e. ‘about my recent: “trip” to: Las _ Vegas: ‘they. are. fob on: me. when. Id flown “into the car to:drive a “late” : “kid to'school. You can guess . “White Spot, an ex-client of. . his had sat-at the next table. (White having lunch at the’ ‘do with cancelled flights!. ; - Silverwing, had “anything. to - Tisking a black eye!. For “w _. the-first time in my life; ip oe “returned - “from® the: airport: with exactly the - ‘same amount of money” nightgown, curling boots. . ‘I. left with, simply” pushed ‘us to ‘the opposite. ~ ‘because, we: mever got end. of the: bridge.: The two -- “off the © ground.” | Ntruck arrived: and'charged us. _ $16,50- to haul the beast to the garage. -The-taxi to the ~ ‘airport Cost” $15, including it ever a vacation started out on the wrong foot, this tip. Las one did. For starters, we left. . : > mS “the house in my.car. Anyone - The bridge. (highway) oe “who. knows. “Barbara's Little -Lemon” knows-that one of “it’s. charms. is: making - un- Scheduled stops. ‘patrol officers were. great! “They saw. us ‘safelyon our way. with sympathy © and “The” air in North Van- couver: “was. clear. - lots: of ‘stars and. a “big. half-moon: Well, sat’ least until .the Second. Narrows Bridge. ‘By ‘the. timewe turned on the. “north. end... the - fog. had “descended: with a dull thad. Misibility, - perhaps 25 - feet. Lots of traffic, though - and . cabs). . . With one “of my y deepest the airport in time (we ‘thought!) for our 10:30 p.m. all of them-screaming along flight. Racing. through -ata good clip: - oo _ _-American immigration at the a * airport, we scuttled for the” Half-way across the escalator and the departure bridge,” with no warning lounge where everyone was except a. death. rattle, waiting. The. plan, we were “Lemonade” conked out! ; told, was to bus us to Ab- botsford airport because Vancouver thoroughly socked-in. We couldn't care less, as long as we arrived in “I don’t believe itt”, Brian, dolefully. said ‘“T do," I replied, counting on my fingers the times that this piece of tin has done the | same thing (once before on the Second Narrows, twice in Stong's parking lot, once on the. Upper Levels highway, once in heavy traffic downtown and‘ once. near the cement plant.) Each time .has found me. feciting words I learned ‘out of smutty books and taking a hike. Each time was almost as if planned to give me the maximum opportunity for rage - including - missed sidize Nevada's economy. Within ten minutes came the announcement: “We are . very sorry but all flights.have been cancelled. Please be at . for your flight. You may depart the way you came it. _Anyone.. requiring tran- them at the desk where you checked in. Your luggage will be at carousel number 7." "what Iwas wearing! Right - a: ‘caftan,: husband's sweater end: old . ” The: ‘pridge satrol kindly i gloomily,. “That does it. One “ ‘unlimited use of their phone. °. They got us a. cab - that . arrived in minutes - and the . best and fastest cabbie I've ~ ‘ever had the ‘pleasure’ of © sae. with (Capol Hill sighs of relief, we arrived at -— , Las Vegas in time to sub-— the airport tomorrow night . .sportation vouchers may get. appointments, pelting rain, fog or a carload of frozen food dripping in the trunk. It never happens on a nice sunny day when I’m out for a simple pleasure jaunt. It _ waits until I have a carload - of kids, groceries or a plane What a. stunned-looking group of holidayers! And, what an insight on human nature! I started to laugh and was rewarded with a few ugly looks. Brian said, “I knew it! Ever since we saw - that guy at lunch, I knew this day was going to be a ‘It depressed him because his. client had given ‘him no end: of, trouble with a. ‘property: - “transfer afew years back. At - the: ‘time, Brian © said, M cCreadie - look at him and I've lost my a ~ enthusiasm!”) <" One lady took off her Silverwing badge and flung it at the nearest wall. As if _ “announced, ~seven. But, a Tot ‘of people -were side-tracked by a sign . No ' one: Sat. ‘the. airport - . seemed: to ‘know. what t6 do with -us. One: person- ‘told : us” all to’ head down to where we came in. When. ‘we got there, an. officious- ‘woman told ‘us, * “You -can’t”.come . ‘through here! You've got to. go back. re the other way!” : : — aN When we tried to 20 5 back, : --we-got. stopped. ‘by another _ '- airline employee, who told US just the Opposite. The luggage turned. up. as carousel at -the bottom’ of the escalator that 'said: “Pacific Western”. I got smart and checked the bags that were ‘ “incoming. : All had “YVR” ', tags, the in meaning. that . baggage. was arriving. . Vancouver from another ‘destination. We found “seven’ "and grabbed bags. “Brian, why don’t we go and, have a drink in the lounge?” - . “Yeah.” “Should we. phone the kids?” we “Yeah.” weekend. because ‘he’s spent’. nearly “Bat. the | thing that made me the most angry was this: When ‘we got in our cab to -" come home, the weather was: Visibility” “was” - unlimited. The stars and that _stupid-: moon’: were: oright! -there, and I think c they were ._ ‘laughing? me "perfect. s When I called’ ‘Silverwing the next day, I was told that. alternate bookings would be - available. On a hunch, I called Tripmakers and Suntours - both companies caught in the same bind. CP Air had waited quite a bit: longer to - cancel their charters but by. four p.m. it was clear that no airline charter was moving. The tour managers were tearing their hair. : The figure I heard regarding misplaced ‘Summer service only for ferry | Passenger and automobile service on CP Rail’s Van- couver-Nanaimo ferry route will be suspended during the winter, effective January 4, demand during .the winter season | makes the operation uneconomic. “Because of the expanded 1980, it was announced. vessel capacity and service recently. The service will provided by the B.C. Ferry resume in mid-May and Corporation, our service continue through the suspension should - present summer travel season. no major inconvenience to the public.” Purdy said. In announcing the decision, Ray Purdy, general The Princess of Van- manager, Coastal Marine couver, CP ~ Rail's' only Operations for CP Rail said passenger-carrying ferry, the decline in ‘market makes three round-trips daily betweey Vancouver and Nanaimo. CP Rail will continue to operate its commercial ferry service carrying trailers and rail cars between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. * . Two drinks each set” us: "back $10. The kids were mad | . becausé they . thought. they”. “had: gotten. rid -of-us ‘for’ a oe ‘Brian: ‘was - mad © $50 dollars (including’ taxis ~’ -and: tow, truck). for exactly “nothing. I was'‘mad because... “it was the first ‘time’ in-a year: that. we. might have had a & »