Don't wanna be an American idiot

[WASP]

I missed my shot at the WSOP because of a series of unfortunate events but mainly because of retard American idiots.

My journey consisted of a 5 hour delay at Manchester our connection at Chicago was rebooked by BMI but we found when we landed at Chicago that the airport had been closed for 2 hours due to a storm and it was bedlam. We landed at 6pm our connection was 6.15 SAS were handling ground services for BMI told us our flight had been delayed we were still booked on it and we had to see United at Terminal 1 to get our ticket and we could fly on to Vegas. After 2 hours of queuing we were told by United that SAS has booked us on a US airlines flight and that had been cancelled and we had to rebook with US airlines in Terminal 2. After 3 hours of queuing to see US they told us we had no flight and had to back and see BMI in Terminal 5. Bearing in mind I had the wife and kids with me, it was now very late and we were all tired, travelling between the Terminals was not easy with the luggage it tow but we still had to try to get out to Vegas. Back to Terminal 5 which was now quiet BMI had finished and gone home, we had a number for BMI which we rang and they just said ‘tough luck’. We tried ringing for a hotel there was nothing in the area due to the delays at the airport. We were now desperate, the kids were tired and hungry my wife was getting panicky and I was just getting more guilty for putting my loved ones in this situation.

I was about to give up when I spotted the first SAS person we saw when we first landed, grabbing him and explaining our situation he reluctantly went back to try and sort things out. He booked us on a US airlines flight for 8.30 the following morning and managed to find us room in a Motel. Then we tried to get a taxi to a Motel that nobody knew where it was and with my luck being in I just happening to pick on Mr Psychopathic Taxi Driver from hell. He decided that it was my fault for making him do his job, for not knowing where the hotel is, for not knowing the freeway system around Chicago, for breathing. He was brutally rude, bordering on sadistic, the kids by this time were frightened, I was just trying to hold things together and looking forward to getting some sleep……fat chance.

The Motel was ‘Bates Motel’ in the worst part of town, it is now past midnight we have to be up in 5 hours for our journey back to the airport but for a number of reasons I will not go into (and I am trying to erase from my memory, we could not sleep, I was genuinely scared and was just hoping to get through the night.

We get back to the Airport Terminal 2, massive queue’s and bedlam is reigning supreme we finally get to the check in desk only to be told we are not booked on the flight, the flight is full and so are the next 5 flights. ‘What are our options’ ‘dunno sir nothing to do with us you have to go back to see United in Terminal 1’ Off we go and see United and after another long wait we are given no option but a flight to Phoenix at 1.40pm and then on standby at Phoenix until whenever.

At this point I realise I am not going to get to Vegas for my WSOP game and I am actually now a very broken man who has never been so low in all my life, I just decide fcuk it we are going home, next flight to Manchester (or anywhere) we are off!! Back to Terminal 5 and nobody there from BMI or SAS. We speak to some English who have been sleeping in the Terminal all night and they tell us the flight back to Manchester is full and delayed for at least 6 hours!!! We try to phone BMI again and explore all our options and after hours of wrangling they say we are booked on the evening flight to Vegas. But guess who with? Yes US airlines and guess what else? Yes we have to go back to terminal 2 and queue up for our tickets.

If this wasn’t enough when we went to go through security for our flight we got selected for ‘full screening’. Now I can handle being taken into a room and being treated like shit but you try and explain to a 9 year old terrified girl that everything is going to be alright and not to worry while some fukwit, failed in life, obnoxious, scumbag is deliberately coming the big I am security guard and getting enjoyment out of seeing her cry. At this point I’m ready for landing the biggest rain of blows I have ever thrown in my life onto him and his accomplices, I was ready for life imprisonment, a lifetime ban from the USA, probably a long sustained and brutal kicking back off them, I was ready for Guantanamo Bay. Only a few words from my wife and a lovely smile from my son who was trying to re-assure me that everything was OK stopped me from doing a seriously stupid thing.

We finally get to Vegas very late and with 3 hours sleep in 3 days very knackered and we made the most of the two days we had left. Which involved spoiling the kids rotten, adventure domes, swimming pools, rollercoaster’s, shows and plenty of fast food and ice creams. Poker was completely off the agenda and at this point I would like to apologise to AlunB and Football Tipper as I probably wasn’t the best of company over the 2 days I was there.

All in all it has been a horrendous experience, Alun said it is one you will reflect on and laugh in years to come, I don’t think so. I have only really told half the story there was a lot more to it but something’s you just have to keep to yourself. If I have been on my own it would have been OK but with children it makes it harder but luckily enough kids are more resilient than we give them credit for and by the time we dangled them off the Stratosphere tower a couple of times they have forgotten about it.

One running theme throughout the whole nightmare was how we were treated like shit not just by the Airlines but by most of the Americans we came across. They are a race that live life up their own arses; they are rude, obnoxious, detestable, racist, repugnant, self righteous, loathsome, ignorant, and incredibly stupid individuals. I have travelled to America quite a few times over the years and each year I see it getting worse. Generalisation? Yes maybe, so I apologise to maybe the 1% of Americans that this does not cover.

On Friday night I was a broken man who was never going to put my family in a situation like that again, never going to play poker again, never going to travel again and definitely not going to USA again, some of these thoughts I may uphold for a long time.

[staffy]

Mate.

Really sorry to here all that happened. Not much more I can say really.

[swampster]

so what was the bad bit ?

[Tweetypie05]

Sounds awful!
I'm glad for your sake you kept your temper and managed to have some fun whilst in Vegas. Always next year... if you can stomach it!

[daftpegasus]

I'm sorry to hear about this disaster. As you say, on your own you would have been pi**ed off with the whole situation but it's made 10 times worse when your kids are also involved.

[Adetrick]

Really sorry to hear about your journey – sounds like a fecking brutal 3 days. As you say, you can just about deal with things like that if it’s just you but I really can’t imagine what it would be like with my kids in tow. Good to hear you all made the best of it when you finally arrived.

You’re right about kids being resilient –my eldest who’s only six always seems to look on the bright side when all I’m ready to do is retreat into ill-tempered old man mode.

[Guppie]

Not good,not good at all but you still managed to give the kids a great time at the end and thats what they will remember most of all and thats what you should take some +factor from,also theres the wsope and ept to look forward to.Hope you and your family can put it behind you(as you said the kids are resilient and probably already have)

[GotaFancy?]

Sounds like it was a real nightmare

[Penelopeys]

Jeeez I am sorry to hear this MC...

I can only imagine how terrible all the stuff was you're NOT telling us...

USA is a cartoon country... most of the time I am trying to pretend it doesn't exist!

[voiceofjoe]

I'm trying to find a positive for you Bri, but I can feel your anger in the post - and I'm finding it difficult to find anything positive you can take from the episode.Except that hopefully the kids enjoyed the brief time they where there
A holiday that everyone should have enjoyed turned into a holiday from hell.

[heniek31]

And I thought Asterix had it bad getting a permit in one of his tasks .
That is truly awful. I felt like reading a part of the real scary story and it wasnt even a bad part. I have just been shaking my had for the last few minutes in disbelief.
Really sorry to hear all that Brian.

[msaban]

sorry to read that youve had a crap time Brian, you dont appear to have too much luck with these poker win holidays, I'm happy to volunteer to go in your place next time.

Seriously though, chin up, hopefully it will be a better experience next time you take the family away

[Valiant23]

Words fail me.


Feel for you all Brian, I really do.

[aimar21]

As a person whose country is shown like religious arabs to the world by the Americans who probably even don't know where my country is, I'm really sorry mate. I share your anger..

[teaulc]

Bri,
i really don`t know what to say mate,i really feel for you and yours.
what with the previous week and virgin you really didnt need this.
chin up mate and speak soon

[runadrum]

Like everyone else, sorry to read half of what went wrong for you and your family Brian

[Pocket Lady]

sending big hugs ans kisses to you, Di and the kids.

Sorry that you went through this, humans can be right bastids. You'd have been better off trying to deal with a feral cat.

[Paul Ross]

Fcuk.

That's one big fcukin nightmare alight!

I don't know you restrained yourself Brian, but well done, I would have gone off my tits at a pisstaking, smiling security guard in that position.


I can't disagree with most of what you have said about USA either, but not much we can do about that, que sera sera.

Chin up mate.

[friskyfitz]

Jesus!!!

That sounds like a complete nightmare...

Sorry thats happened mate and especially with family...

[step1]

ul.