The Trip Home
We set out from Lexington, South Carolina yesterday morning at about 7AM. Within the first hour of our 9AM flight to Detroit, Lilia had eaten all of the lunch that Grandma had packed for her, Jio had spilled a cup of juice all over himself, and the twins fought with each other so much that I had to split them up. *Sigh.* In the second flight, the worst thing that happened was Lilia gobbled up her lunch and then immediately threw up. She's okay, though.
A word about Northwest Airlines. When I made my reservation, I requested assistance for wheelchair-bound Lilia. No one helped us at all. I thought maybe the flight attendant, seeing us straggling off the first plane after every one else, loaded down like packhorses, would at least off to carry a bag (I was carrying Lilia and a heavy backpack, and Jio was encumbered with two backpacks), but no, she just stood there, smiling sweetly. A fellow passenger offered to help when we were getting on, and I took him up on it. When we deplaned in Detroit, I saw an airport worker waiting with a wheelchair. "Is that for us?" I asked. After hearing our name, she confirmed that it wasn't. On the other hand, we got lots of help in Japan.
It's nice to be back here with my high speed Internet connection, even though it's hot and my car won't start.
A word about Northwest Airlines. When I made my reservation, I requested assistance for wheelchair-bound Lilia. No one helped us at all. I thought maybe the flight attendant, seeing us straggling off the first plane after every one else, loaded down like packhorses, would at least off to carry a bag (I was carrying Lilia and a heavy backpack, and Jio was encumbered with two backpacks), but no, she just stood there, smiling sweetly. A fellow passenger offered to help when we were getting on, and I took him up on it. When we deplaned in Detroit, I saw an airport worker waiting with a wheelchair. "Is that for us?" I asked. After hearing our name, she confirmed that it wasn't. On the other hand, we got lots of help in Japan.
It's nice to be back here with my high speed Internet connection, even though it's hot and my car won't start.
posted by Gaijin Mama at 6:07 PM
5 Comments:
Lovely to have you home and with easy access to the internet! We got back last night after a 17-hour journey from India so I can totally relate to the air travel woes. Anyway glad things worked out ok for you and that we are all on terra firma once again. I look forward to more of your posts!
I clicked onto your blog a few weeks ago from a link on Lotus Read's blog. I'm also a 'Gaijin Mama' (in Shizuoka) with a seven year-old son (and a one-year old daughter). When the weather is cooler and my son's back at school I'd like to check out Literary Mama - it sounds very interesting. Sorry to hear about your treatment with Northwest but glad to hear people were more understanding once you arrived back in Japan.
Actually, a Japanese Northwest Airlines flight attendant offered to help me carry stuff, so they're not all bad.
Thanks for dropping by.
Well, for some reason I'm not surprised. People in this country just don't seem to get what it's like to travel with disabled children. If I had been with you, I would have helped!
I know you would, and I'd help you, too.
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