Drama on the Runway

It's on the news, but here's a link.  

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/08/05/plane-mishaps.html

I have to give the pilot props for the best understatement I've heard in a long time. 

We were happily taxing down the runway when the pilot slammed on the breaks and the plane made this strange list to the left.  He fired up the engines once or twice and then came on and said there seemed to be a "slight malfunction" of the landing gear and that ground crews were on the way to take a look.  No big deal.  Time passes, a few more announcements basically saying the same thing and then finally that we would have to deplane on the runway and we would be taken back to the terminal.  That's when we saw that the left side of the plane was in the grass.  And the wheels had sunk in more than halfway.  There were firetrucks and emergency trucks everywhere.  There may have been a small fire, the air smelled like burning rubber and this was a good hour and half since we first came to a stop.  Super cool, actually.

An interesting gossip I overheard from some other passengers was that this was apparently the pilot's last flight before retiring.  I'm going to be curious to hear what the cause of this was.  Although the news seems to be indicating pilot error, the feeling of the passengers was that he did it on purpose to slow down the plane.  That sounds like people trying to reassure themselves--it's not based on any facts.

And now on to why are people such jerks?  When we finally arrive back at the airport, the poor Air Canada employees are trying to do their job and get people either home or in a hotel.  And yet, people have to complain, sniff at each announcement (this particularly bugs me) and just basically be assholes about the situation.  Complaining, trying to butt in, or (economy flyers take note) trying to get into the line for people flying executive class just slows things down for everyone.  I did get a Lindt chocolate bar out of the deal and another night in my own bed.  I'm not complaining at all.

The Nyquil is kicking in, thankfully.  I must really sound awful.  A lovely, older German woman made me take her pack of Halls.  The entire pack.  Germany has good tasting Halls.  Minty and lemony.  I'll be looking for them tomrrow at the airport.  AC has sent me my revised itinerary and I know have a 6 hour layover in Frankfurt.  I'll be having schnitzel and strudel for lunch.  And real, Haribo gummi bears--Hedwig style ("But Mother, he gave me gummibaren")  Well, maybe I'll get my gummi bears without having to have sex with a large, black, American soldier.  We'll see...

Definitely an adventurous start!

Here are my own picks off of my BB.