Back Like Crack

As a friend of mine from a much younger generation would say…Back like crack. I and I deh bout and still living. The vacation was well deserved and well taken. All my plans did not materialize but those that did were good. I will break up my story into many parts so here is the first.

My Departure

My vacation started with a visit from a unwanted and uninvited guest…Hurricane Dean. I left Jamaica on August 22, two days after the passage of hurricane Dean. The airport had re-opened on 21 August and I had confirmed tickets for the 22nd. The announcement was that only confirmed passengers would be checked in. I arrived at the airport at 10:30 a.m. Well since I was confirmed I figured OK maybe a few more minutes and I’d be checked….WRONG!!!  There were 20 people ahead of me but we waited and waited till about 12:30 p.m. when the flight info was posted on paper at the top of the line. Well only 20 people ahead so not too bad or so we thought. 

At about 1:00 p.m. a representative from Air Jamaica came down the line and checked to make sure that we were all confirmed on the plane. Then came the tedious and heart stirring movement up the queue which was neither demaked nor controlled by security personnel…avirtual free for all. Upon reaching the counter at about 3:00 p.m. and waiting and being bypassed by the ticket agent on several occasions in the 110 degree heat my blood begins to boil as the ticket agent announces that the flight is full. Between myself and the 50 or so passengers now behind we demand to know “full with who” because certainly 180 persons (the airplane capacity) have not been in the line (and we’ve been watching). Then it dawns on us, the security and the ticketing agents are working a scam. The ticket agents have a pile of passports in front of them and money is passing hands for spaces on the plane. One loud query to the supervisor on duty and the resonating calls for how can the plane be full when the line has literally not moved ends that escapade. The managers on duty begin to scurry to prevent an all out riot in the airport. Sharp looks pass when the ticket agent realizes that I know several of the managers who have come to sort out the mayhem. The managers try to explain but to no avail and after assessing the situation as potential for trouble promises are made for another plane and all the apologies in history. My voice added to the noise and trust me on this one I was being as vocal as the next man. The question still remains…if all the passengers in the line have confirmed seats then how can the plane be full? I threatened the agent that if he even glanced at the pile of passports beside him and ignored me one more time there would be devil to pay.

I was checked in and ushered to the departure lounge, where I had to change my now soaked shirt, to await the calling of the flight. Really didn’t matter that I had not eaten or had not gone to the bathroom in more than 7 hours. The flight was called at about 6:00 p.m. and knowing the scheme of the ticket agent I made my way hurriedly to the plane. Sure enough about 5 minutes after I sat down another passenger arrived with the same seat number which had been assigned to me. I simply presented my boarding pass and advised her to go check with the Air Jamaica counter since mine was printed and hers was hand written. A passenger arrives with seat 16K but the plane only has seats A to F so how comes her boarding pass says K?

After sorting out the many double booked seats and passengers sitting in the “nearest available seat” we departed Kingston at about 6:45 p.m.  I arrived at JFK airport at about 11:00 p.m.  New York time some 12 1/2 hours after starting my journey. Check out was simple and I was fingerprinted and eye scanned and my stamp of entry given and outside to await my niece. I arrived in Brooklyn some time after 1:00 a.m. on Thursday August 23rd. A new day had started and my 3 1/2 hour journey had taken more than half a day and all the self dignity that one possesses. Not to mention the onset of ulcers and tension headaches that go with it.

What amazes me is that we the passengers pay the airlines to be treated this way. Oh well….

End of part one…..