I almost got arrested in New York City. That's a thing that happened.
When you take the bus from New York City airports, you're apparently supposed to pay before you get on the bus, not as you get on the bus. This is not clearly indicated anywhere and when I asked the nice lady at the Port Authority for help, she told me you pay as you board. Cool. I've got a MetroCard, no big deal. Awesome.
I got on the bus. I looked for a place to swipe my MetroCard but the driver told me not to and to go to the back. I took this to mean that the swipe was at the back door.
I was wrong.
I sat down and thought maybe I paid when I got off?
About half way through the journey, NYPD Transit Cops board the bus and ask to see everyone's proof of payment. Great! I'll show them my MetroCard - this is like the C-Train back home, I get it!
Nope.
I showed them my MetroCard and they asked for the receipt as proof of payment. I explained that I had tried to pay three times and was turned away each time and I'm sorry, could I pay them now? I'm from Canada and I'm normally really good on transit and I'm sorry, I don't know how this works. The nice cop half rolled his eyes at me and asked for proof. As I was searching my purse for my passport (explaining each step so he didn't think I was searching for a weapon, even offering for him to look himself if he would like and once again apologising), he smiled and said, "I know you're Canadian, you've apologised four times in about thirty seconds."
Glad to know our reputation precedes us.
I show him my passport and once again offer to pay. He handed me an official warning and said that next time, there will me a machine at the bus terminal that I swipe my card at and keep the receipt. I thanked him profusely and carried on.
I spent the day geocaching in Manhattan. I found a couple but missed one by about half an hour. There were a few others looking for it at Bryant Park and by the time we banded together we realized that the last two logs were a found and a Did Not Find an hour apart - it had been muggled.
James met some Rockettes.
I went back to La Guardia airport because it was getting late.
In my infinite wisdom I had decided that I could just sleep in the airport, no big deal.
What a fucking hole.
I wasn't the only one with this idea and we were all idiots. I was at least smart in that I had my scarf.
We were kept on the land side of baggage claim, barricaded away from the actual carousels by metal fences. They weren't even turned on - it's not like we could have done anything with them like go for a ride!
I found a TV and I wish I hadn't.
This was 13 November, the day of the attacks in Paris.
A few of us were sitting around and watching in shock.
Then the alarms went off in the airport. National Guardsmen formed up from out of nowhere and ran to barricade exits and keep large groups of people in areas together while other National Guardsman ran around and did things. This was very uneasy but I knew that the situation was under control. The alarms were called off about half an hour later and the Guardsmen dispersed like they were never there.
A couple of hours later, they went off again.
And again, two hours after that.
I appreciate the quick and careful response of the US National Guard and the Port Authority. Each time turned out to be nothing but the waiting was tense, especially given what was happening in Paris at the exact same time.
I managed to get a nap. I defied the odds and got a couple of hours of sleep.
I was finally able to enter La Guardia airside and really, I don't know what is wrong with people.
Since the dawn of commercial air travel as we know it, you have needed photo ID to get on an airplane. Period. This is especially true of international travel.
If you fly WestJet, they are kind enough to remind you many, many times with plenty of time to find it and have it ready. In fact, it shouldn't be that far away because you have to show it and your ticket in order to get past security.
Apparently in the 200 metres and half an hour wait since security, one woman forgot this. She didn't think her kids would need photo ID - namely, passports - for an international flight. Yes, USA to Canada is international. Her kids didn't have passports. They were 9, 11 and 15. She didn't think they needed them because they were under 18. WestJet, I'd like to point out, has repeatedly announced that all passengers need a passport to board the international flight. WestJet has said more than once that if you don't have a passport, you can't board. Everyone - everyone - needs a passport, even children under 18.
They apparently got passed security with state ID. They had no passports to board the flight. Well, the mother did because she knew she needed it. WestJet rightfully denied them boarding. This was an outrage because how was the mother supposed to know they needed passports!? They were only going to Canada! She demanded a refund and proceeded to have a fit. No refund for human stupidity.
I made it to Toronto and onward to home.
There, a birthday trip in its entirety! YAY!
Next: Not a birthday trip!
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