Baggage update
When we heard our name being called on the loudspeaker over the din of the baggage carousel at Dulles international airport we knew right away what was up. I mean, what else could it be? “Mr. McGeehin, you and your family look tired from your long journey and we thought you might like to sit down while you wait for your luggage, so we brought out these comfy chairs…would you like a cup of tea and some cookies?” No, they were calling us to the Air France customer service desk to tell us that our luggage did not make the flight. At least, that was the optimistic best guess. The worst case scenario in the back of our minds was that our luggage had been run over and destroyed by a Boeing 777 that just didn’t see it lying down there on the tarmac. I am not exaggerating here.
At Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport you still board an airplane the old-fashioned way by walking out on the tarmac in the open air and climbing a steep stairway to get inside. Cramped buses ferry passengers out to within a short distance of the airplane. As we rode out on our bus yesterday morning, I quickly noticed something disturbing. There was a piece of luggage lying out on the hard surface of the tarmac. I noticed the same thing on the way into Rome at the beginning of our holiday. A single bag on the tarmac. I remember thinking then that this was a bit strange, but dismissed the sighting as a fluke. Now here I was at the same airport two weeks later and there was another bag on the tarmac. As we drove along, I noticed yet another bag and then another. There were actually eight or ten bags strewn about within eyesight. There was luggage everywhere! Our bus driver actually veered around several pieces like traffic cones on an obstacle course. Off in the distance, the driver of a luggage cart stopped and got out to pick up a couple of bags that he had dropped – the ones that he noticed. Those of us on the bus watched in disbelief. A few people laughed and pointed, but I’m sure that everyone at some point wondered if their bag was one of the pieces out there on the tarmac.
The baggage claim people at Dulles airport called a little while ago to tell me that our bags had finally arrived and that they would be bringing them by our house in a few hours. I told the woman that we were pretty tired and would probably be in bed. She said the driver would leave the luggage, if we had a safe place for him to stow it. I taped a note on the door for the driver to leave the luggage on our front porch. I can’t wait to see what the bags look like when they arrive. I have no idea what to expect. I’m envious in a way. My luggage had more of an adventure on this holiday than I did.
9:55:55 PM 
|
|
