Delta Airlines Can Eat My Fuck Part One

What was supposed to be my first writing assignment for firststoke.com and also my first road-trip with Rockstar Bearings, I was anxious to get my journey underway.

For the past 20 or so years of travel, it seems I have flown Continental Airlines exclusively.  In that time, I have rarely been late, missed a connection or never had a bad meal, even for airline standards.

Twice this year I had assignments in Los Angeles and twice the powers that be have booked me on Delta Airlines.  This last one took the prize for most annoying inconveniences.

My puddle jumper flight to Ohio proved to be only the beginning a nightmare it seemed I would never wake up from.  There were mechanical issues with the plane that was to take us to Santa Ana, California. After waiting for 30 minutes the voice over the PA had the nerve to tell us that "There is an issue with the landing gear and because it is a weekday, they should have no problem getting a mechanic down to the plane?"  

No problem finding a mechanic??  You mean if this was a weekend we'd have to actually wait up to 24 hours for a service man to show up?!.  Would the weekend rate be applied to our tickets? 

Please!!!  Spare us.

After another 30 minutes the voice announces, "Thank you for your patience.  The mechanic has arrived but is unfamiliar with this aircraft.  We are waiting for a fax from the home office with a diagram of the plane."  

HELLO!!!!  Are you fucking kidding me?

Next was "Ladies and gentleman, when I said the mechanic was unfamiliar with this aircraft, I didn't mean to say he didn't know what he was doing but rather that he would take more care because of his unfamiliarity with this particular plane."

Check please!!!! And can you please put these four peanuts in a to-go container...thanks!!!!

So 17 of us are taken off of the plane and shuttled to Atlanta, where just to add spice to this chili, the pilot arrives at the wrong gate.  So after we taxi around to the correct gate and take the 10 minute air-train ride to the next terminal, we find that our connecting flight has taken off.

No one had informed the gate agent that there were 17 people racing to catch this plane which, of course, was the last one that was leaving for California that morning.  Next flight 4pm.  It is 8:30 am and we are stuck in Atlanta Airport all day.

Welcome to Fridays, welcome to Chili's, welcome to the Budweiser bar is all I wanted to hear for the next 8 hours.

Check back tomorrow for Part Two.