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After my last blog, it was fairly smooth sailing regarding getting on the plane, getting my veggie food and having the plane leave. There were fewer passengers so I got an empty seat next to me and was able to scrunch up and get a few hours sleep. I must say that we bounced very badly for several hundred miles around Alaska and I was having to think stable thoughts to keep everything in place.
I think I was rather taken back at my arrival at JFK and really thought I was coming into a 3rd world country. We stood at the baggage claim #4 and then were told to go to #6 and there were told that they apologize but due to the snow, our bags were delayed. I wondered if they pulled them behind the plane. I paid the 3 dollars for a broken cart to help tote my four pieces of luggage... got through custom no problem. As the gypsies know, when you take the Air Train, you end up going outside to get into the terminal. I did not have my jacket or sweater on and found myself outside with hundreds of people waiting to check in. Everyone gave me advise.. no if you don't have a boarding pass or yes the line is for everyone.. no direction, no order. I opted to go in and use the self check in and then wait in the inside line for about 20 min. When I got off the plane, I thought I would have lots of time to get a donut and coffee (nope never got use to rice soup for breakfast).,..but when I left this line I went to a very long line to go upstairs to security. That moved at a snails pace and when I did get to security, they wanted to know what this solid chuck was in the carry on.. my wooden Buddha head form Cambodia...So I had to unpack and explain etc.. finally the woman with no personality or humor who was checking me in let me go... It was at that point that I entered a surreal experience. The gates were totally filled with people laying on the floor, babies crying, and people slumped over chairs. I thought the Rochester plane, leaving at 9:15 was at gate 10, but that said San Diego but was also folks who thought they should be there since they have been trying to get out for a day to go to Aruba. There were lines for the donut and short lines for coffee. I could not find Rochester on the flights to go list.. then I saw it .. then it was cancelled.. and then it was gone.. it was crazy. Some folks had been there since Tues. I got in the line the stretched almost half the length of the building.. this was customer service. I waited in that line for another 1/2 hr when a guy came along who looked like he knew what he was doing and so I asked.. what about Rochester. He said not to quote him, but there was a plane going to Rochester that would leave about 11 at gate 10...where I had started. There were so few chairs and so many people. There was only four toilet stalls and they were getting dirtier by the minute since stream was greater than the clean up person and baskets could hold.. Whoever you asked, told you something else. I met some great folks that helped me watch my stuff while I located some eggs and coffee. I could tell my blood sugar level was suffering along with my feet. We all read the newspaper headlines that Jet Blue had fallen apart the day before.. hard to believe since they were falling apart today. The employees all said it is never like this, management walked about looking stunned and passengers just wanted updates. First no plane, then runway iced, then plane needed to deice, then no crew.. etc. I got home at 4:30.....longest day of my life.. and my suitcase was tore.. and some things had dropped out.. oh well.. not is permanent.. but it will be hard to get on a Jet Blue plane in the near future.. thank for sharing my journey...b