Since 2000, my commute has been primarily been by commercial airline.
Yesterday I commuted home from San Francisco. Here's what happened.
12:30 AM San Francisco Hilton, Kearny Street:
Back at the hotel after fourteen hours of work. I pack.
1:00
I call the hotel operator for two wake up calls. The first at 3:30 and the second at 3:45. He said, "No problem."
I try to set the hotel alarm clock for redundancy. I can't figure it out. I'm usually pretty good with buttons.
3:30
First wake up call. So far, so good.
4:10
I roll out of bed disoriented. What the !@#$!!
4:12
I've splashed water on my face and I call the valet to pull the rental car around so it will be ready when I get down. My flight departs at 6:15. SFO has a hard check-in cut off 45 minutes before scheduled departure.
4:15
I get the second wake up call as I'm closing the door to leave my room. I've chosen to make my flight rather than take a shower. I'm sad that I have to choose.
4:25
The valet guy is standing outside. I hand him my ticket. He stares blankly at me. I ask him to please bring my car around.
4:33
He comes back with my rental car.
4:45
It is clear that Map Quest doesn't really know how to find Fox Rent-A-Car. I'm lost, following my instincts.
4:50
Found it! But it is locked and dark. Rudy from EV Rental cars assured me earlier in the week that Fox Rent-A-Car would make a special effort to be open at 5:00 AM for the Fox Sports employees traveling home from the MLB All-Star Game and that the shuttle would us directly to the airport. He even gave me his card and encouraged me to call if I needed help.
I told him 5:00 was quite early. He said, "No problem. I'll be up."
5:00
Still dark. Colleagues, queued out into the street, have joined me. I call Rudy. He doesn't answer.
5:02
Employee sighting!
5:15
Waiting in the shuttle bus. I ask the driver if he will take me to terminal 3. "We aren't allowed to take you to the airport, I have to take you to the regular rental car facility, and then you take a train."
I tell him that I understand and don't want to hold him up. I bite the inside of my mouth.
5:22
In the train.
5:26
Running up the stairs with my luggage.
5:29
At the Kiosk to check in electronically. I beat the cut off by one minute. Lucky.
5:35
Still waiting for the United employees to notice my bag tag for checked luggage. Three of them are in a conversation. One is ignoring me because I'm not in his area.
I don't like to be perceived as a discourteous passenger, however, if you speak before spoken to, most airport employees label you as discourteous. The man sees his colleagues are not going to take care of me, sighs, and comes over. One can only guess at the social reasons for all of that, but all I care about now is the security line.
My next cut off is 6:00. If I'm not on the plane by then, they don't have to let me on.
5:45
I'm through the part of the security line that snakes back and away from the Disney style cordoned switchbacks.
5:55
I've got my shoes back on my feet, my computer back in its case, my hard drives have been tested for explosives, and I'm in a light jog to my gate. Everyone on the security staff was brisk and professional, but there were not enough of them to handle the volume in a reasonable way.
6:05
Seated. 17D.
So to summarize, I was disappointed by:
1. The hotel operator (botched the second wake up call.)
2. The design of the clock radio (difficult to use.)
3. The hotel valet (didn't get my car until I came down, fifteen minutes after I called.)
4. Map Quest (I know they can't visit everywhere, but I'm starting to expect them to screw up.)
5. Rudy at EV Rental Car (lied to me.)
6. The shuttle bus driver at Fox Rent-A-Car (to be fair, he was "just doing his job.")
7. The United employees at the check-in (unfazed by my situation, self-involved.)
8. The under staffed security services.
Try to think of the last time your expectations were exceeded by someone or something you pay for. How long has it been?
It is hard work to be excellent.
Next post: why flying economy, on a good day, is mostly awful.
