Marc D. Meredith
The Ad Hoc Traveler
September 2001
“Diary of a Journey
Home”
When things went
horribly wrong in the world on 09-11-01, I was in Honolulu for business. I was
fortunate that my scheduled flight home was Friday, 09-14-01, what turned out
to be the first day of regularly scheduled flights from Honolulu.
I fly over 50,000
miles a year. I love traveling and only now realize just how much I took it for
granted. As I anticipated my flight home (a trip I’ve made over 10 times before
on the exact same flight), I realized that because of the attacks on the East
coast, what had been very familiar to me now seemed new and uncertain. I
decided to record my thoughts on my return flight from HI to CA.
03:32 a.m./06:32
a.m.
(HI is three hours
behind CA during daylight savings time. Since I was returning to the West
coast, I am recording both the “local” time and the time at home).
The Sheraton
Princess Kaiulani Hotel
I'm awake 15
minutes before I set the alarm. I don’t care how early a person gets to bed, waking
up on purpose anytime before 5 a.m. seems very weird. I turn on the coffee pot
in my room and fire up the laptop to check my flight status.
03:40 a.m./06:40
a.m.
Flight 934 still
showing an on-time departure. I turn off the laptop and get in the shower
(taking my cup of coffee with me).
04:01 a.m./07:01
a.m.
Out of the shower,
shaved and teeth brushed. One cup of coffee in my system. Turn on the
television for the “latest” in NY. Wonder what Jeannine is up to and how she is
feeling today, three days after the attacks.
04:20 a.m./07:20
a.m.
Finish my second
cup of coffee and a few HI Sweet Bread rolls. I check my bag and backpack for
the umpteenth time. Text message comes in to my cell phone. Flight 934 is
scheduled to depart on time from gate 9.
04:34 a.m./07:34
a.m.
I take one last
look at the ocean, barely visible in the pre-dawn. Out of the room and into the
car. Off to the airport I go.
04:40 a.m./07:40
a.m.
Call Jeannine to
tell her that I am on my way to the airport and things are looking pretty good.
Traffic is very light even for this early hour.
05:05 a.m./08:05
a.m.
Pull into the Hertz
car return, about four other people also here, get the car checked in.
05:18 a.m./08:18
a.m.
Hertz bus pulls up
to the United gates. I see a long line for agriculture screening. It looks like
it is not open yet. I make a quick decision to repack my bag (adding macadamia
nuts and HI coffee to my bag). This allows me to discard one carry on piece and
I can now go right to check in line. People are quiet and polite, more
understanding than usual (especially for such a line). I hope into the Premier
line, only six others are in front of me compared to the 100+ in Economy
check-in.
06:02 a.m./09:02
a.m.
Check-in lines open
and I move to the front of my line in about 15 minutes. The questions I am
asked are familiar (Did I pack my own bag? - yes, Has anyone unknown to me
asked me to carry something on the flight? - no, Have my bags been out of my
control since I packed them? - no) but they do make a point of printing out a
passenger receipt (I am flying on an “E” ticket) to go with my boarding pass,
this is different.
06:05 a.m./09:05
a.m.
I approach
security, wondering how different this part of the process will be.
06:06 a.m./09:06
a.m.
There are about
three times as many personnel at the check point than any previous trip
including a United employee who asks to see my boarding pass before I put my
bags on the X-ray machine. Surprisingly, no ID check. There is a hand-lettered
sign that says:
I know that I have
both a disposable razor and tweezers so I ask the United employee if I should
declare them, pull them out of my bag or what. After a moment’s hesitation she
says, “go ahead and put them through, I want to see if they catch them.” This
gives me minimal comfort! I don’t want to be delayed for ignoring a rule but
also am concerned that apparently there is doubt whether they will find these
objects. She even confers with a United supervisor to let him know she has
asked me to do this. I am not at all sure I want to be a Guinea pig here.
06:08 a.m./09:08
a.m.
I put both my
backpack and carry-on in the X-ray machine and proceed through the metal
detector. I clear the first detector and then am hand wanded and patted down
around my waist and ankles and instructed to proceed through a second metal
detector. My first bag clears no problem (the one with the shaving razor and
tweezers) but they want to have another look at my backpack. They make a cursory
look through it and then run it through the machine again. There is now some
concern on their faces, which of course makes me slightly uneasy. The inspector
actually calls me over to a secondary monitor to show me the image and he asks
me if I can identify an object in one of the compartments. I am not sure what I
am looking at so I suggest that they go through the bag by hand again. This
time they unzip every compartment and start pulling things out. We soon
discover that their point of concern was the cable that connects my digital
camera to my laptop. I pull it out, turn on the camera and this seems to be
satisfactory. Everything goes back in the bag and I’m off to the gate.
06:15 a.m./09:15
a.m.
The walk to the
gate is quiet. Only a handful of people are walking around, no shops are open
and I wonder if it is because of the early hour or because of the heightened
security.
06:18 a.m./09:18
a.m.
I reach the gate
and find about a dozen people in the waiting area. I call Jeannine to update
her on my progress. I also call my brother (who is staying at our home in CA)
to say yes I am coming home. Call the office to say next time I talk to them it
will be in person.
06:35 a.m./09:35
a.m.
Call the hotel to
“check out.” I had kept my room key and not released the room just in case
everything went haywire at the airport.
06:45 a.m./09:45
a.m.
An announcement is
made that we will board shortly and that “standbys” will likely get on the
flight. This is confusing to me. First they said NO one would get past security
without a confirmed seat and second, all the flights were supposedly FULL. I am
thinking of my boss and others who could not get on flights until Monday
because of the lack of seats.
07:10 a.m./10:10
a.m.
I board the
aircraft; I am sitting in 13H on this 767-300 (two class plane). I get settled
and find myself going into auto-routine- pull out my headphones, grab a
magazine, find my book to write in…
07:18 a.m./10:18
a.m.
Scheduled departure
time is here but there are few people still boarding. Captain announces that
last bags are being loaded and we will leave shortly.
I check my
headphones and hear that “Channel 9” is working. This is the channel that lets
you listen in on Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications. I am surprised they
have enabled this feature given recent events.
07:30 a.m./10:30
a.m.
Push back from the
gate
07:38 a.m./10:38
a.m.
Taxing to the
runway, there virtually no planes moving.
07:47 a.m./10:47
a.m.
Take off from 8R,
lift off is smooth, you can see battleships off the coastline.
07:48 a.m./10:48
a.m.
Wheels up and we’re
flying; everything feels normal. Flight attendant comes on and says that most
of the “white sand” on Waikiki beaches was shipped in from FL! Funny fact.
10:59 a.m.
(I’ve switched my
watch to CA time. Whenever I get airborne I change my watch to the destination
local time. It’s a small trick that seems to help me with time adjustment)
Seatbelt sign is
off, no extra chatter or announcements from the crew, people are sleeping,
reading, talking, all very typical.
11:13 a.m.
I’m listening to
Channel 9. A UPS pilot is asking HI ATC about air traffic volume, the
controller says it is close to normal, major delays only for international
flights headed for the US. It is always interesting to hear them actually
“talk” and not just relay official communications on altitude and speed.
11:16 a.m.
Breakfast is served
“omelet or French toast?” (Will this choice ever change?). There is NO Knife in
silverware package otherwise looks like every other coach meal on United.
12:00 noon
Quiet in the cabin,
the usual in-flight programming is showing. I’m trying to doze off without much
success.
13:10 p.m.
I have nodded off a
couple of times and have just woken up from a short but deep sleep, am briefly
disoriented as to where I am. Should be landing in about 2.5 hours.
13:22 p.m.
The Purser- Dwayne
comes on the PA to announce that the feature film is starting “What’s the Worst
That Could Happen?” (An unfortunate title I think in light of events). We
should be landing by 15:45.
14:05 p.m.
I look behind to
the next section and there are a BUNCH of empty seats. Do not understand how
that could be. Keep thinking of my colleagues still in Honolulu. Another
indicator that communication within United operations is not very good.
14:31 p.m.
Drink service comes
through. I order one last Guava juice. The guy behind me orders a beer (clearly
invoking the 12 o’clock somewhere rule) and is told it is complementary today.
The movie is very weak.
15:00 p.m.
Movie is over. It
was very lame. Channel 9 communication indicates we are about 20 miles away
from Catalina island and doing about 250 knots. Realize that throughout the
flight I’ve been expecting the captain to come on and make some reference to
our circumstances but nothing has been said. Wonder what it will be like at
LAX.
15:10 p.m.
The captain reports
that we have started our descent into LAX, weather at the airport is 74f,
seatbelt sign comes on, the thanks us flying United.
15:16 p.m.
Crossing Catalina
Island at 12,000 ft, I can see about two-thirds of the island through the
clouds, the captain is talking to “So Cal Approach.”
15:20 p.m.
Cleared direct Seal
Beach turn left and descend to “one-zero thousand”
15:22 p.m.
Descending to eight
thousand. I can see boats off the island; have the unusual view of both the
island and the coast at the same time (they are about 33 miles apart).
15:24 p.m.
“Flight Attendants
prepare for landing.” We are passing by a few oilrigs.
15:26 p.m.
We’re over land.
“Contact approach, descend to seven thousand.”
15:27 p.m.
“Expect 25L for
landing (this is the south runway, a good thing it means we won’t have to drive
around once we land).” We make a sweeping left turn to line up for landing.
15:29 p.m.
“Descend to three
thousand, normal speed.” There is a lot less chatter on ATC I can tell the
difference, usually way more planes coming in.
15:30 p.m.
“United 8124 heavy
has the field in sight.”
15:31 p.m.
“United 8124 heavy
you are number one for landing, cleared 25L visual approach.” We are passing by
downtown Los Angeles.
15:32 p.m.
“Contact the tower.
11 miles out for 25L, cleared to land.”
15:33 p.m.
15:33 p.m.
Passing over the
Forum and Hollywood Park
15:34 p.m.
Crossing the 405
Freeway
15:35 p.m.
Wheels down! I see
many planes at their gates but very few moving on taxi and runways. All the
east side 60 gates (United and Continental) are empty. We will be parking at
69A.
15:36 p.m.
Purser announces “I
know that the last few days have been trying and it has been our pleasure to
bring you back to the city of angels.” People are quiet but many smiles. It
feels good to be HOME!
15:40 p.m.
Off the plane and
into the terminal. It is SO empty. About 20 percent of usual traffic it seems.
I’ve landed in the middle of the night and seen more people.
15:43 p.m.
Call Jeannine. I’m
home! Trying to find a taxi. There are no cars anywhere in the interior
roadways and it is quiet. This is so strange. Police are everywhere but it does
not feel intense, just vacant.
15:44 p.m.
Walk right up to
the taxi stand and hope in. Take me to 9045 Lincoln Blvd please.
15:50 p.m.
About six minutes
and $14.00 later (obscene prices for taxis here) I’m in front of my office. I’m
back, I’m safe and I’m frankly feeling a bit bewildered. The whole flight
seemed so “normal” which I guess is a good thing but I kept expecting it to
feel different. I start making phone calls to my colleagues back in HI to tell
them I made it.