Why I am not in Amsterdam: US Airways, Flight 798 from Philadelphia to Amsterdam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSZy9sbAXsk


It's been a long few days. The night before my flight from San Francisco was incredible: I met a few people and we shared a bottle of wine right in SFO airport. We stretched out in sleeping bags and were never disturbed. The next night, however, was a disaster.

My flight from San Francisco stopped in Philadelphia around 4:30pm for the connecting flight 798 to Amsterdam. The flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30pm. The plane was boarded, but we didn't leave the airport until after 7pm. Everyone in "economy class"(or as I like to say 3rd class) was packed in pretty tight. Roughly 20-40 minutes into the flight the air started to get really tight-to the point where you would expect the plane to level off or something, but instead of leveling off the oxygen masks came down.

It was surreal. People were quietly putting on their masks. Soon people started to put on their life vests. I was the only one talking. I was trying to get some answers (plus a life jacket is not going to save you in a crash landing). Instead of reaching for my oxygen I reached for my camera and recorded what was going on. The people sitting behind couldn't get their masks because the compartment above them didn't open. If you watch the video you'll hear a voice behind me ask someone for help, then for a credit card, and lastly a key as they were trying to jimmy the oxygen mask compartment door open.

I have always been scared of airplanes. I used to say that I would never get on a plane without a parachute. I am also a survivalist, but there is no way for me to survive a plane crash. I have no control. No last minute decision is going to make any difference when you're 40,000 feet up in the air, or at least not my decision making. People like to tell me planes are safer than cars, but the truth is I'd much prefer dying in a car crash than on a plane. Planes may be "safer" statistically, but the terrifying element is off the charts. People tend to die pretty quickly in car crashes while in an airplane I imagine you could be alive to hit the ground or be electrocuted, neither of which sound very appealing to me.

The oxygen masks and life vests weren't the worst part of it. After it was made clear that the cabin had lost air pressure (maybe from a value not completely secured, speculated one of the on board flight attendants) the aircraft was too heavy to land so while we were in Boston by the time all of this happened we returned to Philly and then spent two hours in the air ascending and descending. The sky went dark. People silent because the noise in the plane was stifiling. The plane's wheels were down and the wing 'stoppers' were up so as to burn the fuel as fast as possible (not to mention burning off a finite resource), and that my friend, was the worst.  A woman sitting ahead of me knitted while the sky got darker and darker. I filmed her for a solid fifteen minutes. I will try to put this video up as well. I think, though, I would have gotten on another plane had we been able to land in Boston, but I couldn't take the thundering noise and the oxygen masks flapping in front of me. The whole scene reminded me of a hospital gone very, very wrong.

When we mercifully returned to the ground around 11pm US Airways was determined not to cancel the flight (or set up accommodations) and so they had another plane ready in 20 minutes. I was a little irate by this point. Anyone who knows me can testify to my lack of self control in stressful situations. The last thing I wanted to do at that moment was to be on another plane, plus I wasn't even aloud outside, and not only did I desperately want a cigarette, but I really wanted to plant my feet on the ground.

To conclude: I was very stressed, pissed, and anxious. The airline staff (other than the on board flight attendants who really kept their heads and tried to answer my questions) were not very helpful. I wanted to leave. I have a friend in Philly that I could stay with that night. I decided to take my money and run. I demanded a full refund and left the airport as the new flight boarded. That decision was rash. Maybe not the best because I am regretful of it now, but I figured seeing the oxygen masks come down may not be the best sign to get before going to another country (with not that much money and very few connections I may add). In addition, it's hard to think straight when you've seen first hand the images from your worst nightmares. It's also hard to think straight when you've planned a month long trip to Europe (something I have never done before) and it doesn't happen.

I went back to the Philadelphia airport the next morning (yesterday). I explained the situation to an airline staff member and apologized for being a little excessive the night before (which I definitely was). The woman that I spoke with was nice, but could not get me another flight to Amsterdam. The tickets were voided (which included my return flight from Dublin to NYC) and I would have to purchase new tickets to continue on to Europe. Obviously that couldn't happen; I had purchased these tickets months ago when they were actually affordable (for my 3rd class wage that is). I still have a ticket from a different airline leaving from Paris July 21 to Dublin. I am trying to get a voucher.

As some of you might know, my grandmother is really sick and it's not the best time to be leaving the country considering my family is very "old school," meaning they aren't online in any way (my phone does not work in Europe, and besides, my mother doesn't even have an answering machine). I'm also on limited funds so if anything happened and I did somehow hear then I would have to wait for my scheduled flight back and that would suck more than not going to Europe.

However, I still needed to compensate for my feelings of failure and sadness (this was my third attempt at leaving the continental US, and I've had my passport almost nine years and have yet to use it other than Canada) so I got a return flight to San Francisco free of charge since that's where I started from. I had the great idea of going back to where I started as if I could do it again. That's a little unrealistic, even for me. On the plus side, my friend Dan whom I've known since the age of twelve, has been living in Tucson, Arizona for the last two years and I've never been out to visit him so that's where I'm going. I considered going up to the Rainbow gathering briefly (especially since Otter is there and I really did like traveling with him), but I don't think getting lost in hippie land is what I need right now, although I am still considering it...

Some of you may be thinking why didn't I just go back to NY? Well, for one thing, I had sublet my room for all of July so I didn't technically have a place to stay and the idea of making sandwiches at the bar I work or worked at did not sound very appealing either, nor did I want to go to New Hampshire, at least not right now, not yet. Maybe I am avoiding it. Who knows, either way, It's sad as shit to fly into the same airport you left from a day ago heading to Europe and knowing that's not going to happen this time.

I'm getting a ride to Sacramento later today from Amanda, a girl who posted the ride on Craigslist Ride Share.  I hope to meet with Deepak from the magazine (and talk to him  more about my documentary), but I might just head down I-5 instead. I'll be hitchhiking down to Tuscan because everyone wants tons of cash for a ride to Arizona when I know I can get there in two days max and for free. It sucks though. I really didn't want to hitch again here in the US. I feel like I'll never be able to leave this country. Sometimes I wonder if land even exists on the other side of the ocean...

Alas, "A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving" -Lao Tzu

Guess I got ahead of myself on this one. I uploaded the video to Youtube because I want to increase the likeliness of the airline seeing it (I did email them the link), maybe now they'll take aircraft inspection as seriously as they do  their security.

On the plus side, not going to Europe right now allows me to spend more time filming and editing my documentary here in the states. I will also have time to go to Facebook Headquarters this trip.