Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Hello Reader- I’ve been away for too long and updating the blog via photo story- thanks for being patient. I’ve missed you! Great week off spent in North Carolina and Northern California. However, in one week, you would not believe the annoying travel experiences I have had. Or, maybe you would. I think that I am coming to the conclusion that traveling by air is preferable to traveling by car. Let me give you an example….

On Thursday, I FLEW back from North Carolina on an early afternoon flight, routed through Atlanta. Once I boarded my flight from Atlanta though, it was nearing 9pm. People were tired, cranky, and apparently the folks seated in front of me, 4 year old in tow, had enjoyed one too many beverages in the airport. The next 4 hours and 53 minutes were spent observing and experiencing and smelling the following:
-Small child squirming and shrieking for the bathroom during taxiing and take off
-Young mother attempting to console small child since he didn’t make it to the bathroom
-Small child attempting to console young mother who was air sick all over the seat
-Attempting to sleep between a very large soldier who snored, A LOT, and a teenage girl painting her nails
-Total Sleep: 42 uncomfortable minutes

Now, on Friday, I DROVE up to San Francisco; about a 6 hour drive from Los Angeles. Conveniently, the Bay Bridge was closed, a mere nonlethal inconvenience, causing me to navigate blindly through the city because my GPS was dead set on taking me across said bridge. Thankfully, being somewhat tech savvy the Blackberry saved me and via e-mail message, I was rerouted to the San Mateo bridge. Well, did you know that it costs $4 to cross the San Mateo bridge? As I approached the toll station, I madly collected as much coinage as I could. I pulled up to the booth and handed the man one paper dollar, six quarters and 15 dimes with the biggest smile on my face- apparently he understood my “oh my god I am so sorry and embarrassed that I am paying you with all this change” face and let me pass. Well, perhaps this is where my bad karma kicked in because I assumed that once I crossed the bridge I could use my GPS and not my Blackberry to get to my final destination. Wrong. The GPS routed me back over the San Mateo bridge, where I had to fork over ANOTHER $4. This would not happen though because I only had $2.45 in change left. Another desperate smile got me through the toll booth without paying anything and I rushed through town to locate an ATM so that I could get cash, cross the bridge for a third time, and once again pay $4. The City of San Francisco better spend my $12 wisely.

So, what was worse? Smelling urine and vomit for almost 5 hours or paying $12 to go over a bridge three times? Hmmm… perhaps it is time for train travel. I should have known this after reading everything published by Paul Theroux.