Flying the Friendly Skies

My family and friends know that I hate to fly.

Wait..."hate" doesn't even cover it. I'd rather drive cross-country in an un-airconditioned station wagon with no radio and no shock absorbers with seven squalling children and two cats....than fly.

My goal today was to take a leisurely 4-hour flight down to Ft. Myers, Florida, from Kansas City.

What actually happened?

I get on the plane in Kansas City, and we push back from the gate. And we then stop. For fifteen minutes. We then push BACK to the gate, and are told that the plan has "mechanical issues" and a mechanic (or two) will be "hopefully" fixing it. Soon.

An hour and some minutes later, the plane is "fly-worthy" and we fly onto St. Louis, where I was originally supposed to catch a connecting flight on to Ft. Myers.

Well, thanks to our mechanical issues, THAT flight is long gone...

The attendants tell me that I have a new plan: I am to stay on the St. Louis plane as it goes on to Orlando, and I will then catch a flight in Orlando down to Ft. Myers. Aggravating, but doable.

So, we get everyone boarded on the flight to St. Louis, and the plane pushes back from the gate....and we then stop. Deja vu. Are you freakin' kidding me?

Sure enough....more "mechanical" issues. More mechanics. More delays.

An hour or so later, we finally take off. We arrive in Orlando, and my 7:15 pm connecting flight is now delayed until at LEAST 8:15 p.m.

ARGH!!!!!

I am now in Ft Myers at 10:00 p.m. Considering I was supposed to arrive here today at 5:30 p.m., I'm only 4 1/2 hours late.

THAT is why I hate to fly.

(But...my luggage arrived with me, so I shouldn't complain TOO much. And by golly, I got THREE packs of peanuts today - so all was not lost.)

Peace.