[Debra]

I did not want to hijack any threads, so I started this one.

I know we all have a story to share, so please do......

I'll start, with saying I've had many a close call, especially leaving Jamaica, but this one takes the cake.

My flight was at 5am. Got to the airport, and the Delta man, Johnathan said to me,
"why Mrs. Beckford, we were expecting you yesterday" I was like OMG!! My Aunt & Uncle were dropping me off and all our faces showed SHOCK TOTAL SHOCK!!!!!!

So I guess Johnathan saw us, because he said let me check out what I can do for You. (yes) So he did some checking and said all he had left was 2 seats to ATL and 1 seat on Air Jamaica, and the seat was 1A!!!! First Class all the way OMG, I was in shock and humbled at the same time. Johnathan just put in like my ticket was for that day. He said don't worry Mrs. B we'll take care of you!!!! And they did.

I felt good walking off the flight, I was in Jamaica !!!!!!!

My Aunt & Uncle still can not believe it to this day.......I feel Blessed.....

It is the way you treat and talk to people, in the long run, that really matters

[Miss+Jamaica Soul]

Debra!

I love travelling so much!I missed the plane from Miami to London...due to late arrival across from JA.....bad weather......I loved it as I had to phone work and explain that it was "hard work".....being"stranded "overnight in Miami!

Plane to London was delayed at Mo Bay for 5 hrs another time....I was sooooooooo happy.....dropped off luggage......back out in Mo Bay......check in girl couldn't stop laughing as everyone else was shouting at her and I was so laid back!It then went to Kingston and we had another few hrs there....(and rum!)

Its part of the fun for me.....now dont get me started about missing and or late buses here in the UK!!!!!!!(How much time have you got?!!)

Respect

Miss Jamaica Soul x

[loops]

ok...i'm in.

coming home from costa rica...had a layover in newark. It was Survivor season and i was involved in a game of Fantasy Survivor with some folks at work. I needed to make my picks for the week. We grab a seat at a bar, i call my best buddy and she reads me the questions so i can make my choices. Hubby is sucking down his beer patiently.

that done, we head to the gate only to find that the plane had boarded and gate closed. Man was i livid.

they offered us a flight the next day, but there was no way i was spending the night in newark, when i knew i had a real doobie waiting for me in my car at the airport....and beleive me....that costa rican weed sucked. so we had to take a nail biting bumper to bumper shuttle into NYC and grab a next plane out of jfk back to Portland. Just made it to JFK in the nick of time to catch that flight too. That was not a cheap game of fantasy survivor.

ohh the people at work got quite a chuckle out of that one.

[macyoder]

Well, the plane I almost missed in Jamaica caused me to get my American citizenship and vowed never to return. The truth be known, half my trips to Jamaica I vow never to return. Sometimes I return to remind myself why I vowed not to return...lol. I am returning this time for Port Antonio.

I had back to back trips because of my father's funeral. I was pulled into a back room and asked to take my clothes off. Well, that's not a request I take well from a woman I just met...lol! I undressed down to the bra and undies. Well she wanted those too but I kept the undies. Now she wanted to know what the bulge 'down there' was about, if it was drugs. I told her it could be balls or that time of month. She was not about to take my word for it and came at me. I stepped back and told her touch me 'there' and be ready to do me. Not words I have ever said before to a woman, well not a guy either...lol! Anyway, AJ was delayed hours so I was able to get on without missing it. I haven't been able to travel to Jamaica by myself since this incident. I never intended to give up my Jamaican citizenship but it was the last straw been treated like crap going through customs/immigration as a local. I still have a hard time going through any custom, anywhere.

[VenusdeMilos]

I dont think I have ever been on time for a flight. Except for return flights from Ja. bc our much loved taxi driver insists on collecting us ridiculously early and he's always right bc something always goes off at MBJ warranting that extra time, then I get the look from DH...."eides"..."see" and I swallow my humble pie.

So I think if I listed all of my near misses and brushes with death this post would be as long as my legs (hehe..cue the wolf whistles :p) so I will give you the highlights.

Missed return flight to Athens as arrived at Heathrow a day late. Not my fault of course! I told my Olympic guy at this end that I wanted a 2 week trip. In my head that means, if I leave on a Tuesday I return on a Tuesday. Olympic guy loves me so much he obviously couldnt wait that last day and booked my return flight for the Monday and I didnt check. I was travelling alone with 3 kids under the age of 5, my brother had taken me to the airport and fortunately came in to help me at check in.

"this flight went yesterday Madam" O.O

I had to rob the hole in the wall and my brother to raise the extra dosh for a flight that evening and it wasnt cheap. The funny part was when I left my brother at the check in cue with the kids while I went to the ATM. One kid on a leading rain, one in a buggy and a tiny babe in one of those handsfree pouch things. I came back to find the leading rein, wrapped around other travellers disgruntled legs, the buggy rocking back and forth harder than any rollercoaster as its irrate 2yo hostage tried to break free and my brother pogoing on the spot trying to comfort a screaming baby.
"No More!".....my brother told me most sternly
"No more what?"
"KIDS!"

Then there was the Virgin flight to Antigua. Again I was travelling with just the kids but they were a bit older and DH was coming out a week later to join us. I was late, they were boarding apparantly and to get us through the long Gatwick terminal quickly, they put us on one of those little train things with flashing lights and a siren!! The kids thought it was great fun but I was so painfully embarrased. I mean why didnt they just tie a plackard to me saying "This Pain in the Arse is late for her flight" and be done with it. They took us through the VIP lounge as a shortcut. Shucks...no George Michael!!

Hah! One time we stayed overnight in a Heathrow Hotel before an early longhaul flight. I cant remember where we were going but I know it wasnt Ja. Anyway DH was banging on about how we mustnt be late and not leave everything until the last minute. I dutifuly put my alarm on for agreed time. 6.00 am. Alarm rings, lets get up. Dress myself, dress the kids, make coffee for me and DH. Out the door with 1 husband, 3 kids and too much luggage. Get to reception...its only fekkin 3o/c in the morning!!! I had forgotten to change my phone from Greek time to UK time...ooops!! DH's fault completey, his nagging threw me :p. Back to bed for a few more hours kip!

My favorite....We were at Athens flying to London for a connecting flight to Ja. (I love this one bc DH was involved). We are at check in and 4 out of our family of 5 have been checked in when the whole computer system crashes. They cant check our 5th member in or the thousands of people behind us. 2 hours waiting for them to make their repairs. I was at the point of suggesting lets play short straw to see who gets left behind...hehe..when suddenly it was all systems go again. They checked in #5 and told us there would be a delay bc of the cues behind us and to monitor the screens for flight infomation. So we dilly dally around in Duty Free, thinking we have hours yet. No problem bc the Ja flight isnt until the next day. We stop at the Greek Football shop to get a TShirt for our much loved Ja. Taxi Driver. 'Do you think he would like this one? that one? too big? too small? blah blah'. Our name is called out over the tannoy "Mr K........S and family" Rush...panic...that'll do...PAME...let's go!! While running to the gate (where's that train now)? our little one pipes up "are we famous?"...lol..x x

[Sundowner]

July 1993. My friend and I are leaving Kingston on a BWI flight to Antigua. We had pre-booked this flight months prior and had been in Jamaica for two months already when it was time to carry on island hopping.

Our friend Wayne drives us to Kingston to catch our 1:00 p.m. flight. We climb out of the car with our backpacks, hugs and thanks to our friend, and head towards the airport door, when the security guard jumps up off his chair and asks us where we're headed. We say Antigua. He says, "Bee-wee flight gone, mon!" We're saying "What? No, that can't be. See our tickets??" But he's not backing off. "No, no, Bee-Wee gone this morning! The counter closed!" Then he gets even more excited and runs into the parking lot, yelling at Wayne, who is backing out, "Don't leave your friends, mon! Their flight gone!"

Lucky for us, he caught Wayne's attention before he left the parking lot. We decided to go inside the airport and check for ourselves, and sure enough, the sliding gate was down over the BWI counter and no one around at all. We managed to find someone to ask and were informed that the BWI flight to Antigua leaves at 11:00 a.m., not 1 p.m. and had for several weeks. Of course we had been having too much fun in Negril to bother to check at the travel agency to see if our flight had changed.

So we haul ourselves back into Wayne's car for the long, hot ride back to Negril, where we had to rebook for the next week.

But the fun don't done! Wayne says "How about we take the scenic tour through downtown Kingston? We had taken the more direct route on the way there but had lots of time now. I was "No, no! I've heard too much about guns and violence in downtown Kingston". My friend is laughing at me - "Oh, don't believe everything you hear; yes by all means let's check it out."

So we are cruising along the streets of Kingston, taking it all in, when out of nowhere, a guy is running along the street, right on my side of the car, being chased by 3 plainclothes cops, with guns blazing! I kid you not! I could have reached out my open window and grabbed him he was that close. Instead, I hit the back seat floor and said "Get us the hell out of Kingston".

Of course that day was the topic of conversation for the rest of our week in Negril. Each time we saw Wayne after that, he would just smile and say "EP-I-SODE". It was an episode, indeed.