I had to pick up Mark the other day from the airport -- he went to Sudbury for work. We made arrangements before he left sudbury for me to leave at 8:55 so I would get there just in time to drive up and pick him up in arrivals. This was a Wednesday night, which meant I would be missing my favourite show, Alias, but I decided to tape it (something I don't do often [ever] so had to learn how to use a VCR all over again) so I could watch it later. After having having a fight with the VCR, I finally got it to record properly. Mark called me at 8 telling me that the plane hadn't left yet so I got to watch a bit of the show afterall. The weather was crapola so I decided to leave a bit early. I headed out into light flurries with 4x4 in gear. I'm having a lovely time when I see blue lights that commonly lead to slow traffic -- the snow plow. Sorry, not one snow plow -- 8 snow plows -- all in front of me and driving in a convoy, driving in 'V' formation, blocking anyone from getting anywhere. Mark says they block traffic so they can get their work done -- they need to clean the streets so stay out of their way. Obviously I didn't realize this because all of a sudden, I, along with some other poor suckers, are trapped in the convoy getting honked to get out of the way. And isn't it just my luck that they're getting off at the airport exit.
After making out of the convoy madness, I was able to find my way easily to the arrivals drive and idled to wait for Mark. (A note on idling -- I'm against it, but in the case of the airport arrival dash, it's necessary.) I wait for all of 5 minutes when I notice the parking nazis grabbing their ticket pads and heading for the long queue of cars rearing to make some money. I make a mad dash quickly realizing I have two ways to go: The Parking Garage or to where I think is Back on the Highway. I choose option A because I don't want to end up back on the highway.
To anyone who has been in an airport parking garage, I have to tell you it's a mini hell. I didn't want to pay for parking but I was forced to go through the gate anyway. Ok I'll just park and walk to meet Mark, only I was so far away now from where he was to come out I didn't want to park where I was. I drive as far as I can back towards the airport exit only to find that I am blocked off from getting anywhere. I back up, turn around, austinpowers-it until I think i can finally get out, but I can't. I start to panic. I just need to get back to where I started. I can just see Mark waiting for me wondering where the hell I was. A cabbie tells me I have to turn around and go the other way. WHERE??? I see a booth, pull up to it and park. Inside a woman is talking on the phone to her friend discussing what they should do tonight. I knock on the door and she tells me to come in. She is sitting in a room with the door open and when I try to enter she waves me out and points to the pane of glass, from behind which I need to talk to her. After she puts her call on hold, she finally comes out to speak to me. I tell her my story and I'm sure she's never heard of anyone getting lost in the parking lot before because she just stares at me and tells me I need to leave the parking garage if I want to get out. GREAT. Thanks for that. Then she goes back to the phone and I leave. I decide to follow a car out and it turned out that I didn't have to pay anything for 'parking'. I guess the machine has never had a car in for such a short time.
I leave the parking garage and end up leaving the airport. I guess Mark will have to wait a bit longer because instead of circling around to go back to the airport, I end up practically in Brampton. I call Mark "I'm on Airport Road -- if I get to Dixie Road, am I too far North?" "UH ya..." "Ok where do I go" "... go...down...street..." "Can you speak up I can't hear what you're saying" "No" "Are you still on the plane?" "Yes" "K I think I know where I am. Bye". Suddenly I am frought with images of him calling me whilst still on the GO bus coming home from work in Aurora. You never wanted to be THAT person on her cell phone having a conversation while everyone else was passed out or reading.
I finally make it back to where I think is a road that will take me to the airport and I am met with two more dreadful snow plows. I honestly don't know how I did it but after a few more turns I ended up back at the airport and back to the arrivals area where I originally started off. I park and idle once again. Mark calls me and tells me he can see me. He's on the bridge and will be right down. Right after I get off the phone Parking Nazi 1 comes out and tells me I can't stay. "You don't know what I just went through to get here please don't make me leave." "Sorry ma'am but if you can't see who you're coming to pick up than I can't let you stay here." "But he was JUST on that bridge, he said he'll be right down!" "Sorry." Just then Mark comes waltzing out the doors and PN finally leaves me alone. Done with driving, I fall out of the drivers seat and find peace in my comfy, worn-in passenger seat.
Mark drives himself to the airport now.
