Delay of Game

The plans, they are a-changing.

I've frequently noted the need for some degree of patience when confronted by a technical challenge. They happen, and there's very little an impatient or unhappy patron can do the speed things along. 

It's a little like the pressing of an elevator button multiple times in the expectation that it will speed the arrival of the car to your floor. It doesn't happen. The elevator will arrive at the time and direction of its programming, nothing more, but it makes people feel better.

As I write this I am in my 11th hour of transit since leaving the cruise ship MS Veendam in Tampa Bay, Florida. We had just completed a spectacular fourteen day excursion through the Panama Canal and to several other exotic and exciting locations. It was a tremendous trip in many ways. But something can always go wrong, and if Mister Murphy and his Law have anything to say about it, it will.

The flight from Tampa to Miami was uneventful. The flight from Miami to LAX, unfortunately, not so much. An accident involving the ground crew has cost us time, now approaching 3 1/2 hours beyond the original departure time of 5pm. By 7pm we were finally allowed onto the aircraft, though this was marred by the absurd behavior of the passengers as they crowded around the gate during load-in, creating a delay in their own frenzy to get to the front of the line. (The hapless gate agent tried repeatedly to get people to sit until their group was called, to absolutely no avail. Those of us lucky enough to be Priority Access nearly had to hack our way through the human jungle using machetes and baseball bats. Not really, but it was tempting.)

That was an hour ago. Now, a couple of hundred passengers and flight crew sit silently awaiting the go-ahead from the powers that be before we're allowed to push back and head our Merry way. I'm not sure that's going to happen. If they haven't certified the aircraft as airworthy, it means there's a question. And, if there's a question I'd rather err on the side of caution. I'm certain the pilot shares my point of view.

So we sit here. I'm not sure what the reactions will be if we're told to vacate the aircraft, but this could be ugly. And if the decision is made to go for flight, my nerves won't be satisfied until we land.

The Captain has come on and said we're a go for LAX.

Sounds like a good time for a martini.