This morning I am up early and anxious to get going. Flipping through my head are all the things I need to do to get my bags and my trike ready for flight.
Let air out of the tires.
Remove and fasten my clip on shoes to the trike.
Shifters in down position.
Fasten flag to trike
Tie and bubble wrap so won’t snap.
Remove and dispose of my halt and the boat horn. No Arisols on the plane
Open the air pump from the locked position so it can float or pack it on my carryon bag.
Remove phone holder and light.
Bubble wrap greasy parts and chain.
Saran wrap so it looks wrapped good but keeps the front wheels able to roll and the brakes able to function.
Oh! Go back a bunch of steps and use plastic ties to keep crank from moving.
So much to do in the right order!
Then the test. Roll it up to baggage check in.
Last night I checked into my flight. It requires an Allegiant app in my phone.
Adventure. Fear and excitement.
***
It is now 3:27 pm.
I left Peg's home at 8:00 so I would have plenty of time. My flight was scheduled for 1:30 and I only had 7 miles to get to the airport. It took a whole hour because of the long waits at the many stop lights. I was thrilled to see the airport and found a spot in the shade to work on prepping the trike. It was my first time and I probably went over board with the bubble wrap and Saran Wrap, but I didn't want them to have an excuse not to take my trike.
Finally at 10:35 or so I rolled up to baggage claim and all the clerks started chattering, "what's that?" And the clerk that was waving me over said, "That's a recumbent trike! I have been wanting one."
So she categorized it at a bike, called over several people to confirm that it was outside the linear limits they allow. And rejected it.
I told her and the people she was talking with several times it was a mobility device, but they were not listening. Bike, Recumbent bike is what they were calling it.
I was close to tears. Now what? I asked if they could keep it while I was on my trip. No, federal regulations blah blah blah.
So I rolled over to a bench and with tears in my eyes I called my sister and left a message.
Then I called Peg, my Evergreen Club hostess from last night. "I haven't made the bed yet," she said. BUt then she said I could store the trike just about anywhere around there, a restaurant or a business. We talked about me riding back to her place (1 hour) after I put the trike back together and then she would give me a ride back to the airport. I could still go, but without my trike.
I said it was pushing it too close. She even got off the the phone with me and found a funeral home willing to store my trike and it was only 1 mile. Away. Peg urged me to call Uber and have them take the trike to her house or to the funeral parlor.
All great ideas but I was done with the stress. I didn't want to be rushing with my heart not knowing if I could make the flight. ANd the clerk had already noted that I was canceling my flight. I was already thinking about what I can do to make this turn out better.
YOu know, make lemonade...
And by the time she had called with the funeral home it was 11:30, the time I was supposed to be arriving at the airport. I was already thinking of possibilities... The Daali Museum, Clear Water Beach, Doing a bike loop, riding down to the Everglades with this time set aside for travel.
By the time I had removed the bubble wrap and ties and tape, re-pumped the tires, made some comments on Facebook, it was after 1:30. I had not eaten yet and I was so ready to chill over a meal. I had to call all the folks I had planned to stay with on my journey in Wisconsin. I had to figure out if I would just pedal home or find someplace or someone to have fun with while I am here.
By 3:30 I was back at Pegs. She mentioned last night that she really likes to go to movies but hasn't that many folks to go with her. So maybe tonight we will go to a movie.
Let air out of the tires.
Remove and fasten my clip on shoes to the trike.
Shifters in down position.
Fasten flag to trike
Tie and bubble wrap so won’t snap.
Remove and dispose of my halt and the boat horn. No Arisols on the plane
Open the air pump from the locked position so it can float or pack it on my carryon bag.
Remove phone holder and light.
Bubble wrap greasy parts and chain.
Saran wrap so it looks wrapped good but keeps the front wheels able to roll and the brakes able to function.
Oh! Go back a bunch of steps and use plastic ties to keep crank from moving.
So much to do in the right order!
Then the test. Roll it up to baggage check in.
Last night I checked into my flight. It requires an Allegiant app in my phone.
Adventure. Fear and excitement.
***
It is now 3:27 pm.
I left Peg's home at 8:00 so I would have plenty of time. My flight was scheduled for 1:30 and I only had 7 miles to get to the airport. It took a whole hour because of the long waits at the many stop lights. I was thrilled to see the airport and found a spot in the shade to work on prepping the trike. It was my first time and I probably went over board with the bubble wrap and Saran Wrap, but I didn't want them to have an excuse not to take my trike.
Finally at 10:35 or so I rolled up to baggage claim and all the clerks started chattering, "what's that?" And the clerk that was waving me over said, "That's a recumbent trike! I have been wanting one."
So she categorized it at a bike, called over several people to confirm that it was outside the linear limits they allow. And rejected it.
I told her and the people she was talking with several times it was a mobility device, but they were not listening. Bike, Recumbent bike is what they were calling it.
I was close to tears. Now what? I asked if they could keep it while I was on my trip. No, federal regulations blah blah blah.
So I rolled over to a bench and with tears in my eyes I called my sister and left a message.
Then I called Peg, my Evergreen Club hostess from last night. "I haven't made the bed yet," she said. BUt then she said I could store the trike just about anywhere around there, a restaurant or a business. We talked about me riding back to her place (1 hour) after I put the trike back together and then she would give me a ride back to the airport. I could still go, but without my trike.
I said it was pushing it too close. She even got off the the phone with me and found a funeral home willing to store my trike and it was only 1 mile. Away. Peg urged me to call Uber and have them take the trike to her house or to the funeral parlor.
All great ideas but I was done with the stress. I didn't want to be rushing with my heart not knowing if I could make the flight. ANd the clerk had already noted that I was canceling my flight. I was already thinking about what I can do to make this turn out better.
YOu know, make lemonade...
And by the time she had called with the funeral home it was 11:30, the time I was supposed to be arriving at the airport. I was already thinking of possibilities... The Daali Museum, Clear Water Beach, Doing a bike loop, riding down to the Everglades with this time set aside for travel.
By the time I had removed the bubble wrap and ties and tape, re-pumped the tires, made some comments on Facebook, it was after 1:30. I had not eaten yet and I was so ready to chill over a meal. I had to call all the folks I had planned to stay with on my journey in Wisconsin. I had to figure out if I would just pedal home or find someplace or someone to have fun with while I am here.
By 3:30 I was back at Pegs. She mentioned last night that she really likes to go to movies but hasn't that many folks to go with her. So maybe tonight we will go to a movie.
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