day. They
obviously did not have the kind of school mates that I had. I would
do it again in a hot second!!!