Right place, right time, NO coincidence happened
Posted: May 2, 2006 6:26 pm
I get to the airport in Dallas on Sunday morning about 4:45 after riding with the man who will be the first Somali to qualify for Le Mans or Monaco in a minivan. Get thru security, can't sleep, so roam around until it's time to board the plane.
We take off, heading for Chicago. About 50 miles out of MDW, we go into a slow race-track orbit because crosswinds are making it it impossible to land. Two or three of these, and we start a dive for the deck thru thick clouds and pop thru about 1000' AGL in a maximum cross-wind with the plane crabbing with rudder to hold it on the centerline. Keep in mind, this is Midway, so the pilots probably remember the last time someone came in hot and under really bad conditions... couple bounces, full reversers, and standing on the brakes until the pedal probably fused to the floor and we make the turn for the terminal.
At this point, get off the plane, locate my flight to CMH, and settle in for a 3 hour layover. Make a few calls, touch base with some of the other folks who were leaving Dallas after me, so on and so on. Talk with Candy for the third time that morning.
After that, I dig out a book from the bag, and find a place to read and wait it out.
Then, about 10:30, airline staff come on, and mention that due to the weather outside (which has turned from just wind to wind AND rain), the inbound plane that will take everyone back to CMH has been diverted to IND, and operations at MDW are on hold due to the weather. Intermittently, she would come on and update that the plane had landed at IND; that it was getting fuelled; that it was gate-stopped; etc.
About 130p, the waiting area was full of people not only waiting for the flight to CMH but to SAN as well. A guy, dressed in dark clothing and shades walks up; grabs an empty spot on the floor by the wall; and sits before pulling a book out of his bag. There's a bit of a buzz that starts, but I figured "shoot, guy wants to wear sunglasses inside on a cloudy day, what do I know?"
The buzz continues, and now there are people pulling cameras. The guy turns to answer a question from the man who's kneeling down, and then nods. Now, the cameras are going off and they are chatting a bit.
Now, people are coming up to the man in dark clothing, broughans, and the celtic knotwork jewelry, and asking for autographs. I listen long enough, and make a phone call, figure I can ask the best source I know if it is who the crowd is talking about or not. I get voice mail.
A bit longer; the plane from IND has been announced as on final; one picture (without a flash) of him reading; and I find a Sharpie, a card, and a break in the crowd. Excusing myself, I walk the 8-10', maybe less, and crouch down; say, "I don't mean to interrupt, but a friend of mine from Houston is a huge fan of yours. If I could get your autograph for her, it would be incredible." He nods, asks in a brogue, "what's her name?"
"KK"
He looks at me a bit like, "what kind of lunatic are you?"
I explain about the nickname, and he smiles a bit, scrawls a note on the card to her, and hands me back the pen. "Thanks, I owe you a favour in return" is all I can think of saying.
One last picture of him talking with folks before he ambles off into the crowd and everyone buzzes. A quick phonecall, and more voicemail. Just before we get to board, the phone rings and I hear, "Duuude, you are just yankin' me, aren't you?"...
And that, is how I met the lead singer of U2. (and no, I did not mention that I had come from Dallas after a friend of his put on a show, nor did I offer to buy him some jerk chicken for lunch. I know how that turned out the last time...)
We take off, heading for Chicago. About 50 miles out of MDW, we go into a slow race-track orbit because crosswinds are making it it impossible to land. Two or three of these, and we start a dive for the deck thru thick clouds and pop thru about 1000' AGL in a maximum cross-wind with the plane crabbing with rudder to hold it on the centerline. Keep in mind, this is Midway, so the pilots probably remember the last time someone came in hot and under really bad conditions... couple bounces, full reversers, and standing on the brakes until the pedal probably fused to the floor and we make the turn for the terminal.
At this point, get off the plane, locate my flight to CMH, and settle in for a 3 hour layover. Make a few calls, touch base with some of the other folks who were leaving Dallas after me, so on and so on. Talk with Candy for the third time that morning.
After that, I dig out a book from the bag, and find a place to read and wait it out.Then, about 10:30, airline staff come on, and mention that due to the weather outside (which has turned from just wind to wind AND rain), the inbound plane that will take everyone back to CMH has been diverted to IND, and operations at MDW are on hold due to the weather. Intermittently, she would come on and update that the plane had landed at IND; that it was getting fuelled; that it was gate-stopped; etc.
About 130p, the waiting area was full of people not only waiting for the flight to CMH but to SAN as well. A guy, dressed in dark clothing and shades walks up; grabs an empty spot on the floor by the wall; and sits before pulling a book out of his bag. There's a bit of a buzz that starts, but I figured "shoot, guy wants to wear sunglasses inside on a cloudy day, what do I know?"
The buzz continues, and now there are people pulling cameras. The guy turns to answer a question from the man who's kneeling down, and then nods. Now, the cameras are going off and they are chatting a bit.
Now, people are coming up to the man in dark clothing, broughans, and the celtic knotwork jewelry, and asking for autographs. I listen long enough, and make a phone call, figure I can ask the best source I know if it is who the crowd is talking about or not. I get voice mail.
A bit longer; the plane from IND has been announced as on final; one picture (without a flash) of him reading; and I find a Sharpie, a card, and a break in the crowd. Excusing myself, I walk the 8-10', maybe less, and crouch down; say, "I don't mean to interrupt, but a friend of mine from Houston is a huge fan of yours. If I could get your autograph for her, it would be incredible." He nods, asks in a brogue, "what's her name?"
"KK"
He looks at me a bit like, "what kind of lunatic are you?"
I explain about the nickname, and he smiles a bit, scrawls a note on the card to her, and hands me back the pen. "Thanks, I owe you a favour in return" is all I can think of saying.
One last picture of him talking with folks before he ambles off into the crowd and everyone buzzes. A quick phonecall, and more voicemail. Just before we get to board, the phone rings and I hear, "Duuude, you are just yankin' me, aren't you?"...
And that, is how I met the lead singer of U2. (and no, I did not mention that I had come from Dallas after a friend of his put on a show, nor did I offer to buy him some jerk chicken for lunch. I know how that turned out the last time...)
