Where's Scott?

Well, it's my last trip to Woodstock, Ontario, Canada for this customer. It's been quite the experience with some wacky tales. So why should it stop with this trip?

First, and always with these flights, there were delays. Not bad ones, but the one from Detroit to Kitchener was due to them waiting for a mechanic to fly up with us to repair a plane. So they rolled back the jet bridge and opened the plane door again.

After 15 minutes, they said they didn't need to wait for the mechanic any more, so we'd take off soon. The power went off and we sat in the dark, so the pilot asked to have the jet bridge rolled back so we could take off, but the gate agent had left.

The pilot came on the speaker to tell us that since we were already delayed, they were taking care of getting the other flights out "on time" so that they could say they have a good on-time record. So we know the games the airlines play.

After an hour delay, we took off and made it back to Kitchener. I was looking forward to seeing Scott, my Customs "buddy" since I had my papers in hand in anticipation as to what I was doing in Canada for business.

Imagine my surprise to find two other agents at the Customs windows and not Scott. (And no, they weren't Canadian Mounties)


To top it all off, he asked the purpose of my visit and the name of my company and that was it! No issues whatsoever!

I went to get my rental car, and the National Car lady who has helped me three of my four visits now knew me by name as well. A business man who was on my flight asked where the Avis person was, and she said she hadn't seen him all night. She didn't have a phone number for him, and neither did the business man.

So, while Catherine (we're on a first-name basis now) and I finished my paperwork, the business guy, whose name was Dave, asked his options. It was either sleep at the airport or call a cab. Since I went through the same thing two visits ago, I asked where he was staying. As it turns out, it was at a Holiday Inn that I passed on the way the 401 anyway.

While I don't condone giving rides to strangers, he looked trust-worthy and the sermon at church that morning was about the Good Samaritan, so I offered to drop him off. He thanked me, I dropped him off, and on I went to Woodstock. I hope that my last week here will be problem free!