Mrs. Muttrox is away for the weekend. The family drove to the airport to drop her off. Arriving there, I pulled alongside the curb near a walkway to let out Mrs. Muttrox. She said goodbye to the children. We both got out, exchanged hugs and kisses and well wishes. She walked to her terminal and I got back in the car.
As I got ready to pull out I saw one of the bicycle police coming down the curb. I waited for him to pass so I could pull out, giving him a little nod as he passed. To my surprise he came over to my car and started yelling at me.
“There’s not an airport in the world that you can do this at! You are parked in front of a yellow line! There is a sign in front of you and a sign in back of you that say active loading only! Why do you think you can just sit here waiting to pick someone up!?”
“What?”
“This is an active loading zone only, you cannot wait for your passenger!”
“I’m very sorry, I thought dropping someone off meant the same as active loading. It doesn’t?”
“You were not dropping someone off, you were waiting!”
“I just dropped my wife off ten seconds ago. She just walked into the terminal.”
“I have this book of tickets and it isn’t for fun. This is against the law, you did not drop someone off!”
“I just did!” (I’m starting to get worked up) “I just pulled up and dropped her off and now I’m leaving!”
The policeman yells to himself about people or something and walks to the back of the van. I am getting ready to point out that (a) I was outside of the van and pickups don’t do that (b) he can call the airline and see her ticket (c) he can ask my kids in the back of the van why we came to the airport (d) he can call Mrs. Muttrox’s phone and ask her, etc, but he keeps on going and walks down the line yelling to himself.
I pull out. Or rather try to, between the stress of arguing with the cop and the kids yelling at me wanting to know if I’m going to jail I forget to release the parking brake and can’t figure out why I’m not moving for a good fifteen seconds, during which I am more stressed because I am convinced the cop is going to see me sitting there and come back for Round 2.
I love the airport.