I took a poorly thought out mileage run to Malaysia last week and found myself wanting to return before I left. The tense return home during quarantine and uncertainty is not a feeling I wish to have again.
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Foolishness
Call it foolishness, selfishness, dismissive, take your best shot – I will probably agree with you. I made a mistake and admitted so last week. You can leave a potshot in the comments but it’s not providing any new information. Frankly, at the beginning of the coronavirus issue, it seemed overblown to me. Following booking, my mood and the situation both turned for the worse. I called in to cancel the night before, waiting for a last-second waiver but ANA did not issue one.
Then, the night of my return, this flashed across my screen: Malaysia to Announce Lockdown Measures Monday Night – it was Monday at 8pm.
Flying Home
My mind wandered days before my return flight and I had trouble picturing just what I would find. The store shelves were cleared everywhere, ordering online didn’t appear to be a viable option, I tried. The hallways and terminals were hauntingly devoid of passengers. Flight attendants were on edge knowing that some may be taking their last long-haul flights for the interminable future.
Staff was kind at every level, gracious, in fact. I was recalling images of servers on the Titanic still going about their jobs as the seas rose in front of them.
I wish I could be certain I would be as professional, pleasant, and steadfast as those who cared for me as I came home.
US Customs and Immigration
Over the weekend, Chicago had a particularly difficult time receiving inbound passengers. It was on left media, right media, and even those narrowly considered to be center. It stayed prominent on media for days and I really considered my risk of contracting the virus just by standing in line to return to the country.
To compound that, I was returning on a new passport and up for renewal on Global Entry but it had not been processed. I was fearful of long lines in customs and making my connection home, which I was desperate to achieve. With limited domestic schedules, I considered I might have to drive home.
Then, a beacon of hope from Matthew as he texted me this image from Dulles after arriving back through London.
I found a similar scene at Newark.
Nervous Until I Walked Through The Door
Flight attendants were melancholic and I really couldn’t relax until I was safely behind my front door at home. My family had also become nervous as the situation turned from cautious to intensely concerned. But some seemed nonplused about the situation. Had I been watching too much news?
Conclusion
I was glad to be home. It was among the top five dumbest things I have ever done, made worse by the fact that it was more or less publicly executed in front of our readership here at LiveAndLetsFly. That said, I am better for having experienced it to inform my decisions in the future, and to tell others that it wasn’t enjoyable.
What do you think? Did you have a tense return home? Have you had to fly in the last week despite attempting to avoid it?
This is a free market capitalist society based on individualism. You do what you want to do. Screw others. If it’s not illegal you don’t need to justify anything to anyone.
If you haven’t figured it out yet Republicans are a bunch of hypocrites. Don’t worry about their feelings or opinions. They cry mommy everytime the government doesn’t help them when shit happens. Rest of the time they strut around as self-made men that hate socialism. But watch them gobble up socialist paychecks coming from the government in a few days. LOL.
Anyway, I don’t think the time you traveled was particularly dangerous as long as you took the same hygenie precautions you are taking now.
@ debit
pointless comments !!!
debit is a mouthpiece of Bernie. Pay no attention to his pro-govt dependence propaganda
debit obviously forgot about the concept of what a RINO stands for.. RINOs are democrats sporting a GOP title, like Mitt Romney, Graham, W, etc. asking for these taxpayer funded bailouts. They are not conservatives.
Live and learn. You’re human, you did a risky thing. All of us do risky things from time to time. Quarantine yourself and carry on.
You owned up to your own decisions and accepted the consequences and that’s fine. As Jon said, you live and learn. I probably would have made the same decision as you did if I were in my 20s and needed a mileage run. However, I would have definitely brought my own hand sanitizer and wipes (I always clean my own seat regardless of the cabin I’m in and always bring a travel-size hand sanitizer.) Stay safe and healthy and am glad you’re ok!
Glad you are home safely. I suspect the two lovely ladies in your life received a really big hug.
Don’t beat yourself up too much. And please keep on writing!
Glad to hear you learned from it. Hope you and the family are doing well.
Are you self isolating for two weeks? Especially to protect your wife and child.
Are you effing kidding me? And you have a family? Glad I’m not your wife.
Debit posseses a sewer mouth, as it is evident in his scholarly postings!
Glad you made it home and are safe & sound.
You’re still an idiot.
Stop following Drudge. Learn some humility and compassion.
Let us know how the 14 self quarantine at home goes. I wouldn’t have been afraid of the travel but the logistics breakdown we are seeing from mass hysteria is ridiculous.
John L Guest1 Ulysses i agree with all of you Debit does not get it…. He has nothing worthwhile to add to the discussion
You could have had some fun with them at immigration, telling them you went abroad to buy hand sanitizer.
As a FA, I’ve had to fly domestically, but not internationally the past few days and will continue to do so this week. The empty terminals, planes and hotels are a little eerie. I’ve already learned to pack plenty of food because there are unexpected layovers with the huge number of last minute flight cancellations and hotels don’t have food right now. I’d like to avoid flying, but I’m taking a leave next month and also expect to get laid off soon so I’m trying to earn what money I can before that time. I appreciate everyone wearing gloves and masks onboard, distancing from each other as best as they can, washing their hands and being very pleasant about the whole thing.
Good to have you back home. Big sigh of relief.
Glad you are back in Pittsburgh with your family! We all learn by our mistakes and move on better for it! Stay safe now!
I had a similar experience last week. I had a long-planned trip to NYC to find a new place before a move (one which has now been placed on hold for obvious reasons). I got to the city late Saturday with a scheduled Wednesday return.
On Sunday morning, I changed my return to Tuesday. That evening, I changed it to Monday. Was so glad to get home and have been isolating ever since.