Last week I had a tzNIC (no website although it controls all dot TZ names) board meeting in Dar on Tuesday afternoon. I had to stay overnight so I missed the Wednesday club ride. Bummer. But I did get to hold up a scheduled airline.
Getting the ticket this time was a bit of a mess, culminating on finding out 75 minutes before take off that the flight was from KIA airport, 50km away and not Arusha airport 10km away.
I had missed the bus shuttle.
Take off was 11am.
Last check in is 10:30.
It is 50 minutes normal drive.
I gave up but Esther in Customer support says, "You can make it". So I jumped in a taxi at the office 55 minutes before take off.
While in the taxi to the airport the operations manager of Precision Air calls me and asks where I am and when I will get there. (Esther had got on the phone to Precision Air. ) I say hopefully 1045. (For 11am take off). "hurry". I walk briskly to the check in and realize they are all waiting. The ops manager calls me again while I am checking in.
Everyone says hurry. When I walk out of the building the women on the apron says "can you run", so I run to the plane. As soon as I am in the door slams shut and the engines start roaring and we are away.
Jeez, am I a big shot or something. I held up the damn plane for a few minutes. And this is the guy who rides a bicycle to work and walks the stairs instead of the elevator. Hmmm they must of had the wrong guy in mind.
Dar is about 650 km by road. While flying I kept mulling over trying to ride my bike there in 1 1/2 days, rest 1 day and do the meeting. (Now I can keep this post in this blog).
LATER: I was telling Bernice about this and she told me of about 4 times she has held up the plane. Her brother is an air traffic controller and held an International flight once so she could catch it. I guess I am insignificant as I thought.
Hi Erik, Just read your 2 Dec blogs. I'd say you are 'someone' and that TZ airlines makes the customer be important.
ReplyDeleteThe other blog had wonderful photos. Makes me want to be there in person...maybe see it from a car and not bike though. :-)
I reread some of Nov blogs and clicked on the photo of the church with stone masonery. ( I didn't know I could do that.) I'd think that chipping the rocks to be squared off would be harder than making bricks.
When I turned on the computer 30 min ago, I noticed a little frost outside. It is 930 AM. Then it started to snow and now the road is white. Its time to sing, Let it Snow, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, Silver Bells....etc.
Love Byrna