The Salt Lake Express Surprise
Caution! This story may contain rants and tirades!
Last week I told you about my trip to California and Arizona. This week’s story is about my trip back to Idaho Falls on Friday night. I booked a round trip ticket on Salt Lake Express to the SLC airport. I had to schedule the pickup time for Monday Aug. 2nd at 2:40am at so I could make my 8:30am flight and return for 8:00pm Friday Aug.6th. Salt Lake Express has Shaka’s Sinclair as their preferred pickup location, so that is where I have always chosen when I use their service. It is cheaper to drive to the airport, but I decided to use the shuttle because I will be doing enough driving all week.
The driver that picked me up at the airport on Friday was not the best at customer service. The first thing he did when he arrived was get out and yell “Nobody gets on the bus until I say so!” He walked to the back of the bus to put on the checked bags. I was the first one he talked to. He asked me where I was going, and I told him Idaho Falls. “I guess we’ll put yours here,” he said as he put it in the luggage compartment. “Where else were you going to put it?” I asked in my head. After everyone was loaded on to the bus, he proceeded to let us know all the different ways we could tip him. When we stopped for a break in Brigham City, he told everyone, “We will take about a 10-minute break and leave about 6:15. Be here or be left” he said gruffly. “I looked at one of the other passengers and said, “I’m not sure that’s the best way to get a tip.”
When we finally got to Idaho Falls, it was about 8:45. Most of the passengers got off the bus and walked to the back to get to get their luggage. We waited for the driver, but he was not getting off the bus. One of the other passengers reached up to open the luggage compartment door, and I jokingly said, “Be careful, he is probably going to yell at you!” Just as he opened the door the driver finally showed up and gruffly asked, “Did someone open that door?” I turned to the passenger and said, “I told you so,” as we both laughed. The driver asked me “What’s your color?” I told him mine was the first one he put on. “That doesn’t help me,” he said rudely. I was fed up at that point and replied, “Well neither does telling you it’s blue because there are four other blue bags. It’s the one on the bottom with the others stacked on top of it. You know, like the first one you put on.”
I was so ready to get in my vehicle and go home. When I reached the parking lot, my vehicle was not there. I went into Shaka’s to find out where it was and was told Salt lake Express had it towed so they could repave the parking lot on Wednesday. I was more than a little upset and asked them, “Okay, the first thing I need to know is who towed it and why wasn’t I warned the parking lot was going to be closed when I booked my ticket?” The kid pointed to a sign posted on the door of Shaka’s saying it would be closed. “I got here at 2:30am Monday morning and did not go into Shaka’s, so how does that help me? Why wasn’t there a notice in the email with my confirmation number letting me know not to park there?” I asked.
There is much more to this story, so guess what next week’s story is going to be about? Thanks for letting me get some of this off my chest and thanks for reading.
Next week: You already know
P.S. Kriti offered to take me over to catch the shuttle and come pick me up, but I told her it would be okay. Why didn’t I listen to her? Does this mean I need to start listening to her more?