funny van stories?

[Jack Mehoff]

OK heard this one from a CO crew while shooting the breez jumpseating-

Early mornig show, CO crew and mesa crew sharing a van from the hotel.
The mesa capy aparently "always gets the front seat"
Anways all are in the van and the cappy gets there last. He tells a CO fa that is in the front seat, that shes in his seat. She thinks hes joking and plays it off. Next thing you know he tells her hes "pulling rank" and tells her to move to the back of the van. after some words she just gets in the back of the van! The mesa crew is horrified. Aparently this is a well known story at CO any truth to this?? wow WTF?

Any good van stories?

 

[ERfly]

I got left out in front of the airport in ORF one night for 45 minutes in the cold and rain by the DoubleTree. I was TDY'd there and the only one in my crew having to go to the hotel. It turns out the van was on the other side of the airport waiting for a Northwest crew. After the 3rd call to the hotel, the van finally comes over to pick me up. I get in and proceed to get bitched out by the Northwest crew because they had to circle back to get me. The van driver did not apologize and defended his position that he "just got here, yo." I blew off the NW crew and did say anything when I got in. We started back to the hotel when a call came on the radio that the driver had a pick-up at Hooters, once the crews got back to the hotel. He proceeds to turn into Hooters and waits out in front. After about 6 minutes or so, the NW captain begins yelling again (rightfully so, this time) and the driver holds his position that they guy will be right out. Finally the driver pulls off (quite pissed at this point, too). The NW captain states that he has a short over night and can't believe that 20 minutes after block-in, he's still not at the hotel yet. I just smiled and said "Buddy, I've been blocked-in for over an hour." He was kinda shocked and just said, "Wow! You're a lot nicer than I would have been."

Upon arriving at the hotel, I complained about the service to the manager. The driver came by and still stood by his, "I just got there, yo." Long story, short, I got free breakfast out of it. I still can't stand that hotel.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

OK heard this one from a CO crew while shooting the breez jumpseating-

Early mornig show, CO crew and mesa crew sharing a van from the hotel.
The mesa capy aparently "always gets the front seat"
Anways all are in the van and the cappy gets there last. He tells a CO fa that is in the front seat, that shes in his seat. She thinks hes joking and plays it off. Next thing you know he tells her hes "pulling rank" and tells her to move to the back of the van. after some words she just gets in the back of the van! The mesa crew is horrified. Aparently this is a well known story at CO any truth to this?? wow WTF?

Any good van stories?

:laugh:

 

[fastbird]

Actually had a NW crew tell us the van was only for them and that we'd have to wait for the van to come back for us. They looked highly peeved when our crew of three got in there first. After we're all in the van, one of their FA's taps her Captain on the shoulder and says..."when did we have to start riding in with other crews?"

 

[ERfly]

I got left out in front of the airport in ORF one night for 45 minutes in the cold and rain by the DoubleTree. I was TDY'd there and the only one in my crew having to go to the hotel. It turns out the van was on the other side of the airport waiting for a Northwest crew. After the 3rd call to the hotel, the van finally comes over to pick me up. I get in and proceed to get bitched out by the Northwest crew because they had to circle back to get me. The van driver did not apologize and defended his position that he "just got here, yo." I blew off the NW crew and did say anything when I got in. We started back to the hotel when a call came on the radio that the driver had a pick-up at Hooters, once the crews got back to the hotel. He proceeds to turn into Hooters and waits out in front. After about 6 minutes or so, the NW captain begins yelling again (rightfully so, this time) and the driver holds his position that they guy will be right out. Finally the driver pulls off (quite pissed at this point, too). The NW captain states that he has a short over night and can't believe that 20 minutes after block-in, he's still not at the hotel yet. I just smiled and said "Buddy, I've been blocked-in for over an hour." He was kinda shocked and just said, "Wow! You're a lot nicer than I would have been."

Upon arriving at the hotel, I complained about the service to the manager. The driver came by and still stood by his, "I just got there, yo." Long story, short, I got free breakfast out of it. I still can't stand that hotel.

Forgot to mention that the driver had rap music blaring the whole time.

 

[Mookie]

Got to the overnight...called for the van, and the hotel said that they didn't have anyone to pick us up b/c the van dude, aka Supafly, was in jail. Luckily the gate agent took pity on us and gave us a ride. Got a free dinner and drinks out of the deal. Ahhhhh, boy I miss VCT!!

Mookie

 

[Midnight Flyer]

OK heard this one from a CO crew while shooting the breez jumpseating-

Early mornig show, CO crew and mesa crew sharing a van from the hotel.
The mesa capy aparently "always gets the front seat"
Anways all are in the van and the cappy gets there last. He tells a CO fa that is in the front seat, that shes in his seat. She thinks hes joking and plays it off. Next thing you know he tells her hes "pulling rank" and tells her to move to the back of the van. after some words she just gets in the back of the van! The mesa crew is horrified. Aparently this is a well known story at CO any truth to this?? wow WTF?

Any good van stories?

So let me get this straight, the Mesa capt. told a Continental flight attendant to get out of his seat when she was clearly already sitting in the front seat and was there before him? How can a person at one airline pull rank over somebody from a different airline? WTF? I would have thought he was joking, too.

At my prior airline, we had a guy like that too. if you decided to take the front seat, this capt would pull you out and take it. One time this capt tried this with a new fo who didn't know him, and the new guy wasn't havin' it. He told the capt to get lost and stayed in his seat. Of course, he got a call from the company, and mgmt stood by the captain!! Mgmt pulled this bs that states "the captain is responsible for the crew, even on the overnights, and the captain is still in charge, must report to your captain, show respect, bla bla bla".

I've even been told that back in the old days, crusty old Pan Am captains would have the other crewmembers carry their kitbags for them. Ha ha. I promise you that if something like that ever happened to me, the capt. would have a long day of making phone calls to the airport on the phone in hopes of tracking his bag down!!

I'm just glad the "god" complex that alot of captains used to have is gone. Sure, some people like the Mesa guy above still slip through the cracks.

 

[NCFlyer]

Many years ago in ISP my crew & I were in the hotel van waiting for "another crew". Out walks an American crew that tells us that we have to get out of their van because they don't share van rides with other crews. My captain proceeds to tell the American crew that he'll get out when they drag him out. The driver doesn't want to get involved. After what seemed like an eternity of them looking at us and we looking at them my captain says to the other crew "you guys getting in or not?". They refuse to get in, we close the doors and drive off leaving them standing on the curb.

As for Mr. "I always get the front seat", I'd tell him to be first to the van or he takes whatever seat is available. Otherwise he can just pound sand.

 

[NEDude]

Waited for quite a while for the van in SBN one night. Finally he shows up. He proceeds to apologize for being late but they had a small accident with the van at the hotel. Seems he slid on some ice and hit a big concrete planter near the front door. Not a big deal, we had a decent overnight. He continues on about how he hates the hotel and his boss wants to fire him over the incident because he now had to go take a drug test. I said that taking a drug test is normal after an accident, even a minor one, so it's no big deal. His response? "They only want me to take it because they know I am going to fail".

 

[FN FAL]

Forgot to mention that the driver had rap music blaring the whole time.

You'd think with all the und and embry riddle grads out there looking for work, you wouldn't have to ride in the van driven by an inner-city urbanite.

 

[Turtlesfly]

CO crew and mesa crew sharing a van from the hotel.
The mesa capy aparently "always gets the front seat"

Hey, I don't know about ya'll, but when I have the chance, I get in the very back of the van and buckle up. You now how some of these people drive - let 'em have the front seat. With the overweight crew members ahead of me and the luggage behind me, I figure I have pretty good odds

 

[coolyokeluke]

Last week I rode with a very funny van driver of middle eastern descent, who proceeded to tell us how his life had become progressively more difficult since his wife had become "Americanized". He then told us that a captain he drove to the airport tipped him with coupons for cookies. In order to get the cookies, you had to call a number. He gave them to his kids, they called the number, and the people on the other end asked what church they went to. He told them to say Baptist (they live in the South), and they received thier cookies in the mail along with a lot of church literature. So the captain had gone to a church, grabbed promotional material, and used it for tips for his van drivers!

 

[DetoXJ]

I recall several years ago walking to catch the van in HPN. There was already a Mesaba crew waiting so when we showed up there we 2 Mesaba crews. A fairly full van pulls up and there is only room for 2. The crusy old MSP captain looks at his FO and says "Lets go". I didn't mind letting the MSP crew go 1st since they had been waiting the longest. The bad part was that he left behind his 2 F/A's and one of them was very pregnant.

 

[Rook]

Forgot to mention that the driver had rap music blaring the whole time.

Oh God forbid...on the van from the AVL airport to the hotel the van driver was blaring C&W. But I didn't complain. Hey the guy was on time.

 

[Rook]

I recall several years ago walking to catch the van in HPN. There was already a Mesaba crew waiting so when we showed up there we 2 Mesaba crews. A fairly full van pulls up and there is only room for 2. The crusy old MSP captain looks at his FO and says "Lets go". I didn't mind letting the MSP crew go 1st since they had been waiting the longest. The bad part was that he left behind his 2 F/A's and one of them was very pregnant.

No no there's two O's in TOOL boys.

 

[difete]

Landed at TXK where the van driver was excited telling us that it was a big day in town, cause it is possum mating season!

 

[DX Rick]

One day I got into the front seat of the van. The van driver looked at me with a smile and asked me how I was doing. I couldn't believe the nerve of this guy, so I punched him in the nose.........TWICE!!!!!

 

[AvroSucks]

I recall several years ago walking to catch the van in HPN. There was already a Mesaba crew waiting so when we showed up there we 2 Mesaba crews. A fairly full van pulls up and there is only room for 2. The crusy old MSP captain looks at his FO and says "Lets go". I didn't mind letting the MSP crew go 1st since they had been waiting the longest. The bad part was that he left behind his 2 F/A's and one of them was very pregnant.

Sounds like a Kruegger story to me

 

[jetstream]

We're in the van on the way to the airport in the far left lane of the interstate doing about 70 mph. The FA is in the front row, I'm in the middle, and my FO is sitting in back. I'm beginning to smell smoke and just as I'm about to say somehting my FO starts yelling "we're on fire!" I look in the back seat and an electrical wire beneath the carpet is glowing red hot and has set the carpet on fire. The van is filling with smoke and we are all coughing. I yell at the lady driving to pull over. She makes her way the the right hand emergency lane and we all bale out of the van. I ran around to the back and started grabbing our bags and tossing them out on the side of the road. Meanwhile as the driver is calling the front desk on her Nextel my FO finds a fire extinguisher and attacks the fire. He comes out of the van with his uniform covered in white powder. A few minutes later the fire truck shows up followed by another van from the hotel. We duty in 30 minutes late and reaking of smoke but otherwise unscathed.

 

[Dash8301]

Okay two stories.

1st was in SDF when I was flying with this CA who is somewhat paranoid. We get out of the van and as this CA gets out he hits the lock button. Well the driver hadn't yet got to the back to open the back, and the FA and I had already gotten out of the sliding side door. All of our bags are now locked inside the running van. It took the Hotel 1 and 1/2 hours to find a backup key and get it to the airport.

2nd we were in RDU and we had been waiting for the van and the driver asked us if we would wait for a DELTA crew. We said sure no problem. This DELTA CA comes out and demands that we get out because they don't share vans. My Ca calmly gets out and proceeds to pull bags out of the back. When he is though he hops back in and tells the Delta CA not to worry anouther van will be by shortly.