Humiliation III
 

In what has become a yearly Flyer Talk tradition, it is time again to out yourselves by revealing you travel foibles. This is basically a parlor game (hence being played in the community forum), with the goal of embarrassing yourself and thus being crowned King or Queen of our little ship of fools. So what have you done (like forgot to take that shotgun out of your raincoat before going thru security)? Or not done, (like neglected to enroll in the ff program before embarking on that million-mile challenge)?

Previous incarnations of this game can be viewed at:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/000599.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/001632.html

In the past, I've always narc-ed on myself first to get the ball rolling. But this year I will bow to my betters and get out of the way so that the sins of ommission and the sins and commission can rain.

Let the games begin.

I haven't ever joined the "Mile High" club. Thought about it, but nothing past just thinking about joining. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif- http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

It's kind of humiliating that I know and enjoy hanging out with the guy who starts these threads. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I had a US$ 500 ticket SAN-DEN-ASE and back and only used the DEN-ASE part - I could have taken a limousine for that money.
(I begged for not having to take the SAN-DEN part and even gotten the agent to waive Ticket change and standbyfees and prefered a ride with car and Greyhound over the second part)

My wife, son and myself flew AKL-LAX-IAD. After we arrived at Washington-Dulles, I asked my wife for the keys to the car (parked in long term parking). She said that she hadn't seen the keys since we left and suggested I look in the suitcases. Well....after being in transit for 19 hours and exhausted, I gave up looking after 30 minutes and said to heck with it, we'll take a taxi home and we'll find the keys after we unpack. I would then have her drive me back to IAD in our other car the next day and I would retieve the parked car.

Got home, found the keys about 2 minutes later...

So, this seasoned traveler packed his keys in the luggage; something I never did before and certainly will never do again! One silver lining is I now know how much a taxi cost and figured that it's cheaper than parking if I'm gone more than 9 days.

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Addicted to airline miles? Check out: Mileage Workshop --- "You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." - Frank Zappa (1940-93)



[This message has been edited by MileageAddict (edited 12-21-2002).]

Tripped over my suitcase in the hotel room, hit my head, blacked out, woke up the next day back in bed with towel wrapped around my head, did not really remember hitting my head, flew from SFO-LAX and then went home. Told my friend what I thought happend and she looked at my head which had a big hole in it, then went to the hospital 24 hours later for 6 stiches. Had to explain to everyone that it all happened because I tripped over my suitcase.

Flying HNL-LAX back in 1996, I was in the aft bathroom and had made this real mess with the water, it was all over the floor and the counter. I then for some reason decided it would be fun to pull the flight attendant call button (I was 10 years old at the time). I pulled it and like 3 seconds later an f/a was knocking at the door asking if I was allright. So I opened it and first she saw all the water and then it turned out I had somehow gotten the button stuck in the on position and it took four f/a's to fix it.
DC-10's Forever

I'm wondering....tripped, or pushed? Glad you woke up, would have hated to have you end up like Dr. Laura's mom, although I'm guessing that housecleaning would have found you before two months were up.

My biggest FT related sin this year was spending nearly $2000 at a Doubletree Hotel this year without any elite bonuses (I'm a mere Blue cardholder). I'm told if I cross my eyes in the correct way, I could get a status comp at Hilton. (I'm elite in Starwood and Marriott).

I did get a 500 point bonus for booking online!

I have done several things this year that fall in this category, and two involve misplacing things in hotel rooms. After a particularly long day, I very carefully put my cell phone down, but when I went to use it 5 minutes later, it had run away. I searched for an hour, before finding it on the floor behind the bed. A few months later, I took my glasses off to read a magazine---yes an "arms are not long enough moment"---. Have you ever tried to hunt for your glasses, without the benefit of sight? Of course we are not even going to address the time I locked the rental car and left the keys inside....

Well, does this count:

I couldn't find the keys to my Nissan Maxima Hertz rental. Hertz told me that if I had really lost them, due to the security system device with computer chip, it would cost me to $298 to tow and reprogram. (I later verified that this was a fair price, but they should've had another key themselves.)

Right before the gentlemen from Hertz arrived to give me another car and had already called for tow, I had remembered hearing the keys bounce when I threw stuff on this very low coffee table at the Holiday Inn in Punta Gorda, Florida. I found them in the trash can, covered with all sorts of coffee supplies and used tissues.

Hertz man left with a big frown on his face.

[This message has been edited by Heinrich (edited 12-21-2002).]

Checked in to the Hilton Fontainebleau for the first time after a transcon flight, changed into shorts, sandles and t-shirt to check out the grounds. After a 15 minute walk about, realized I had no idea what room I was in. Had to go the front desk and ask what my room number was. In my defence it was third hotel room in four days.

mpc1

Nothing major this year... I was passing through home in the UK on my way from SFO to Paris and while sorting through some of my old things in the spare room, I found my Paris Mapguide (the best map of Paris) and a guidebook that I had used as a backpacker - very proud of the serendiptous findings, I packed them and left for Paris. Fell asleep on the Eurostar and promptly left my little travel heirlooms on the train along with my M&S sandwich!!
I also flew 2 UK trips on BA from SFO because they were cheaper - but both turned out to be billable to work so for a couple of hundred bucks I could have gone AA via LAX and been knocking on the door of EXP instead of being a safe Plt... Bugger!!

Cheers,
The Cap'n

mpc1, many of us forget our room numbers on a regular basis. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Well not a true traveling humiliation story, but I was on the road.

I was at the JCrew Store in the Palo Alto Shopping Center. A pair of shorts caught my eye. I couldn't tell if they were too long/short or whatever so I went and tried them on. I put them on, decided I liked them, put my flip-flops back on and walked out... sans the shorts I wore into the changing room! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

Well not this year - but in the past -
Was on a trip of mulitple of stops. Went to meet client for lunch at resturant.
After nice meal, we walked outside. He asked me where I parked. I pointed to the nice red T-bird I rented.
We walked over and mild chatter as I went to unlock door. Key didn't fit.
To make a long story, short. I had no idea what car I was in.
In my defense, it was the 4th car I was in on the trip.
I had to call Hertz and ask what car I rented.
No, the tag number was not on the key chain. I looked.
Client had a good laugh.


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TANSTAAFL - but if you work it right, FF miles comes pretty close.

Don't know whether it will stand the test of time, as it only happened yesterday.

I waited until the last minute to book my US shuttle ticket LGA-BOS- thinking that since I was booking an unrestricted ticket, I may as well make full use of the "no advance purchase requirement." Well the flight sold out Friday- Doh!

After midnight Friday, I checked on the web to see if any seats had opened and, lo and behold, there were seats available. I booked my ticket and went to bed.

Without getting into the moment of drama at the airport, the reason there were seats available is because I had booked a BOS-LGA ticket...

OK, I’ve been holding back. Years ago I was with my boss in Orlando where I gave a paper at an American Correctional Association conference. It didn’t go too bad, so he suggested that we waltz over to Epcot to have a beer in each and every pavilion. Never one to argue with an authority figure, off we went. We staggered back to the parking lot hours later and then I careened back to the hotel. The next hung-over morning we could not find our car. In fact, we had no idea the color or what type of car we rented. Calling Avis, I was told that it was a Lincoln, and I responded that I wasn’t aware that Lincoln made a hatchback.

Avis told us to call the police to file a police report. The summoned mirrored-sunglassed cop, and I swear to God that his name was Charles Bronson, laughed at our sorry ineptitude. The car never surfaced and we rented another. Avis called us periodically for a few months afterwards to see if we knew anything about their car.

This past April on a flight home to PDX via EWR/SFO, I used my passport as a bookmark. I left the book at an airport food counter.

What an idoit!

But not many of us are trained ex-Navy navigation officers. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Was koko involved in any way here?

Can you become a member by yourself?

Without going into too much detail & to protect the almost-innocent I was the sole passenger, apart from the pilot (seanthepilot), in a private Cessna returning home to YVR after this year's SeaDoo event. We declared a semi-emergency return-about-face landing at Boeing Field due to a possible fuselage breach (aka very loud whap-whap-whap metal-on-metal banging sound) shortly after takeoff @ 4am. Once safely on the tarmac again & after brief inspection it was sheepishly announced that the sound was not from a piece of broken fuselage but rather the pilot's apparent forgetfulness to buckle his seatbelt which had managed to get dragged outside behind the plane.

Seatbelt buckle meets plane fuselage = very loud whap-whap-whap metal-on-metal banging sound.

Hmmm... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Travelling to Mumbai via London... left my travel wallet w/ tickets, FF cards, and Passport in the seatback on the EWR-LHR flight at a remote gate at Terminal 3, and didn't realize this until I was in Terminal 4 trying to pass through security. Back on the bus to T3, where I was again not allowed to pass through security without my passport. After an hour of nail-biting, my wallet was returned. Just made the flight to BOM.

Hey I resemble that remark ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif

mpc1

Mine is the rental car stuff: Usually renting from Avis, rented a different brand and could not find the knob to open the gas tank cover. After 10 minutes i gave up because i was nearing flight time. Returned the car with a $47 gas charge (more than the cost of the rental car itself). Tried meekly to talk my way out of it when they showed me the button for the lid was in the glove compartment box. Elementary.....

Et Tu Randy

Rented a car in BOS earlier this year. Made all my visits during the week and was proud of myself for never once forgetting what car I was in and where I parked.

Upon return to the Hertz lot the return person said I could not return the car there. I immediatly got upset as my flight was due to leave shortly (got stuck in BOS traffic) and wanted them to just check in the car and give me the receipt. Again the agent said she could not check me in there so I asked for a manager. When he walked up I told him I just wanted to return the car and leave. He said he would really like to help but could not (with a smile...I should have known) When I asked him why he told me.....IT WAS AN AVIS RENTAL.!!

At least I remembered what model of car I drove.

My wife and I arrived in LHR and took the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station. Hearing how much the taxis cost, I consulted the map and proclaimed "It's not too far, lets just walk!" As it was a partly sunny day and reasonably warm for Nov, we headed off to the Sheraton Park Tower draging our suitcases behind us. Just as we made it to Hyde Park, a line of dark clouds blow in...not to worry, just need to make it to the other side of the park. Seconds later, it begins to rain...heavily. No shelter in sight, so we must keep walking...just as the hail begins to hit...driven by 40 mph gusts. As we crown a hill, surrounded by several tall trees, there's a bolt of lighting! By the time we make it across the park, the sun is out and a rainbow appears...but we are soaked by this time. I'm surprised the doorman didn't run us off when we finally hit the hotel.

Well, mine was decided for me last night. Although I was not specifically in the act of travelling, I was at a FT get together. Apparently that counts, according to my compatriots.

After just one drink yesterday, enroute to relocating for the group photo, I managed to knock what was left of my glass of ice over on the bar and onto myself. I was hence a little bit cold and wet.

Zero drinks later, though another 30 minutes into the evening, I managed to knock someone else's empty glass off of the table, crashing to the floor. I was hence a little bit cold and wet, and a lot embarassed.

Moving on from the bar to the restaurant, the waitress managed to spill her tray of drinks on me. According to the rest of the FT'ers with me, this was somehow my fault. I have no recollection of causing this, but based on my track record for the evening, it must have been my fault. I was now VERY cold, VERY wet, and VERY embarassed. (And somewhat redeemed, but that's another story.)

The moral of the story? Probably not a good idea to let me anywhere near your drink if you actually want to consume it. ( Of course, two reasons there. I might spill it. Or I might just drink it. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )

I was running late so rather than walking I decided to get a taxi.

Successfully hailed one in the street after only about 30 seconds looking.

Force of habit made me say 'Airport Please'......

30 Minutes later arrived at the airport and realised I was supposed to be at the TRAIN station 15 minutes ago http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

The annoying thing was I'd missed the last train - fortunately EDI has an Avis!!

I was at the sheraton conquistadora in Tuscon a couple weeks ago and it was fully sold out. I drove the rental around to where the room was. I got out to look for the room and the easiest way to bring in all my luggage when I returned to the parking lot there was a sea of rental cars and I had no idea which one was mine. I went from car to car to car finally a silver car lit up and it was mine. I felt like an idoit but grateful to find it. I wasn't even going to check this one because I was sure I rented a white car!!!!!!!

The single worst thing that has ever happened to me at a hotel was at the Marriott Warner Center in the L.A. area. Don't blame the hotel -- management was as disturbed about this as I was! It's really a good place.

My ex and I (still married then) checked into the hotel and were sent up to our room. A little later, we pulled the cover off the bed and rolled back the blankets, and BOTH sheets were soaking wet. I'll leave the rest to the reader's imagination but will note that it was a sticky bodily fluid, and not urine.

Our entire weekend was comped.

Richard,

How can you not blame the hotel? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

BTW, my (primary) office is literally next door to the hotel.

Craig

It's true, it was the hotel's fault, but I have stayed at that hotel several times with no problem anywhere vaguely as bad as that, so I think they just got a bad housekeeper (who I believe quickly became an ex-housekeeper in this case).

Was stuck in a long check in line at YUL once. When I got to the front of the line a Woman came from the side and went to the counter. When I remonstrated with her she told me she was checking her disabled father in who was sat in a wheelchair outside the roped area. I still feel about 2 inches tall now even though I couldn't have known.

Nigel

On one of many trips to LA this year, I got on the phone during the drive from LAX to my destination. Arrived, and when it was time for lunch could not find the keys. Ultimately, they were in the car, in the ignition, and the car was still running. A few of the employees at the plant were experienced in this type of problem and helped jimmy the door open. While this was taking place, a police cruiser shows up and asks if we need any help. I politely told him that it looked like we had all the talent we needed....

Hey, you're supposed to humiliate yourself http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

But, I held short of the PAN call, and requested vectors, while cross checking, and mind bending my brain.

I will say , with pride, it's all true. And humiliating too! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

On a recent HP flight -- dropped my laminated bookmark in FC just before takeoff.

The FC F/A looked behind my seat and couldn't find it. The MC f/A found the bookmark under a seat in row 22!

[This message has been edited by Radiocycle (edited 12-26-2002).]