Traveling this weekend, and I’m having a lovely time.* However, my travels have been a bit more, um, exciting than usual. For example, for the first time in my life I was paged in the airport. A bit freaked out at hearing my (mispronounced) name over the speakers, I rushed back to the gate I had just left to find that I had left my wallet, with all my ID, money, keys, etc. on the plane I had just gotten off. Just walked away and didn’t even think about it.
Now, as I plan for my return, I realize that I have arranged to return my rental car to the wrong airport. Making arrangements to change the drop-off mid-rental is just the occasion for the rental car company to charge me an extra $100. This seems a small price to pay to avoid trying to get from one airport to another by 5am tomorrow.
*I am mystified that my friend and host not only has no wifi in her home; she does not even own a computer. Thus, she doesn’t have any reason to know which coffee shops have wifi. Although I am only a few dozen miles from silicon valley, and in the middle of a small city, I have hiked deep into the technological woods.
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I have *on two different occasions* been called over airport intercoms to retrieve a paperback book with my boarding pass inside, which I had left on top of a urinal I used in the airport bathroom.
Also, *on two different occasions* in the last year, I lost coats by leaving them in the overhead bin of the first leg of a connecting flight and not realizing it until I was on the second.
I’ve left an iPod shuffle on a transpacific flight. And when my brother got married in Canada, and I was Best Man, I booked a flight to the wrong airport. Who knew that a single letter difference in the airport code could be so important?
You both are too kind. I’m at the right airport on the way home now, pre-printed boarding pass in hand and rental car dropped off, but I’m still worried that I’m just moments from finding out that the flight I booked was for yesterday or some such thing.
And I had no idea that urinals have tops upon which one can place a paperback book.
Well, urinals differ, but when it is possible to lose something on top of a urinal, I’ve done it. Twice. Probably more, but only twice in airports.
Jeremy, couldn’t there be other times, but no one alerted you so you don’t even know what you left there?
I have two related airport stories, fortunately both turned out fine.
First, when I was in grad school, I was off to Stockholm (from NJ) to a conference. I went to Newark only to be told that my flight was out of JFK. Ouch. Luckily, I tend to leave plenty of time when going to airports so there was enough time to make it over to JFK (this was, in no small part, also thanks to the skillful cab driver).
Second, once when visiting Budapest, I got the date of my return flight wrong. Fortunately, I thought it was a day earlier than what I had booked. So I went back home with my Dad. It was a nice little surprise for my Mom. This also helped me realize when would be a better time to arrive at the airport the next day to avoid the crazy lines.
do you have any other questions about urinals, tina? just in case, here are a few fun facts:
it’s not good to wear open toed sandals when using a urinal, especially at rest stops or gas stations.
most urinals have some kind of odour absorption tablet in them. it’s fun to shoot at them. if you get three bullseyes during your visit, the siren above the urinal will go off.
bars will often put ice in urinals instead of the aforementioned tablets. when two guys are peeing side by side, they will race to see who can melt the most ice. a quarter will be dispensed to the winner. (this only works in the new style urinals that also act as change machines.)
let me know if you have any other questions.