Defcon Hard Luck Award...

[renderman]

After last year and my roadtrip from hell through Utah (http://www.renderlab.net/DC11/car.html ), and now this year with DC719 getting trapped in Utah (http://forum.defcon.org/showthread.php?t=4278) I need to do this:

Now taking submissions for the Defcon hard luck award!

Submit your horror stories to this thread and we'll see who went through the most horrific trip to get to Defcon or get home. I'll see about coming up with some prizes as a consolation for the crappy journey

Rules:
1. Must take place en route to or from Defcon. Problems while at Defcon don't count, nor before you left or after you got back.

2. Must have pictures/police report/corpse or other evidence

3. Must have made it to Defcon or made it home from Defcon (not a requirement if you ended up in the hospital instead of con)

At the end of August (or some time before then) The stories will be put to a vote of the assembled forum members and we will see who wins the hard luck award.

Not much in the way of prizes (I'm sure some one can come up with something), but you'll have bragging and sympathy rights for having the crappiest trip to/from a defcon. You will also get alot of free beer in sympathy I'm sure.

Post away!

[Thorn]

Well, it would seem that DC719 at least proved that you weren't just being superstitious when you went around Utah this year.

[Chris]

Not sure I can compete with DC719, but let me preface this by stating that even though I travel alot for my job, I am basically scared of flying.

That said, I had a nightmare flight home. It started with a phone call that I received on Sunday so I REALLY wanted to get home as quickly as I could (not for public consumption). Monday morning I got to the airport at 10:30 Vegas time...a little early for my 1:00 PM flight, but I really didn't have anything else to do.

My flight was to Philly then a 1.5 hour layover before my connection into BWI. We arrived in Philly at about 8:15 PM Eastern. So far, not really so bad. But they were having weather issues...so we proceeded to circle the airport for 2 hours. While doing so, there were four or five times that the pilot had to nose up as quickly as possible to avoid the lightning.

Finallyl we were allowed to land, and sit on the tarmac for another 2 hours waiting for our gate to open up. When it finally did, I was lucky and able to get a connection to BWI that left in about 45 minutes. We finally touched down at BWI at about 2:00 AM and proceeded to get in line at baggage claim.....but even though US Air KNEW our bags didn't make the flight they wouldn't confirm that...so I stood at baggage claim for about 45 minutes before they bothered to let us know.

I ended up getting to my house about 3:30 AM...without baggage (which was delivered to my house at 8 PM the next day).

Shitty flight, shitty service, shitty day.

[astcell]

I love flying. It's the TSA folks who scare me. That was my last flight to Vegas from southern CA. It took me 7 hours to get home!

[noid]

My travel was a real hassle, but that was due to a problem that started back at the hotel. I was walking down the stairs from the 15 block with a heavy back pack on and a large box balanced on my shoulder. I almost made it off the stairs when something happened. Not sure why or how, but I managed to miss a stair and the next thing I know is I'm on the ground and in a fair ammount of pain. The nail on my big left toe is mostly seperated and bleeding heavily and something is terribly wrong with my right shin. A friendly con attendee helped me get my shit gathered up. William Knowles and Curiosity got me some first aid supplies and let me at least patch up my foot (and cover it all with a fancy dress sock). At this point I am barely able to move. I cant put any weight on my right leg and my left foot is on fire.

Walking to my terminal was unpleasant, I'm happy I was at least flying first class (at the Vegas airport they have a special security checkpoint for first class passengers that had no line for it). I finally made it back to Seattle and took a shuttle home. The shuttle had 4 other people in it besides me. We got down to me and a couple. I can barely function, but the couple wanted to get home so rather than let the guy drop me off (we were right by my house), we had to drive all the way to thier house to drop them off first. Bitches. Finally around midnight I actually walked in and made it home

Doctor says its not broken but its badly bruised. I'm on crutches for the rest of the week. To further add to all this, I developed a sinus infection at the after party Sunday night so I've been having to operate in a fog for days (part of the reason I fell down the stairs I bet). With any luck I can get back to work tomorrow.

[[Syntax]]

Ok here we go, I have decided to shorten my rant.

I arranged a car pool with Kry0nik to the con, it was canceled 3 weeks before. I attempt to get airline tickets which are sold out and end up with America West. Redeye flight out at 10:45 in a side terminal not connected to the main airport 2 pilots debating over the model aircraft sitting outside the terminal window. Once onboard we are reminded 5 times its a new aircraft, as a reason why not to do many things.

I asked the guy sitting beside me if bricks floated. They claimed they were floatation devices. The seat in front of me has a "mentally challenged individual" who is jumping about tossing shit over the seat. My laptop is jumping as well as it is attached to the back of his seat. Then the steward stops to tell me to close my laptop cause he assumes I have a GPS on since a map program is open.


Leaving the Con. I sit at the airport 2 hours before the flight, an hour before they assign a gate. 10:30 the plane isnt at the gate yet, and they tell me its canceled. Sign says "On Time".

Customer relations has 6 people already when I get there, some people have been rerouted back and forth 36 hours to the same airports.

The help desk is manned by one woman, who has a line of 60+ people now.
An hour later with new flights, I try to get my luggage. Im told carosel #12 about 20 minutes later I ask again and they say #10. I wait another 20 minutes, and ask them again. They tell me its coming on #12. 10 minutes later the buzzer goes off, and my bag comes out on #10.

7 hours in the airport I now wait for my hotel shuttle and take a ride with a colorfull individual who is taking calls from god knows who, saying hes going to kill them and has 5+ murder counts, and continues to tell the passengers how is GF and Wife are both pregnant ect.. refers to them as "my babies mommas". The hotel tries to stick me with another passenger because they are short on rooms.
They claim its a common occurance.

I go back to my room after eating, shower and and sleep 2 hours before my alarm goes off.,. I use my 5.00 meal voucher for a soda and brownie. Somewhere in my flights I missplace some of my items. From Vegas to Phoenix its ok, but then theres a 1 hour layover to Austin and I get on a flight with a kid who is yelling, jumping, crawling under the seats, pulling all literature out onto the floor, and then throwing objects. He finally fell asleep with his foot in my ass for the remaining 2 hours of the flight.

Austin, no bus to shuttle, I get a cab voucher. The cabbie is happy, on the ride home I notice my laptop has been on durring the flights ect.. and is dead, and some of my articles have been misplaced.

[Eugene Da Vinci]

Ok here we go,

I originally arranged to carpool with Kry0nik to the Con. But 3 weeks before the con Im told hes no longer driving. So I go to buy a plane ticket and find Southwest is sold out, and end up with a late night America West Flight.

When I arrive at the airport I find the terminal Im leaving from is seperate from the main airport terminal. The flight out starts with 2 pilots debating over the model aircraft sitting outside the terminal window. We are told after boarding about 5 times "this is a new aircraft" it was also a small unconfortable aircraft with bricks as seats.

"Please turn off all electronic devices as our equipment is sensative in this new aircraft"
"Please hold onto your drinks and try to avoid spilling them in this new aircraft"


I asked the guy sitting beside me if bricks floated. They claimed they were floatation devices. The seat in front of me has a "mentally challenged individual" who is jumping about tossing shit over the seat. My laptop is jumping as well as it is attached to the back of his seat. The airline steward walks by and has a fit when he sees a mapping program open, and I assure him Im not connected to anything including a GPS.

Bad enough as it was, crushed in this small aircraft the fun had yet to begin.


Leaving the Con. I sit at the airport 2 hours before the flight, watching the sign awaiting a gate assignment. About 9:30 a gate is assigned for my 10:45 flight.
10:30 the plane isnt at the gate yet. I ask whats going on, and they say its been canceled. I say "Canceled? the sign says On Time". They tell me to go to the customer relations desk. Which is in the other terminal. 40 people remained seated thinking the flight was still coming. When I get there there are 6 other people ahead of me. I find out after listening to thier story they flew from Cali to Phoenix to have a Phoenix to San Antonio canceled. Then flew from Phoenix to Vegas, with a 10 hour layover, to have thier Vegas to San Antonio flight canceled due to the same reason.

Which was that they had delays that caused flight crews to max out thier flight time. The last flights out for those crews were canceled.

So now America West tells them they can fly back to Phoenix again, where they came from earlier in the day. And wait there for the next flight to San Antonio sometime the next morning. They offered that option to me.. and I denied it..

The help desk is manned by one woman, who has a line of 60+ people now. Manager comes and answers questions, and finally he gets 3 other people to help. 11:25 I get my new plans, and they tell me to collect my luggage.

I wait at carosel 12 about 20 minutes and go to the counter. They tell me my bag is rerouted to #10. I wait another 20 minutes, and ask them again. They tell me its coming on #12. 10 minutes later the buzzer goes off, and my bag comes out on #10.

So now its 12:30am Ive been in the airport about 7 hours now.. and I still have to get back to the hotel. I wait outside about 15 minutes for a shuttle and take a ride to the hotel they are sticking me in. the shuttle driver is recieving calls, and getting mad. He tells us "I guess Im going to jail tonight" and then tells us how some guys thinks hes his boss, and how hes gonna kill him. Hes got like 3 attempted murders and 4 counts of murder, hes gotta go to court, and his wife has 2 kids and 1 on the way, his GF is also pregnent, and found out about his wife because she sent a video of them having sex. Tells us how hes from Cali and ll this stuff bout his "my babies mommas". An interesting storry non the least. Finally Im dropped off and the desk clerk says they do this nightly.. and they are out of rooms. They have to upgrade me to a suite, then she attempts to put the guy next to me in line "your friend and you, would you like to share a suite" the guy looks at me and says "no, not to be rude but I dont know who this guy is" . So.. I go get something to eat across the street, its 2am..

I go back to my room after eating, shower and and sleep 2 hours before my alarm goes off.,. because I have vouchers for flights I have to manually check in again.
The $5.00 voucher for "breakfast" bought me a medium pepsi and a brownie.
The flight from Vegas to Phoenix is fine, hell I slept the 45 minutes, then an hour delay in Phoenix, where I loose a roll of 5 posters from the Irvingunderground table.

So I jump on the flight from Phoenix which isnt going to San Antonio. Its going to Austin Tx, about 90 miles from San Antonio, where I am promised I will have a shuttle or bus waiting. The flight back begins with a child yelling, jumping, crawling under the seats, pulling all literature out onto the floor, and then throwing objects. He finally fell asleep with his foot in my ass for the remaining 2 hours of the flight.

I arrive in Austin to find no bus, or shuttle. They write a voucher for a cab..
I tell the guy at the counter "your kidding right? this is gonna be 160 bucks to San Antonio" he says "Im not paying for it, Vegas is" so I hail a cab, who gets all excited when he sees the voucher, and tells me how this thing pays for his cab rental. My cell phone is dead, I notice my laptop had been on for 3 hours, and my posters are missing while on the hour ride home in the cab.

Rest assured, America West will be getting a phone call and a letter from me, as I wont be flying them again, unless its a free one they give me.

6 hours at las vegas airport

4 hour flight to san fran because of weather

5 min sprint to terminal while the other plan was boarding

Overally fat women in my seat that wouldnt move

overally fat women still wouldnt get out of my seat

Overally fat women kicked off the plane because she was being loud, and scary

Got to seattle, took a cab home which cost me 40$

Went to work from 11pm to 7 am..

life sux.

[Gadsden]

While my story is nowhere worthy of a "Render" (the new award for the worst luck around convention time), the bluebird of happiness did take a shit upon me. Somewhere around sushicon, I lost my camera. It had over 100 pictures on it, many of which were priceless (Some pics leftover from HOPE, Renderman dancing at the German place, Converge proposing to Mfreeck, etc.) I think it was left at the sushi place, but I can't prove it and they are denying seeing it. Fuck me with a chainsaw.. that hurts.

Other than that, flight was delayed 3 hours, my whole schedule got fucked up, luggage was lost, and came home to discover I forgot to take out the trash with old chinese food now reeking up the house. My luggage did finally get in around 00:30 that night, and after being up for almost 2 days straight I finally got to bed.

Other than the camera being gone, it could have been worse. I could have had to travel through Utah...

[astcell]

This is starting to sound like the County Music Writer's Guild.

[Dented-Halo]

I missed my flight out of Vegas this trip to San Fran in order to get home. But all was well, I got upgraded to first class :P haha

Landing home, after drinking most of the liquor out of the first class cabin on the 2 hour flight home out of San Fran i was quite smarmy with the customs lady. She was busily occupied with somthing on her computer making me stand and wait for probably well over a minute. How dare she. So i leaned over the desk and sniddly inquired as to how well her game of solitaire was doing.

Needless to say i was inspected thuroughly for that comment. tehehehhe

I have a better story that could possibly trump all stories ever of a friend of mine's trip down here to this Defcon, but I dont think he would appreciate me telling it.

Lets just say it involved drugs, booze, high on dex, stumbling across an internstate and being surrounded by 7 cop cars, and a helicopter, forgetting what hotel you are staying in, walking into someone elses hotel room, possibly being analy raped, and magically re appearing in your proper hotel room 5 hours later after your friends have filed a missing persons report, all in Boise Idaho. I shall say nothing further ;)

[ndex]

so unfair

not only do I miss almost all of defcon because I got food poisoning at "mr. lucky's" but now I can't even get a hard luck award for it...

I tell you, life isn't fair.

[mag5]

Con Pizza in Gut

My buddy ate the last two pieces of Con cheese pizza Sunday afternoon and carried it in his gut on the plan back to Cali. Luckily, I did not sit next to him.

[alklloyd]

not only do I miss almost all of defcon because I got food poisoning at "mr. lucky's" but now I can't even get a hard luck award for it...

I tell you, life isn't fair.

The mashed potatos were good. Unless you ordered the steak rare it
was tough. That's of course assuming you ordered the special.

Al

[octalpus]

Here's my write-up, because it's long. It's an amusing tail of Border Patrol, two flat tires in the middle of nowhere, John Madden, and a police standoff.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/octalpussy/

All I could say while we were stopped was "At least we're not in Utah."

[Adrenaline]

there is security at airports? I thought it was just people in uniform just sliding shit through the scanner talking to themselves and not even looking at the packages.

You'd be surprised, when we were flying out of LV, AFTER we had been through security and everything and were about to board the plane, I was going through my bag and noticed a huge box cutter I had forgotten was in there, I was more puzzled as to how it made it through security, they should have spotted it right away.