The Trip Home From Hell
David, Greg & I flew back home together from Randall and Laura Lee's wedding (Oct. 3, 1993)
Murphey never sleeps! Our itenery was:
1) Denver to Salt Lake City with 1 hour 40 minutes layover at SLC
2) Salt Lake City to Portland with 30 minutes layover at Portland
3) Portland to Eugene
The first flight went without a hitch - in fact we were early. so, we got to sit around and watch planes take off.
Then we boarded plane #2. Time to take off - nothing happened. Then people in coveralls went into the cockpit. Then the captain told us that they had a faulty light which had to be checked. Time passed. Then the captain told us that they had a short in a battery and had to power down the plane and change it. They did, then they had to reprogram the navigation. Forty minutes late, we took off.
Did you notice that we only had 30 minutes between planes 2 & 3 - so did we!!! Then the captain told us that he was going to fly as fast as he could to make up some of the lost time. He made up about 15 minutes. Because I tend to be a Nervous Nelly, I kept looking at my watch. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore and signaled for a flight attendant. She asked me what she could do for me and I explained to her about our connecting flight. She took our flight information and then walked the down aisle to find out if anyone else had a connecting flight to Eugene. About eight of us did. The rest of the passengers were destined for Portland.
We landed at Portland and they asked everyone to please remain seated, so that they could get us off the plane (as soon as a plane lands, everyone jams the aisles looking for all their carry-ons in the overhead. So, no one can get off until everyone in front does). They got about 8 people off the plane and ran us across the airport (of course, our plane was on the other side of the airport - did you think it would be nearby!!!). No problem, in fact the plane remained there a few minutes after we boarded before taking off. Later we figured out that this was so they could load our luggage.
Well, 3 of our 4 suitcases made it. My orange suitcase wasn't on the conveyor. So, I headed across the airport to make a lost luggage claim along with another woman who was on our flight. Naturally, I forgot to remove the claim tickets from the three bags we did get - so that I would know which ticket belonged to the orange suitcase.
This was around 10:30 am and they told us that the next flight was at 8:40 PM. I told them "No way am I staying in Eugene until then."
The man at the desk made out a claim form and told me that "If it's determined that it was our (the airline's) fault, we'll get the suitcase to you - no charge."
(Like it was my fault they had to change a battery!!!)
So, I walked back to where Dave and Greg were waiting with the three suitcases - checked the tags to find out which one belonged to my suitcase (the one good thing - it was my ORANGE suitcase. That was all I had to write for identification on the claim form. How many orange suitcases are out there?) and walked back to the lost luggage desk to give the claim # to the man.
We loaded the car and headed home. On Beltline (the busiest road through Eugene) the car sputtered and died. "Something must be wrong with the car 'cause we still have 1/4 tank of gas." Great - so now we'll have to be towed to a garage?"
We got out of the car and the guys opened the hood - it's fuel injected so they couldn't even check to see if it was out of gas. Dave told Greg to try to start the car. He did. Sputter, sputter, choke and die. So, we decided to lock up and walk for help. Doors slam, and lock, and I said to Greg "Would you get my purse out of the trunk. My money is in it and we'll probably need some." He patted his pockets, looked in the car, and guess what?! He locked the keys in the car! Can anything else go wrong? We're on the busiest street in Eugene, a cop has to come by any minute, right? Ha! Ha! (Do I sound bitter?)
Dave decided to walk to a pay phone to call one of Kathy's sons for help (he lives in Springfield). He couldn't remember their number, but would look it up at the phone. No phone book. So, he walked to the next phone. Called and left a message. The guys were out but she'd have them come help us when they got back. Dave walked back to us (about 1 hour and 45 minutes have gone by). We stand around the car laughing and talking. Dave says that he thought about calling the police - they could open the doors for us and would give us a gallon of gas - but he couldn't find their number in the phone book. And he knew they wouldn't like it if he called 911 "could you bring us a slim jim and some gas." Sure buddy. So, we decided that I could always have a heart attack, then we could call 911 "my sister's having a heart attack. Could you please send an ambulance, a slim jim and some gas."
Did I mention that Greg didn't put on the parking brake and that the car was in neutral when it was locked up? Greg and Dave sat on the hood of the car. I started to lean back on the hood and the car rolled down the street. Greg jumped off and ran to the rear to stop it. Just what we need: "Oh, Mom, Jamie wrecked your car on Beltline. She pushed it into traffic when we ran out of gas."
Fortunately the road was straight and it stayed on the shoulder. We decided it was a good excuse to call 911: "My brother was run over when he tried to stop the car. Please send an ambulance, a slim jim, and a can of gas."
All this silliness helped pass the time until the guys arrived with a coat hanger. It only took 23 minutes to get the door open. But, they couldn't bring us any gas 'cause they didn't have a gas can (in Oregon you can only get gas if you have an official gas can - you can't use a Clorox bottle or something handy). So, Dave gave them some money and they went to find a store that sold gas cans. Some time later they came back, poured the gas into the car and it started right up. So, we really were out of gas - at least we wouldn't have to get the car fixed at a garage. Mom's gas gauge didn't work right - or had quit working.
All of this took about 3 hours and we saw not one cop the entire time. Until we got in the car and started home. Then we saw one.
Only two people stopped to ask if we needed help (of course, our hood wasn't up since you have to unlatch it from the inside, and we couldn't get inside since the doors were locked).
A girl (19 - 20 years old) driving a red car, stopped to ask if we needed help. She had driven past us, then saw Dave walking, felt guilty, so she got off Beltline, turned around, drove past us on the other side of the divider, found a place to get off and turn abound again so that she would be on our side of the road (it's a divided highway with on-ramps and off-ramps). Bless her heart. I told her the problem and she offered to try to catch Dave and drive him wherever he needed to go for help.
She caught up to him at the first pay phone, and he thanked her for her trouble and sent her on her way, since he'd just arrived at a pay phone. 'Course after she left he discovered that it didn't have a phonebook!!!
Then a guy in a red Broncho-type rig stopped and said that he had some gas. I told him that it wouldn't do us any good unless he could pick our lock. He had a slim jim at home, which didn't help us!! So, we thanked him and sent him on his way (if we'd had any brains we'd have accepted the gas!!!)
Then Dave's boys showed up in a red car. Must be a good color. Or good people drive red cars, or something. No one else stopped - and no cops!!!!
The rest of the trip home was boring and uneventful.
That night a woman called from the airline and asked if I needed my bag right away. I told her "No." So she said that she'd have it sent out the next day (Monday). I figured UPS.
Early Monday morning at some horrible hour of the day, the phone rang. It was a man calling from the airline and wanting directions to our house. I said "you're going to have someone drive from Eugene to Reedsport?"
"Yes" So, I tried to give him directions. I realized that it was hopeless when he asked "Where is Reedsport?" I ended up having them UPS it.
I figured they'd slap a label on my suitcase, and when our UPS guy came walking down the steps with a suitcase in his hand, I planned to say "Is this just a visit, or are you moving it?"
Wouldn't you know, they put it in a box. Spoiled my joke!!!