LIMO LINES: Wrong Airport?

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick representing the U.S. at the United Nations Security Council in 1984.

27 May, 2014
Houston

Everybody makes mistakes!
To err is human... to forgive IS NOT COMPANY POLICY!

Many people have the misconception that just because you drive for a living, you must be short of brains. Did they not ever consider that it might be BECAUSE of those brains that you are entrusted with a very expensive automobile and the lives of the rich, powerful, and famous?

Its PERCEPTION!

Some people get into a lower-level position of power, and they enjoy the pleasure brought about by giving others pain. My mother called these kinds of people "straw-bosses." In the old days in the south, down on the plantation, these unhappy souls, wearing a straw hat, would sit high above the field upon a horse (a high-horse) and oversee and boss around the field workers. You had to make the boss-man happy, lest you gets a whippin'.

One day in 1984 I got to meet someone I admired very much: Jeane Kirkpatrick. At the time, she was the first American woman ever to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations. I picked her and her group up at a fancy hotel with instructions to take her to Moisant International Airport (MSY).

All went well (what COULD go wrong on an airport job?) until we arrived on the Airport Access Road off of Interstate 10. A junior member of Ms. Kirkpatrick's team said in a loud voice to me: "Oh, driver! Do you know where you're going?" (YES, to HELL if I don't pray!)

This wasn't my first airport transfer, by any means. It was just my most prestigious one up to that time.
It was quite obvious the young man intended to humiliate me, and seemed to enjoy it. Kindness and respect are two things in short supply in Washington, D.C.

"You were given clear instructions to take us to LAKEFRONT Airport... This quite obviously is MOISANT!" Guess he told ME!

Everybody in the car stopped talking immediately. All eyes were upon me, drilling holes in the back of my head. If he set out to embarrass me, he did a fantastic job. Beads of sweat began to form on my forehead, and I began to panic, breathing hard. Traffic was heavy and fast at this point, with cars and taxis jostling for position as we approached the terminal. Nevertheless, I couldn't help myself - I gave a quick, sidelong glance down at my tripsheet, lying on the empty front seat beside me.

It said clearly "Airport Transfer - MSY".

"Sir, " I replied, "I was given no such instructions. I was told to take you to Moisant." I knew I'd catch it if I caused a U.N. Delegation to be late for a flight. Leave it to me to screw up things royally!

"Call your dispatch. You are definitely wrong." he continued, in such a surly, arrogant tone as to annoy the others, who told him to calm down.

Up spoke Ms. Kirkpatrick, addressing the young twit: "Don't you READ your MEMOS? We've changed airports to Moisant!" she told him, in an almost scolding tone. I breathed a deep sigh of relief...

I pulled over to the curb of the dropoff point, and assisted the group with their luggage, handing the bags over to a skycap who had just come over.

While doing so, and to my surprise, Ms. Kirkpatrick herself came up to me and said: "I'd like to apologize for Mr. ___; he was way out of line. I'm very sorry, and thanks for the ride!" She was so kind, and her words of apology were sincere, and soothed my frayed nerves.


On December 9, 2006, I heard the sad news that Ms. Kirkpatrick had passed away the previous day. I will remember the time we met, and the kindness she showed me, when others did not.