March 2, 2018
I got up just before 3am this morning and with the help of my brother-in-law Paul, made my way to Baltimore’s Thurgood Marshall Airport. While it would have been more convenient to fly out of Ottawa I would have needed to change planes twice to get to San Diego. Each time my bike would need to be unloaded, handled by the gentle folks at each airport and carefully placed upon the next plane. I could not foresee a good outcome for this procedure and given that I could fly for about one third of the cost out of Baltimore, my choice was clear.
At the airport my wife Chris helped me drag my bike and other gear into the terminal and with a quick check in and an even quicker but emotional goodbye, I was through the gate and into the loving arms of the TSA. After removing nearly everything but my smile, scaned and probed, I was deemed safe enough to fly. High winds from a nor’easter threatened to delay the flight but aside for a bumpy takeoff we were away clean and on time.
Things went smoothly on the ground in San Diego despite TSA opening my bike box for inspection but neglecting to replace the nylon straps I used to keep it secure. Fortunately, Alaska Airlines lived up to their reputation for handling sports equipment in a careful manner. The Airport Shuttle (airportshuttlesd.us) was there within minutes of knowing I was ready with a full sized SUV and a friendly driver. Definitely the easiest way to get bike and gear from the airport. While I waited for my room to be ready I un-boxed my bike and got everything put back together without a single hitch or damage. I am ready to roll come Monday morning.