Menzie's Sucks

The ramp crew in SEA which loads our jets lost my bike last night on my one leg to DCA. I personally saw the Menzies employee (kudos to whoever thought it'd be good to outsource these jobs) take it down off the Jetway to load on my plane, which has been about the extent of my supervision (ensure the bag with my bike makes it off the Jetway and down to the ramp). With cargo doors still open I assumed (I know, I know) that the bag (w/bike) would be loaded; as it has been countless times previously in the 15+ years that I've been doing this. I'll have to modify my routine from this day forward...(fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...).

SO much to my chagrin when I arrive at DCA expecting my bike bag to be brought up to the Jetway nothing shows. I go down to the ramp, they haven't seen it. I go to baggage claim (as the rest of the crew goes to the hotel) and wait, and wait...AND WAIT. Conveyor stops pumping bags out, carousel comes to a stop, passengers have disappeared, still no frigging bike bag.

I talk with the Alaska Baggage Claim guy and lay out my story & we start our search. Ultimately it's determined it wasn't on my flight (whatthe???). SO hopefully some Menzies guy who is looking to score a bag full of goodies from which to poach some wares is very perplexed when he opens my bike bag (not that they actually EVER do this) and returns it to where he found it (I'm sure it's just an innocent mistake), so that when I return to SEA later this evening all's well (it's going to be a logistical nightmare chasing this down).

Then the S__T will hit the fan.

For now, on a great day back east I will bide my time getting a workout indoors at he workout center (I shudder) and get out for a good look at what our Nations Capital has to offer for the next 6 hours (before I must catch the bus back to the airport).

If - and that's a big IF - my bike has been lost to baggage claim heaven then perhaps it'll be my chance to upgrade from my old Pocket Rocket to a Ritchey Break- Away or some other cool new collapsible bike with S&S couplers like the Co-Motion Co-Pilot Expresso (ummm tasty!) or Rodriguez Six Pack (ummm thirsty for that one too!).

But I'll have to await the outcome of my predicament when I return to SEA this evening before I even begin to entertain another future travel bike.