SubscribeTouchdown in the USA. A swift passage through Customs. On my own - and loving it.
With all my commentary about the driving style in India you would expect that reaching US soil I would be the model of good road behavior.
No so!
I made myself laugh as I realized that as soon as I was free to push my own wheelchair, without the attendant crowds of "helpers" who have swarmed me over the past three weeks, I sped through the crowd at JFK darting, dodging, and feinting like a New Delhi taxi driver. I must have looked like the teenagers from the 'hoods here in California who use the freeway traffic around them (all traveling at 70 + MPH) as "stationary" pylons while they play race car driver.
A couple generations ago my peers came back from India transformed by encounters with gurus and rhapsodizing on higher states of consciousness. I only seem to have turned into a second-rate livery jockey!
The terminal at the Jet Blue gates looked like an early morning at the ticket counter before a big rock concert - people spread all over the floors sleeping.
It turns out that New Dehli was not the only place experiencing unseasonably violent monsoons yesterday. New York and surrounding areas were shut down by rainstorms of up to 4 inches an hour and a tornado watch. I slowed down and picked my way through stranded passengers.
Except for the delay of less than an hour as the plane we were scheduled to use to fly from JFK to long Beach, CA was taken out of service for repairs, the trip proceeded smoothly. I was especially appreciative of the candor of the Jet Blue staff - and the discipline and courtesy of my fellow passengers some of whom were quite obviously wearing brave faces as they waited on Standby and us newcomers got flights out before they did.
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