![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Luggage Shenanigans
So I just got back from my first flight since 2019. The flight out to Sydney was fine, the flight back home... I think I was THIS close to literally banging my head against the wall in absolute paroxysms of frustration. When I thought it had pushed me to the limit that turned out to be only a fraction of what was to come.
I
My coworker Steph and I fortunately arrived in ample time before our flight that was scheduled for 9:10pm last night -- we were over three hours before the flight and had to wait about 45 minutes to check in at 6:10 -- we wanted to get through the gate as soon as we could so we could just relax by the gate. This stage was all normal and uneventful, twenty minutes winding through a check in line, I checked one big (18kg) luggage bag, had just the conference satchel for carry on and was wearing all my jackets and scarf.
Then as we get through security we find there's a problem -- I had forgotten among the swag in the conference bag was a "hive tool" -- a five inch stainless steel tool with kind of a chisel edge on one side. Not really a practical weapon but of course they wouldn't allow it. I mentally weighed my certain knowledge that such a tool is only worth $10 with the fact that its nicely engraved with the name and date of the conference, decided I would really prefer not to just discard it.
Security said I could probably check it, even though my main bag was already checked, I could check it separately. And they assured me I wouldn't have to wait in the long check in line again I could go to the service desk by the check in desks.
Leaving most of my stuff on the far side of security I took the hive tool to the appointed desk. They said they could and confirmed I wouldn't even be charged the $45 additional luggage fee "this time," but that they can't just check this small object. We agreed I'd check it in my carry on bag so I went bag to security and got it, brought it back, took my kindle reader and external phone battery out, put the hive tool in and checked it, got checked luggage tag.
Went back through security, caught up with Steph, we proceeded to our gate. Found it easily and there was even an airport bar right next to it, so we went there. I had just picked up the drinks list, declaring "I need a drink after that" when Steph's phone rang. It was baggage services, a bottle had broken in my luggage and I needed to go out to the baggage claim to deal with it.
II
So I had to of course leave the secure section of the airport and go to the baggage services window in the baggage claim. There a gruff baggage services supervisor brought be my bag. He informed me preemptorily that of course they had no liability for this and my bag had damaged others, handed me a plastic bag which he informed me to wrap my bag in and re-check it.
I had bought two bottles of mead and six bottles of imperial stout made with manuka honey from a famous mead maker at the convention. In fact he (Bourke) has won (multiple times?) the mead competition at the world beekeeping congress. His mead is good, though the beer hadn't been so great and I'd immediately regretted buying it (I hadn't had a chance to taste it until after I had bought it, but normally I love imperial stouts. He should stick to mead though). Upon opening my luggage I determined that one of these beers had shattered. I threw out the remains of that bottle, thought about just throwing out all the other bottles, or at least the beer, but ultimately decided to risk it and just repack it all carefully. I was very nervous though because my laptop was in the bag (I used to never put my laptop in checked luggage but I guess I'm getting complacent) as well as my only suit. In retrospect I suppose I really should have discarded the beer seeing as I didn't even like it, but as I've mentioned before, when things are going sideways and I'm having to make snap decisions under stress in general I usually default to choosing to preserve all original goals if concievably possible (and this was also probably part of the reason why I chose not to discard the hive tool
Went back to the same service desk. They didn't confirmably recognize me, they probably see so many customers they just thought they were having deja vu. Was able to put the luggage in the plastic bag and check it. Then went back through the same security for a third time. Finally got back to the bar where Stephy was where I had left her, picked up the same drink menu I had been holding and declared
"Okay now I REALLY need a drink!"
...Turns out the bar was closed. Not only were they not selling alcohol but we had to leave.
So we found another bar that was closing in ten min (at 8pm? Why do the Sydney airport bars all close at 8pm on a Saturday night??), but I was able to get a guinness. Most of the subsequent waiting around was more or less uneventful, though Jetstar flights were getting delayed or cancelled left and right. We were a bit worried our flight would be cancelled and we'd have to find a hostel on no notice or something. Steph was deliriously tired due to events the night before I might cover in another entry, though I was well rested because I'm an old man who no longer has late night adventures. On the plus side the sportsing team Steph likes best "Melbourne Storm" was actually on our flight, like one of their players was sitting beside me. Steph happened to be wearing her Melbourne Storm hat. She was, as she says in Gen Z slang "frothing it" about being on the flight with the team.
III
Arrived at the relatively small Avalon airport outside of Geelong I was very anxious to see my bag and find out if anything else broke. It came unmistakenyl wrapped in its plastic pretty early on on the carousel, Ii gave it a pat down and the bottles didn't feel broken, it didn't seem sopping with mead or reeking. So I hauled it off, Steph already had her luggage so we went out. Her friend Georgia was there to pick us up. Got in her car and started to leave when I suddenly remembered I had the second piece of luggage! I had been so distracted thinking about my main luggage I hadn't thought of it, and also because I hadn't intended to check it it was kind of out of mind.
Unfortunately we had to do kind of a big loop to get back to the airport, but the time we got in there the baggage claim was deserted, the carousel was empty and unmoving. I ran around and found an airport employee and she actually got on her phone and started running around before determining that all the Jetstar staff had already left. It was now around midnight (original plan was for Trent to pick me up at Steph's at 11).
Ah well, there's nothing really valuable in there I said to myself. Still determined to get it back but it could wait till tomorrow.
IV
Trent picked me up and we proceeded across town to where I'd left my car at work. It wasn't until we were parked next to my waiting car and I stepped out of the Trentmobile into the dark night that I suddenly realized: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo --- MY CAR KEYS WERE IN THE MISSING LUGGAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live an hour out of town, no public transit goes there at night. My car was unlocked and always has a tent and sleeping bag in it (always be prepared!). The boss has a guestroom I regularly sleep in if we're about to go somewhere early in the morning or arrive late at night, but without forewarning him I didn't really want to creep into his house at 12:45am. Trent brainstormed friends of ours I could probably crash with, but at this point I just wanted to go home. I think it was a combination of, obviously it's nice and comforting to be home, but also, I think mainly, going back to being determined to accomplish my goals, I had set out to go home -- even if someone else had a very comfortable guest room I could stay in I'd feel even more frustrated that I hadn't even succeeded in getting home. Fortunately Trent was a rockstar and was willing to drive me home.
At 1:46am I finally arrived home. Ten minutes later as I was unpacking things and evaluating the damage (not too bad but the dress shirt I had packed may be stained), Trent called to tell me I'd left my hat in his car. This was like the straw that broke the camels back, an extremely minor thing considering I can definitely get it back from him, but I was just speechless for a minute or two, I just... was so far beyond frustrated. If that hat, my favorite hat btw, had been actually lost left on an airplane or something I think in that moment I might have violently banged my head against the wall hard enough to injure myself I was that frustrated.
Epilogue
Spent half an hour on hold with the airline today before finally getting ahold of person who took down the details to make a "case." They don't have a computer which logs any unclaimed luggage? I mean it clearly has a bar code and tracking number on it. Or pick up the phone and call Avalon to see if anything is there??
In about half an hour I'm going to take the train into Geelong town, bus down to work where I will start my car with my spare key and then head to the airport to make inquiries there.
Other than it being a hassle to replace the keys that were on the key chain, there's nothing terribly valuable with that luggage, but I'm determined to get it back, because ... that's how I am.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ (https://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse?faqid=303).
no subject
no subject
Uhhh...wow...what a mess. We've had missing luggage many a time but have always gotten it back in a day or two.
Good luck!
no subject
no subject
no subject
- Erulisse (one L)
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject