Inside John's Locker

It was the best of times…

The Millers were standing in line at the kiosk to get their boarding passes to fly to Orlando. O’Hare airport was jammed but the Millers had no luggage to check. There was one family ahead of them at the “no luggage” kiosk and from the way they were dressed, it looked like they were heading skiing.

When it was their turn at the kiosk, Tom and Susan Miller had big smiles on their faces as they thought of how enjoyable their trip to Disney World was going to be. It was their twin daughters’ birthday next week and this trip was their present. Susan glanced at her watch and relaxed—they had plenty of time.

While Tom was getting their boarding passes, Susan’s phone beeped as a text message came in. “Who is that? Tom asked. “It’s a text from Owner’s Locker. It says “Your Locker has been delivered to Disney’s Old Key West Resort. Have a great vacation.”

“And we will, honey. I don’t know why I was skeptical about Owner’s Locker.” “Because you’re a boy,” Susan said. “It’s the best thing we’ve done to make our trips more convenient. How would you like to be standing in one of those check-in lines?”

It was the worst of times…

Chris and Janice Talbot were barely speaking to each other as they stood in a line that snaked around the corner from the actual check-in line marked by ropes. Chris was still upset about needing two taxis to get to La Guardia airport. Yes, they had their two kids with them…but it was the luggage that did it. As hard as they tried to get four people AND the luggage in one taxi, it was clear that there was no hope. Not a good way to start the trip. The time spent waiting for the second taxi meant that they got to the airport later and now they were standing much further back in line than Chris would have liked.

Chris glanced at his watch and at the departure time on their tickets. “Well, we’ve got a decent chance of making our flight, but I’ll bet you anything our luggage doesn’t make it on the plane. As it turned out, when they finally got to the check-in desk, there was even a discussion over whether two of their bags were going to make the trip at all. Four people and six pieces of luggage meant a $25 fee each for two pieces of luggage under a new airline policy. And that fee was going to be payable on the return trip as well.

It was the best of times…

The Millers had breezed through security with their carry-ons and the only thing they needed the clear ziplock bag for was some lip balm. All of their toiletries (full sized bottles) and make-up where in their Owner’s Locker which had already been delivered to their resort. They had time for a break at Starbucks before boarding. Tom and Susan jotted down new restaurants they wanted to try while the twins debated which park they wanted to visit first and wondered whether there would be cute boys at the pool at Old Key West.

Tom and Susan couldn’t wait to chill the bottle of champagne in their Locker and toast their vacation on the balcony of the room when they arrived…it was a tradition.

The Millers settled into their seats, held hands and looked at a guide book.

It was the worst of times….

The Talbots day did not get much better. They were going to need a vacation from their vacation if things got any worse.

Chris, and every one else in the family, totally forgot about the liquids ban. When they finally made it to security, the bottle of gin as well as the bottle of champagne Chris planned to carry onto the plane were confiscated. Janice estimated that she lost about $150 in makeup and that was after she got the kids and Chris to use zip lock bags as well as her. The TSA/liquids fiasco had taken up so much time that there was no time for a snack. Chris had toyed with buying another bottle of champagne at the duty free shop but they had to rush to make the plane. At least they were going to make their flight. Whether their luggage would was another matter.

The Talbots, collapsed in their seats on the plane, fretting about what new hassles awaited them and tried to catch a glimpse of their luggage being loaded on the plane.

JDVM
www.ownerslocker.com