COSTA RICA UPDATE

We returned from Quepos to the San Jose airport in the same small plane that took us from San Jose to Quepos. They have an extremely relaxed view of airport security in Quepos. They do not inspect your bags, and when the plane arrives, you just wander out onto the runway to board it. We noticed that the other passengers were holding boarding passes, so we asked the agent if we needed them. He said yes, and we said we never got them. He said, "How many do you need?" We said three, so he trotted back to the terminal and returned with three boarding passes, which he handed to us. About 30 seconds later, as we boarded the plane, we handed the passes back to him. It's good to have procedures.

As on the trip down, we sat directly behind the pilot and co-pilot. As the pilot was revving the engine for takeoff, the copilot's door, which was also basically our door, swung open. We drew this to the attention of the co-pilot, who slammed the door a couple of times to make sure it was closed. The pilot asked us, "Did it open by itself?" We said yes. This seemed to be what he wanted to hear, because he nodded, turned around, and took off.

Comments

[SlapShotFan]

You're lucky the New England Revolution wasn't on that flight.

http://wbztv.com/local/new.england.revolution.2.774646.html

[Kathybear]

Whoa...

[Meanie the Blue]

So, um, whatcha got in the bags, then, eh? Nudge, nudge, wink.

[Siouxie]

( keep flapping your arms)

[Wyo Cowboy]

I once took a little commuter hop from Waco to Dallas. On that extremely rough flight, the curtain between the cabin and the cockpit kept sliding open. Each time it did this, the pilot would reach back and pull it shut with a kind of frustrated but sheepish grin.

One time, it slid open to reveal him banging his knuckle on an unresponsive gage. Don't know what it was supposed to have been measuring. Don't really care, as we did land safely.

I love flying$

[Margaritaville]

Was that considered an "abnormal situation"? Cause it seemed pretty routine they way they handled it. "Oh, that door. Happens all the time! No problem." At least for them, as y'all were the ones sitting by it!

[MartiniShark]

That ticket story sounds familiar:

Few years back we were shopping for some school supplies at a technology super-store and while there grabbed a new DVD for myself. My then nosy wife, (she's still nosy, just not around me) saw another customer leaving with a deck of cards as a giveaway promotion for the movie I was buying. So I asked the girl at the register how to get the cards. She said, "Oh, you have to have a coupon for those." When I asked where the coupons were from she silently walked 2 registers over and reached under the counter, returned and handed me said coupon.
She turned to speak with a co-worker for a minute and when she faced me again I held out my hand. "Hey, you have a coupon!" she said excitedly and made a great show of giving me the cards. "You know, not everybody can get these, you are very lucky!" I wonder if she was from Costa Rica. She made me feel like a million Colons.

[Steve Haller]

Only three boarding passes? What about Sugar, Honey and Horsie?

[Suzy Q]

Steve, obviously they were smuggled out in the un-searched luggage. Or maybe in Dave's pants.

[lilrascal]

The reason the pilot asked if the door just opened by itself is because He could not remember if He shut it when He climbed aboard and placed his whiskey and water in his cup holder. I doubt his .45 distracted as much his being so careful not to spill the drink.

[lilrascal]

THe .45 was the reason for the laxed security.

[Steve Haller]

I just hope Dave remembered to check all luggage carefully for snakes, spiders, rhinoceros beetles, iguanas, dead dogs ...

[oneblankspace]

I remember one 1999 flight (Erie to Cleveland) where the copilot actually used went to the head at the rear of the plane during the flight.

[crossgirl]

boy, i'll bet dave can't wait to get to miami where so he he can get away from the heat, the humidity, the daily rains, the big @ss reptiles and humongous bugs. oh. wait. nevermind.

wyo, dave should come to your place next!

[Wyo Cowboy]

cg, writerdude and I were just discussin' that over the phone. Hopin' Mot will throw in, when he's back "in country".

I'm thinkin' I shoulda saved that dead rat for one of your crosses. Now that would be an artistic challenge, would it not?

On second thought, we did right by leavin' him there.

[PhilinTexas]

In 1976, I flew to arctic Alaska on a Wien Airlines 707. The passenger compartment was in the tail section walled off from the front of the plane. One of my fellow passengers, an Eskimo gentleman, boarded in Nome with a 30-30 Winchester strapped to his carryon bag. Don't know if it was loaded or not.

[Wyo Cowboy]

I love a 30-30 Win. model 94 (as did John Wayne). Only problem is, the round is so slow that after you fire it, you've gotta run down-range and hold the deer (or other critter), in place and wait for the bullet to get there.

[Steve Haller]

OT, Conan O'Brien had a great piece about John McCain's possible VP choices. Check out Florids Governor Crist...

(after the @%!# commercial, just turn down your sound for 30 seconds...)

[Just Ducky]

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go
I’m standing here, waiting to board
I hate to get into this toy to fly
But the pilot’s waiting to leave this town
When the door pops open, I can’t look down
Already I’m so frightened I could cry

So kiss me, and lie to me
Tell me we’ll make Miami
Hold me tight and never let me go

‘Cause I’m leaving on this small plane
Don’t know if I’ll get home again
Good Lord, we’re flying low…

[padraig]

Typical custom inspection on these flights:

"Are you carrying any weapons, drugs, or contraband?"
"No."
"Would you like some?"

[Eleanor]

*zips in*™

A great version of one of my favorite songs, JD!

[Just Ducky]

*flaps back in for a moment*

Why, thank you, El. I'm so glad you liked it! :)

I miss Tiger...

[Siouxie]

*zipflaps in*

Great earwig/song JD!! El, that's one of my favs too!

OT

Christopher Walken is on SNL. I have visions of "MORE COWBELL!"

/OT

[Wyo Cowboy]

Ducky, you're killin' me.

well done. once again.

[Just Ducky]

*Blushes*

Aww, thanks, folks. Have I mentioned lately how much I miss y'all?

Have a good night!

[CJrun]

*zips up flap- doors like that keep them from having to go about the cabin, checking people's seatbelts are on properly-unzips*

[Steve (The 24 Guy)]

I bet they do that for all the tourists, and have a great laugh back at the bar when they get back home.

"You did you see their faces? Bahahahaha!"

[Eleanor]

*zips in*™

JD, I miss Tiger too, but the Greg Norman story is pretty exciting. Since I'm also a big tennis fan, having Chrissy Evert there is special, and they talk to her a lot.;) Norman is not off to a good start this morning. *sigh*

*waves hi to Siouxie*

[crossgirl]

yes indeedey, tiggers are wonderful things! there tops are made out of rubber, their bottoms are made out of springs. they're bouncy, flouncy, pouncy,trouncy, full of fun, fun, fu......what? oh. never mind.

[CJrun]

Where is that stewardessa with the drink-cart?

[Jazzzz]

Wyo....must be kowboy karma.. I took a flight from Hot Springs to Dallas. As we were flying, I noticed oil pouring (probably not as much as I thought) out of an engine. I pointed it out to a cowboy sitting next to me (across the aisle), and he calmly said: "Don't worry, it was doing that yesterday."

[Yeah, it's Me]

XI.

Bloggeth not on the Sabbath Day.

[Wyo Cowboy]

Jazzzz, that's the Cowboy way. Don't get too excited about things that you can't fix, or that ain't immediately tryin' to bite you.

[CJrun]

Which reminds me of that time I tried to neuter a badger...boy, that was a last!

[Crickets]

*chirp*

[Wyo Cowboy]

I'd pay money to see that, CJ.

[OtheU(manity)]

Me also, Wyo ... tho I'd wanna be on the other side of a chainlink fence while watchin' ...