In the Airport

Hello,

As we were getting off the plane, we learned that a younger guy, perhaps in his 20’s or 30’s also wanted to make the connection to Cedar Rapids. Inching our way down the aisle behind him, he told us that he would check with the gate agent about the status and catch up with us to let us know what was what. Did he think because he was younger, he would be faster?

We almost immediately found the departure board, learning our gate number; as anticipated it was about as far away as one could be. I saw a person who looked as if they worked here so I inquired about the fastest way to get to our far gate. “Go on the tram and get off at the first stop and walk straight ahead then turn right.” They helpfully said. The tram was overhead and we got on, before we left that other CR person got on. He asked our last name so he could tell the gate agent that we were coming. As the tram doors opened he took off with Leroy right behind him and I brought up the rear.

I have to admit that I was not as fast as those guys, but when I took the moving walkways I came close. “Excuse me, excuse me” became my favorite words for much of this journey. We were moving so fast that I was starting to feel breathless, but I could still talk. Leroy would turn to see if I were there. “Just keep going,” I told him.

We stormed up to the gate only to see that the door was closed. I sank into a seat wondering why I thought I needed changes of clothes or pajamas or other such nonsense. One of the hardest things is trying to move fast with a suitcase hanging off the end of your arms. Wheels help, but they are not the total answer.

The kid ahead of us got a printout for another flight that he could get on. We got the same slip, or I assume it was the same, however it must be noted that he was ahead of us. It talked about a flight at 12:30 or one at 8:10. We were all optimistic about getting on the 12:30 flight. How many people could want to go to Cedar Rapids, IA?

Paula