Prolific Programmer on the Internets!

I talk about my issues with people and companies with a vitriol often associated with certain (unnamed) politicians talking about their opponents. I was in form talking to Tareeq on the telephone last night. At the conclusion of the conversation, he suggested I blog it. So here you go, Mr El-Assam.

Some background, I was recently in the middle east (yes, yes, I know, I still need to upload my pictures). The flights to the middle east (at least Lebanon and Qatar) are rarely nonstop from the States. Most often, flights go through the busiest international airport on Earth, London's Heathrow. More specifically, I'd like to focus on my return transfer at Heathrow. I landed in Terminal 4. Checking the monitors, my next flight wasn't listed. So I walked over to the British Airways enquiries desk and asked the lady whether she would be kind enough to check on the status of my flight. It wasn't listed and the next thing she told me was striking -- I'm sorry, sir, but I can't check flights leaving from other terminals. Ok *rolls eyes*, then would you at least tell me what terminal to find my flight? No, the system won't let me look at that information. Now I know that Britain isn't the most helpful place on Earth, but this takes the cake.

A trip around Heathrow later, I finally arrived at the correct terminal (kudos to BAA for making the signs so helpful). From the ever-helpful PA system, The television monitors throughout the terminal are not working, please stand by. Bugger, I sat down in the transit lounge, after picking up a top-up from Dixon's and charged it. I spied another enquiries desk where I was told that the television monitors were working brilliantly. So, I again looked at the monitor, Gate 56. I made my way to Gate 56, only to find that the lady at the gate informed me that British Airways has changed the gate to Gate 1 -- on the other side of the terminal and where I walked from.

Now Heathrow is a huge airport. So, I went back to the other end of the terminal. Boarded the plane. The PA came on, British Airways apologises for the delay, but it seems that a carton of luggage has been lost. So, they combed every plane at Heathrow, delaying everyone by at least an hour and a half. We then left and I slept till woken for filling out the immigration paperwork to get back into America. We landed at San Francisco and waited another 30 minutes on the tarmac here. I walked up to the immigration desk. A pleasant gentleman from the TSA welcomed me "home", as I handed him my British passport. He asked why I'd travelled to Qatar and the Lebanon. Asked me if I'd brought any food -- I didn't. I got through the immigration, went to baggage claim, collected my bags and left the airport.