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Published: December 31st 2009
This is just a little blog to a) practise using this site, b) electronically start my trip in 2009 which seems to be advantageous somehow, and c) get my friends and family to subscribe to my blog now while they can still remember who I am.
After a lovely send-off from Goga, Anna and Masha at passport control, I proceeded through Security. It went pretty quickly considering there was supposed to be extra security after the attempted bombing on a Christmas day transatlantic flight - or so I thought. I arrived at the gate in plenty of time...to queue for another hour. They performed pat-downs and bag searches on every single passenger. Behind me in the queue was the kind of American I had doubted existed, despite second-hand evidence to the contrary. He was large and he was talking. To everyone. About rubbish. As he passed by a desk behind which two airline staff were sitting, not apparently doing much, he commented that they were "working hard". They weren't too impressed and he then tried to get himself out of it. I think his strategy was to bore them out of their offence by continuing to talk. One of his topics was about how Americans are friendly; any person you see talking to others and being friendly at an airport is definitely American; we're not actually perfect, but we are friendly, faux pas, faux, pas, faux pas. A foolish English woman was encouraging him by talking and laughing back but at least she was telling him he'd get a slap if he wasn't careful.
I flew American Airlines and I was ASTOUNDED to discover that one has to pay money for alcoholic drinks during the flight! I still had a G&T though. I wasn't about to let $6 and a crazy alcohol policy come between me and my tradition. The seats were a little bit hard but I managed to get comfortable. The inflight entertainment worked on cycles rather than your own stop-and-start system but you never had to wait more than 20 mins for the next one and you could usually find something starting in the next few minutes so I didn't wish I was flying BA or Virgin too much. The food was OK and the staff were totally pleasant. By the way, Love Happens is a film about nothing, with a slightly lingering sense of depression and disappointment. Even though Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart did get together. (No, I didn't spoil it for you; of course they did.)
Lastly, I'll leave you with a comment on the airport loos in Chicago and Indianapolis. Due to the extra security in London, our flight was delayed and I missed my connection at Chicago. I was put on the next flight and had a bit of time at O'Hare to have a wee beer. I also used the opportunity to take off one of my layers of clothing as I’d gotten rather warm and US airports are hotter than UK ones. Sitting on the bog, I leaned forward to take off my socks and was rewarded with a flush. I received another flush a minute later when I took off my tights. However, this Chicagonian lavatory wasn’t quite as eager to please as the one at Indianapolis airport which flushed a greeting to me as soon as I opened the cubicle door. Hello, Indianapolis.
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Lee Lloyd
non-member comment
A fab start to the blog!
I hope all your blog entries are this good - what a perfect thing to read first thing on New Year's Day, very witty I thought! Love the bit about the loos!! Glad you're there ok, hope you had a great New Year! Off to New Year lunch at the pub today, will share your experience so far! Lots of love xxx