Traveling Without Moving

In the 1984 Sci-Fi classic movie Dune a planet is at war over the “Spice.” The Spice enables a person to “Travel Without Moving.” I have always had trouble just getting my head around that concept and I find myself thinking of it often. Seems like a really cool idea. Well today I get to experience something pretty close. I am traveling to Atlanta later today and with my crutches moving is challenging. I could really use the Spice right now.

I am by any definition a frequent traveler. Marie (BTW she prefers her other name, FL) says I am a High Roller. I have all the perks that come with a job like mine including premium status on airlines and with hotels. These perks are really quite nice and they make travel a bit less stressful as you stand in shorter lines, board planes first, get the best seats, and preferred rooms. But none of these really matter much when you have trouble walking. No matter how short the line standing on one foot is a challenge. Today is going to be interesting. While I am a very good planner, this trip is going to challenge those skills. While I am admittedly anxious, a part of me welcomes the challenge.

When you are dependent on crutches you cannot walk through the screening device at the airport. The TSA personnel require that you put your crutches through the scanner which in my case will render me helpless. The result is that I am going to get my first ride in a wheel chair today. This also means holding a conversation with a complete stranger to whom I will probably have to explain my situation. You likely know just how much I am looking forward to that. I do think that there is a short line for wheel chair bound travelers so I guess that for me that part will be familiar. However, that is the least of my concerns. I typically travel with carryon luggage. It is rare for me to check a bag as the risks of losing your luggage are great and I have calculated that checked luggage adds at least an hour each way. This accounts for the time it takes to check the bag and to get it back from baggage claim. Last year I flew over 150 segments. If I had to check a bag each time I would be giving up nearly a week of my life to baggage. Additionally, checking luggage significantly shortens the life expectancy of your suitcase. I anticipate that when my foot heals I will also require a new bag. This whole broken foot thing is getting expensive.

The boot I am wearing is likely to qualify me for my first pat down by the TSA. This thought reminds me of a Friends episode where Chandler talks about the Tailor that “Makes an adjustment for you as he measures your trouser inseam.” You would have to have seen that one to get my point here. Let’s just say that I am not looking forward to “getting the adjustment” from some guy at the airport.

The cool news is that I have arranged for a car service to pick me up in Atlanta. Mostafa will meet me at baggage claim and that means that someone will actually get my bag for me. I can’t imagine how else I could move my bag. Even catching a cab requires that you get your bag out to the curb and I can’t manage that with the crutches. I spent some time thinking about this expense and it seems like it is not significantly greater than renting a car. I am going to have to start collecting information about this for all my trips.

I am flying to Atlanta through Charlotte. Both airports are huge. There are multiple escalators, moving walkways and great distances to travel. I am hoping to catch a ride on one of those annoying carts where the driver is doing their best to run over people as they attempt to navigate a strange place while pulling or carrying too much luggage and their frappuccino. I think I am going to get a different view of airports today.

I am asked constantly how I broke my foot. The story is boring. I was just running on a treadmill one morning. I have now concocted a new story. When asked how I broke my foot my new answer is as follows: “I think that discretion is quite important so let me just say that at a certain hotel recently I managed one morning to do something amazing that I had never done before. The experience left me soaking wet and with a broken foot. It will be six weeks before the doctors will permit me to try it again but I can’t wait.” I do hope you like the new version. But let me know if it needs improvement.

This is Day 5 of 42. There is so much more to come.