Leiya was scheduled to leave LAX at 10:25 last night. She packed up her bags, said her good-byes to everyone. Marcy and Kiana and I sadly loaded her into the car and took off for LAX at 8:00. The drive to LAX takes 45 minutes. It USUALLY takes 45 minutes!
Speedy sailing all the way to the final off ramp for LAX when the traffic STOPPED! Deja vu as some 15 years ago when taking Tetsu to the airport an overturned truck blocked the whole off ramp. What a nightmare with people walking down the middle of the highway carrying luggage and pillows and stuffed animals all in a mad rush to catch planes.
Last night was in some ways worse. There was no way to get out and walk this time but it wasn't possible to get off the highway and take a different route. The normally last 5 minutes of the drive to the airport took over an hour and a half! And.... guess what.... Leiya missed her flight.
Marcy and I were fuming and ranting and couldn't believe all the cars trying to merge from different ramps. Leiya made the effort when we finally got to the drop off place 20 minutes ahead of take off, but of course getting though TSA (Transportation Security Administration) was a long process too and she missed the flight by 5 minutes. By that time we had already gotten out of the airport (we HAD to, there was no way to turn in to any parking) and we waited it out at a coffee shop until Leiya got things sorted out about whether there was another flight or if she was going to need to find some place to stay again.
30 minutes later Leiya had given up on getting a flight out and so Marcy and Kiana and I turned around and went back to the airport... THIS TIME BREEZING THROUGH THE AIRPORT and picking Leiya up within minutes of her call. Go figure!!!
"What on earth was going on tonight? I have NEVER seen the airport that crowded."
So Leiya has been stressed out trying to get another flight out. She's also had to contact her boss (at 4:00 am California time) and apologize and talk with her co-workers to get her work load sorted out between them and try to meet work deadlines by cell phone.
"I know it's not the airline's fault (they weren't very nice to her about not having more foresight.) but it's not your fault either. We tried to get you to the airport nearly 2 hours ahead of time. It wasn't a freeway accident but it WAS unavoidable. Let's just make the best of it."
The good news (for me) is that Leiya will be around now until Sunday morning (no sense hurrying home tonight when she's already missed her Frantic Friday at work).
OBAMAJAM WARNING: PRESIDENT IS BACK IN L.A. FOR FUNDRAISERS
So THAT'S why LAX was jammed last night. When the President is in town the streets are congested. Too bad I hadn't read the news the day before.
"Hi Grandma. I'm back!"
"Where did you go?"
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