thompsound blog: delays...

...Suck.

My travel within canada has been intresting to say the least.

Todays issues pretty much trump all previous inconveniences...

- Shuttle Sun Peaks to Kamloops airport 0700 – 0745 = fantastic

- check-in at airport = pretty good, just managed to beat the chinese speed skating team to the counter...

- ensure that my luggage is going to stop in Vancouver so I can store my skis with friends, and carry less back to australia.

- Coffee

- Security screening = had to drink the water out of my backpack to prove it wasn't dangerous, but other than that it's pretty much what it is

- no delay posted on the flight = yay!

- A delay is posted... plane has a mechanical issue = boo!

- flight is delayed until they can FLY in a mechanic

- others (including the chinese olympic speed-skating team) decide to purchase a ticket to vancouver with another carrier, when they find out that it will take 2 + hrs to get the mechanics here.

- Once the mechanics arrive, they announce that the problem appears to be repairable...

- ...only it will take another 6 hrs.

- take the option to be placed on stand-by for a 1230 flight.

- I get bored and decide to write this

Anyone want to pick me up at the airport?... IN KAMLOOPS!

My car rental in vancouver is currently sitting unused, I'm still hopeful that I'll make it into town with enough time to get all the things done that I need to do...

...if everything goes pear shaped, it's a 5 hr drive into the city; so if I'm not in the air by 1700 – f*ck it, I'll rent another car and DRIVE to the vancouver international airport...

progress report...

so I didn't make the stand-by 1230 flight.

Having waited for a considerable amount of time, I decided to leave the secure area and get some lunch

about halfway through my 2nd bite of a beef burito, an announcement was made for all passengers to make their way through security to prepare for boarding...

...wolf down the food, scramble out to the security area... and discover a line-up of well over 50 people.

For some reason, the security staff who were so efficient during the morning, managed to completely screw it up, and once again required a pat down on every 2nd passenger.

after waiting 20 mins, I moved un-molested to the holding area, where they were now actually ready to board.

Air Canada had sent out another plane to pick up our cancelled flight.

There were supposed to be 28 of us, but only 12 made it onto our plane (the others caught another flight – or died of boredom in the waiting area.)

since we had so few passengers, the captain asked the attendant to shift a few of us towards the back of the plane, so we'd improve its balance and actually be able to cheat gravity and take off.

Take off – 1415

arrival Vancouver – 1500

my rental car booking had obviously been released (they only keep it for 2 hrs past pick-up time), but they still had me in their system – and boy did they ever have a car for me.

I guess because I was only renting it for 6 hrs, they decided to give me a luxury model for the regular cost, because I was now travelling in style...

Chrome wheels, door mirrors, and decals.

Jet black bodywork.

Leather interior

bluetooth-phone connection.

Of course the engine sucked, it chewed through the fuel (even in a few hours of easy driving) and it couldn't turn or stop to save it's life...

...but it was comfortable

After dropping my skis with the lovely Northgraves (who run a homestay that I used whilst in Vancouver), I headed around town again, just getting used to the experience of driving on the wrong side.

I also managed to take a few more shots

here's a taste.