Travels With The Wiseass Jooette (aka Erica) Part 2

Part 1 is here.

I'm skipping the middle... that will be my next post because I'm waiting for someone else to post one more thing before starting it.  So, you get to wait also. 

As before, the rest below the fold because no one wants to have a book length post to scroll through on the first page.

Just recently T1G posted the following:

I hate being late to work. If I get there five minutes early, I'm late, in my book. Ten minutes early is safe, but fifteen is desirable. Just the way I am.

I couldn't agree more.  I have real issues with being late for anything, but most especially being late for a plane (because the travel gods hate me).  Yet my idea of late is far different than that of other people. 

You see, I know if I miss my flight, I will not be able to catch another for at least 24 hours... maybe even more.  This means I work hard to arrive with plenty of time to spare whenever possible.

So, off we ramble from Eric's abode for the trek back to Atlanta with the hope that leaving at noon will allow us to arrive in time for me to check through to my 5:45 flight.  Once again we had a lovely time on the scenic route.  Erica was getting her fill of the countryside before she headed back the Brooklyn.

All was swimming along until we got a ways down 75 south whereupon we hit the stop and go - mostly stop.  This lasted for about 20 minutes (I know could've been much worse)  when it - as do most traffic jams - broke up and suddenly everything was clear again. 

Of course I'm now 20 minutes behind time and starting to have visions of not being able to find the rental car place.  This is because I know what will happen.  If there is a wrong turn to make, I will make it. 

Thus we come eventually to the first of 2 different exits to the airport. 

I'm still trying to figure out if Atlanta is ashamed of its airport.  Unlike every other airport I've ever been to, the signs do not name the airport they just say - in normal lettering, as you come up to the exit... "Atl Airport".   WTF?   Is this the airport I want?  Is there more than one airport in Atlanta?  Is this the exit to where the cargo planes and crew do their thing?  I have no idea. 

In Chicago you have big signs saying O'Hare exit 2 miles... then one mile...etc. In St. Louis there are plenty of signs to Lambert.  In Rhode Island you have TF Green Airport signs all over.  In Boston it says Logan many times with arrows to match (People... I mean BOSTON - the  city that won't even put up street signs - loudly proclaims where the damned airport is at and how to get there).  But Atlanta not only won't put the name of the airport - they even abbreviate their own city name - like it's too friggin' long to put Atlanta Airport on the sign!!!

So, I get off at the first exit - and I'm sure already I've made a mistake.  But I drive a ways down the road before turning around... all the while feeling panicky thinking it's always possible it could take me another 2 hours to find the Rental car park.  Finally (after infinitely long traffic lights) get back on the highway where a few miles down the road we see a second sign - the same as the first, paired with a different regular road name.

Of course I make the wrong decision and don't exit - thinking it will be the same mistake I made before... Well naturally, this WAS the exit I should've taken.  *sigh*  Now I'm trying to figure out - how can I turn around.  All the while Erica is pretty sure I've completely lost it (well she's nearly right).  I finally decided to try turning around about 2 exits down.  Luckily I saw a hotel - so I stopped at the Drury Inn where I asked 3 pilots and the lady at the desk how the hell I get to the airport!

I just had to turn around and go back on the same road and viola! We're there. 

However, the rental car exit is also a secret.  No warning whatsoever, and the Rental Car exit just appears on the left hand side.  Thank heaven (I was in the middle lane) with no one in the left lane, I was able to cut over and get to the lot.  Whew. 

Returning the car is easy (more on this in a later post), we grab our stuff and get in line for the shuttle.  First shuttle is packed, but another pulls up right behind it and soon we were off.   Of course we find out there were 2 guys from Joisey sitting directly across from us.  (poor Erica just can't escape those Joisey boys).

At the airport we each grabbed a sandwich.  The Atlanta Bread place was full, but there was no line. It took so long to get our order I was thinking that maybe they had to bake the bread, plant the avocados, and kill the cow to get us our food.  Eventually someone wandered over with our stuff.  All the while, Erica is sitting at a table we had grabbed listening to 2 young kids discuss the merits of Absinthe... amazing the stuff you hear in airports. 

Long about 4:30 we had finished eating and I needed to get into the security line cattle call so I could get to my gate.  I have a boarding pass - but I have visions of being bumped off the flight by over zealous employees because there was over booking and I'm not at the gate to argue. 

It was about this time I realized I had left my coat in the back of the rental car.  Could the day get better?  Oh certainly. 

After saying good-bye to Erica... (I really want to go to NYC soon and see her...) I'm standing in line when the migraine hit.  *sigh* 

Atlanta TSA seems to be on par with Chicago - they are people movers to the extent they can be. (after all they are there to impede movement) Things went pretty smoothly, although I had a few moments when I was not happy - they had moved our stuff through but made us wait while they wanded someone.  I was just hoping my purse was there when I got to the other side. 

I got down to my gate and the plane was there - they were calling for 3 people to defer flying (apparently they got them because this eventually stopped).  I called the rental car company... more on this later because they deserve kudos in their own post. Then called beloved husband to tell him I would be on my way soon. 

Just as they boarded I had a chance to grab a soy mocha from the Seattle's Best coffee place and slam it down - all before they ever called my "zone" to load.  Along with 4 Ibuprofen, my headache departed about halfway home.

Luckily I had a light jacket in my suitcase.  It was a bit chilly standing outside for half an hour waiting for the shuttle bus.  Eventually I got home - and got to see the end of the Red Sox game.

Unfortunately for Erica - my bad travel juju rubbed off on her and she spent the night in Charlotte when she missed her connecting flight. 

All in all, I've had far worse problems and next time I'll know how to get to the rental car place - but I'd like to know why signage is in such short supply. Especially around a major airport!

Posted by: Teresa in Ultimate Blog Meets at 03:57 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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