Calamity #1 of many to come.
I brilliantly left my phone in the courtesy car.
One of the perks of flying Business Class on Emirates (among many) is the courtesy car service they offer. A Towncar picks you up at your home and a time you select and drives you to the airport. This service is available for all flights so another drive will take me from Bangalore International Airport to my hotel, pick me up from my hotel and bring me back to the airport, and finally pick me up at the airport and take me back home in March.
Thankfully, these gentlemen are amazingly prompt, courteous, and honestly because when you are an idiot like me who leaves my phone in the backseat, it would have been very easy to drive off and never think about it again.
The gentleman I had today, Jack, was great. He was from Delhi so we spent the hour on the way to the airport chatting about India. He confirmed all of my fears: Drivers are terrible, I WILL get sick, it's hot, etc. He's also been a driver for 11 of the 16 years he's been in the US. He has his own company that he runs with his brother and brother-in-law and has a fleet of Towncars as well as a stretch limo. He told me he was picking up a passenger at SFO after dropping me off who was hilariously coming back from Bangalore and taking him back to Los Altos (Sergey Brinn maybe?) Thankfully (#2) Jack makes it a point to check his car after each drop off just in case he gets someone like me in his car. I had realized I left my phone when going through security so got 4 quarters from the bar, and called him from the nearest pay phone. Not only did he check his car, but he ran back into the terminal after me. Leaving his car at the curb to be potentially ticketed. I had already gone through security so he gave my phone to the lovely Emirates ticket agent who brought it to me in the Emirates Lounge.
Let's count up the "Thankfullys" shall we?
- I had an honest driver
- He gave me his business card in the car that had his phone number on it
- He checked his car
- He was picking up a passenger from SFO so was still at the airport after dropping me off.
- They still have fricking pay phones.
- John at the Emirates counter said he'd bring my phone to me in the lounge.
So I am back as 1 with my cell phone.
Let's count up the idiots shall we?
- Me
I should have known considering I lost my water bottle before ever making it to Turkey in 2011 and lost my beenie AND travel pillow somewhere in Cape Town in 2012. I have a replacement travel pillow with me now so let's see how long it makes it.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I better check again for my passport, boarding pass, and wallet...
I brilliantly left my phone in the courtesy car.
One of the perks of flying Business Class on Emirates (among many) is the courtesy car service they offer. A Towncar picks you up at your home and a time you select and drives you to the airport. This service is available for all flights so another drive will take me from Bangalore International Airport to my hotel, pick me up from my hotel and bring me back to the airport, and finally pick me up at the airport and take me back home in March.
Thankfully, these gentlemen are amazingly prompt, courteous, and honestly because when you are an idiot like me who leaves my phone in the backseat, it would have been very easy to drive off and never think about it again.
The gentleman I had today, Jack, was great. He was from Delhi so we spent the hour on the way to the airport chatting about India. He confirmed all of my fears: Drivers are terrible, I WILL get sick, it's hot, etc. He's also been a driver for 11 of the 16 years he's been in the US. He has his own company that he runs with his brother and brother-in-law and has a fleet of Towncars as well as a stretch limo. He told me he was picking up a passenger at SFO after dropping me off who was hilariously coming back from Bangalore and taking him back to Los Altos (Sergey Brinn maybe?) Thankfully (#2) Jack makes it a point to check his car after each drop off just in case he gets someone like me in his car. I had realized I left my phone when going through security so got 4 quarters from the bar, and called him from the nearest pay phone. Not only did he check his car, but he ran back into the terminal after me. Leaving his car at the curb to be potentially ticketed. I had already gone through security so he gave my phone to the lovely Emirates ticket agent who brought it to me in the Emirates Lounge.
Let's count up the "Thankfullys" shall we?
- I had an honest driver
- He gave me his business card in the car that had his phone number on it
- He checked his car
- He was picking up a passenger from SFO so was still at the airport after dropping me off.
- They still have fricking pay phones.
- John at the Emirates counter said he'd bring my phone to me in the lounge.
So I am back as 1 with my cell phone.
Let's count up the idiots shall we?
- Me
I should have known considering I lost my water bottle before ever making it to Turkey in 2011 and lost my beenie AND travel pillow somewhere in Cape Town in 2012. I have a replacement travel pillow with me now so let's see how long it makes it.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I better check again for my passport, boarding pass, and wallet...
LOL at least you already had your "one" lost thing before you arrived in India!
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