Back to school concept with small bag backpack, school supplies and rocket sketch over chalkboad background. Top view from above
This year, I noticed a couple things that I hadn’t in previous years. I’ll tell you about them in this month’s column, since August is a big month for parents to call a limousine service to drive Mom, Dad and their son or daughter to the airport to help their kids start school.
Different Kind of Luggage
In the month of August, I have had at least three trips where I brought mom and dad to the airport with their kid to see them off to college,
One major giveaway is the type of luggage the kids have. It is not rolling suitcases with handles. Instead, it is duffle bag after duffle bag with no wheels. They are very heavy, hard to load into the back of my SUV, and they have no wheels, so they must be carried and not rolled. What a pain!
Make A Checklist
During one trip from a family’s home to Newark Airport, I overheard the father ask his son: “Did you make a checklist of everything you packed and everything you need, as I told you to do?”
The son predictably said, “No!”
The frustrated dad responded: “Well, I hope you didn’t forget anything.”
The son then said, “I can’t help but think I forgot something.”
As if he was a mind reader, the dad said, “Did you remember your license?”
The son said, “THAT’s what I forgot!’”
The dad then said “You gotta be sh**ing” me! Are you kidding?”
The son said, “Unfortunately not.”
I said it wasn’t a problem at all. We were only 10 minutes from their home, so I just turned around and went back to their house to retrieve the son’s driver’s license. We still made it to the airport with time to spare. The mom, dad and son were all happy and very much relieved.
At the end of the trip to the airport, the dad gave me a $20 tip and thanked me for handling the situation with a clear, cool head. I thanked him and told him that was just part of the job.
Lesson Learned
As a result of this experience, I now make it a point to ask all my passengers this question as soon as they get into my vehicle before heading off to the airport: “Do you have everything you need, including your wallet, license, passport (if they are going on an international flight), and your mobile phone and charger?”
This might seem like a long question, and it might seem like an annoying thing to ask, but most of my passengers appreciate me asking them.
The saying still is relevant: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
The moral of this Street Story is, no matter what situation you are in, try to keep a cool composure and a clear head. It is also a good idea to create and maintain a checklist when you travel, so you have less of a chance of forgetting anything. Create a plan and stick to it.
