SSWC09 Part One
Things are going well so far. Well in the sense that I slept, scratch that, laid in bed for two hours writhing last night, stressing over minutiae. For once it wasn’t over gear rations and tires, bigger things than that at least, kept me from resting my bleeding and rapidly degenerating brain.
I’m flying United to Denver, they were really the only option for the dates I wanted to fly, so begrudgingly, despite their absurd $175 fee for a bike case, I bought my tickets. At check in they told me my case was overweight and that there would be an additional $125 surcharge. Aah! I went over to TSA and began the process of removing 23 Lbs. of stuff from the case, transferring it to my small back pack, which I was checking.
Normally TSA wouldn’t have you hanging over their shoulder while they rifle through your crap, the experience is kind of awkward, particularly when, during this process your Dorothy costume (one of my potential outfits for SSWC) is sitting on top of the pile of bike clothes and assorted junk I’d heaped over my bike. “What’s that, like a Wizard of Oz costume or somethin’”. “Yup, it’s kind of a weird event I’m going to, I may need that.
Last night I rolled into town, met up with Ron "King Cage" Andrews, and was whisked off to help hang the coloring contest entry show at Ska Brewery. Met a whole lot of core-crew there, very cool.
Gotta run, can't hang out here at The Steaming Bean all day. Marshall and Shanna from Endless Bike are on their way down here, we're headin' out for a pre-ride of the course. More tomorrow!
4 comments:
Yeah! Sounds so fun! Figure out the pictures. You can do it.
Love you
-your wife.
Random guy here--loved the TSA/Dorothy costume story!
Do enjoy the SSWC09!
I flew to Denver with United with my bike. What a bunch of dicks. Women flying to Europe paying $50 for a 90lb piece of luggage and me paying $175 for a 40lb bike box. After the "oversize" speech and me waiting for an hour in Denver at oversize luggage I see my bike rolling around the belt with the regular suitcases. BS.
Agh. Our friends at TSA.
My $900 plane ticket to eastern India quickly became $1500-1600 by the time I got back to JFK.
I narrowly skirted past TSA on the way out there. Only got charged $200. TSA in JFK wouldn't allow a 60lb bike box. I took 8lbs out and left that with my father and sweet-talked the TSA lady to let me on with a 52lb bike box.
Coming home I got raped. Random small airport in eastern India wouldn't touch my bike box with a 10ft pole thanks to it being a few kilos over the limit. No overweight fees here. If you're over you're not checking it. I wound up using another box but then got killed when I flew through Europe for having three checked bags.
Agh, the fun of traveling with a bicycle box.
Don't forget to click your heels together! Watch out for the wicked witch of the west! East Coast FTW!
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