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| Quincysan No brown M&M's Contributor Since: Nov 11, 2007 ![]() |
Mar 14, 2010 09:38 am I've been vacationing over on Bonaire for the past week; had a pretty great underwater experience, saw tons of interesting creatures; 7 squid, 5 octopussessesses, a 7 foot Spotted Eagle Ray (including tail), and several Loggerhead turtles to name a few. Things weren't so great above the water unfortunately; there's a major crime wave on the island right now and had to deal with an attempted carjacking, sweating out whether or apartment would get broken into at night (several vacationing neighbors had their apartments broken into), and I got a sinus infection that grounded me in Atlanta on the way home to Kansas City (I need a tonsilectomy like Keith Richards needs new skin). My girlfriend went ahead to KC while I stayed in Atlanta. Here's where the real trouble started. A flight attendant on my flight into Atlanta gave me a few Nyquil and said that might help me depressurize before getting on the plane to KC (does Nyquil even have a decongestant??!)...didn't work on my sinuses, I'm still practically deaf, but I was certainly loopy. So as some of you may already know, Atlanta is the worst airport in the country as far as organizational structure is concerned and this weekend is particularly nasty. All the hotels were pretty much booked and I joined the 70-100 people scrambling over the phones at the shuttle stop to find a hotel room. One particular fellow came up to me and said he was back from Iraq on leave and started a conversation that seemed to indicate he was a decent soldier just trying to get home...keep in mind that I'm heavily under the influence of Nyquil at this point I've been traveling since 8:00am (it was Midnight) and I have one of the worst sinus infections of my life. I could only hear most of what he was saying and it equated to: this guy needs to find a place to sleep because he doesn't have anything but personal checks and a military ID. Stupid of my to believe that, but like I said, I was not 100%. So after the fairly harmless conversation he 'calls his family in Boston' and says something about how great God is and how some hippy lookin' dude was nice enough to put him up for the night (yeah, like on my hotel room floor. I may not drop 'cid and get down with the Dead; but I'm up for helping good people when I can). Religion's not my schtick but I respect a man with faith most of the time. Not this time. Things started getting weird. He approached the hotel shuttle 3 times before the vehicle was even in the lot; and when I say approach I mean it looked like he was getting ready to jump through the window...queezy sensation #1. When we get to the hotel he sits on a couch at the far end of the lobby behind a pillar where no one can see him...queezy sensation #2. I realize he isn't wearing any military uniform (looked sort of official in the dark)...ohshit #1. At this point, I snapped out of the Nyquill daze and realized there was no way I could let this guy know what room I was staying in. He had no baggage with him. Still clinging to the notion that he could be a soldier, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt without taking the risk, so I think "Hey, I'll just get this guy a room and make sure he can't order anything on the TV." The line at the front desk is taking FOREVER because the hotel has been overbooked...ohshit #2. When I do get to the front of the line I ask for an additional room and they said no at least 5 times. I wasn't having any of it. Thankfully I convinced someone of the urgency and got him a room. He was visually pissed when I gave him the key to his room. He immediately asked for something that escalated into yelling but I couldn't hear because my ears are so bad. He remembered I couldn't hear and calmed down; but he was asking for cash for food. I could be wrong but I could have swore I heard he was asking for $100. His pupils are dialated and his eyes are darting around like wild. I told him no. We both get on the elevator; he gets off at floor 5, I get off at floor 7. This morning I checked the phone number he called on my phone and it led back to Social Circle, Georgia; not Boston. His flight was 'supposed to leave at 6:15am'. He still hasn't checked out of the hotel as I write this. I told the front desk and they gave me every discount imaginable and checked him out for me. This guy was a 350-400 lbs bear-like dude...I'm a 145 lbs scrawny computer guy. Would not have ended well for me I'm afraid. Whew. |
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| pjk Prince CZAR-ming Member Since: Apr 08, 2004 ![]() |
Mar 14, 2010 10:46 am Glad you got your 'spidey senses' working before anything bad happened. Sounds like a junkie, or similar. |
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| Rob Stemple The Czar of BS Contributor Since: Dec 31, 2007 ![]() |
Mar 14, 2010 01:25 pm If your still having trouble, and are still stuck down there. I maybe able to help. I have several friends in Atlanta. One of which is the DA for the whole of Atlanta. (He rents form us on a regular basis.) If you need that type of help. Let me know. I'll send Steve your way. |
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| Geoff stupidity should be painful ! Contributor Since: Jun 20, 2002 ![]() |
Mar 14, 2010 08:14 pm Just Fyi , all military i know , ( me being one) have at least a bank card from our banks and our govn't travel card (for situations like that) . It is beaten into everyone to cary that stuff and not personal checks. I'm sorry you had a bad trip man. I just pisses me off when people pose and soil the uniform (as for uniforms , most army, USMC, that i know do travel in uniform , Air force tend not too once we get state side , but you have to be in uniform to travel from /to Iraq ). |
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| Quincysan No brown M&M's Contributor Since: Nov 11, 2007 ![]() |
Mar 15, 2010 06:32 pm Good to know Geoff, I'll be more careful in the future. Thanks also Rob. I'm safely back home in KC, thanks a lot for the concern. |
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| olddog Whatever. Member Since: Jul 02, 2003 ![]() |
Mar 15, 2010 08:25 pm You're alot more trusting that I'd be. :) Good that it worked out alright for you, sounded like it was headed for a not so good outcome. Dan |
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| zekthedeadcow Eat Spam before it eats YOU!!! Member Since: May 11, 2002 ![]() |
Mar 15, 2010 09:46 pm The Army uses (atleast when I was in) Carlson Wagonlit Travel and if there is any problem they deal with it. On my way to AIT they forgot to order my bus ticket out of the Atlanta airport to Fort Jackson, SC... I called them and in 5 minutes they had a hotel for five of us. It's hard to tell if someone is telling the truth regarding military service... I've known people who've lied though... one guy actually was in Iraq as a marine... an IED goes off (controlled) down the road and he falls over with knee pain. Other marines in his company were not amused when he got discharged (probably for psych reasons). He still describes himself as a wounded vet. |
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| CptTripps Czar of Turd Polish Member Since: Jun 20, 2006 ![]() |
Mar 17, 2010 11:40 am Sounds like he wanted to rob you or perhaps, wanted a little of the quincy action, haha. Glad you got out while you could :) |
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