Sunday, May 27, 2007

Danté Missed One: The Frankfurt Airport


I might be exaggerating here, because what should have been Danté’s 10th Circle of Hell really isn’t a circle. It’s more a never ending series of connected escalators, walkways and a skytram, but every path leads in someway to more of the same.

Erin is waiting when I wander off the plane. That is a wonderful sight. We eat and then start our Long March around the airport to find our rental car company which is listed on the confirmation as being outside of the airport. After a fruitless hour, we are no closer to finding our car company, but at least we have located the car rental section of the airport. We sidle up to one of the car rental counters and I break out my best German.

“Excuse me, can you (polite form) tell me where I can find Dollar Rent-a-car” She has no idea, she lists off all of the rental car companies that have desks in the airport gesturing to each counter as she does so. Off we set again. 1,000 bags filled with shoes in tow. A kindly lady tells us to go to another terminal, another car rental person tells us to go downstairs to E9 – whatever that might be. We follow all directions and get no closer to our prize. We come across an information booth; I go to ask and the woman behind the counter points to the corner and tells me there is a phone. A nice big phone with a sign under it that says “Dollar Rent A Car;” we have probably passed this phone several times. I pick up the phone and it connects directly; we are saved. We pull our cart and its mountainous pile of luggage outside and wait in the Departures section of the airport for our shuttle – because when you think rental car pick-up you think Departure!

3 comments:

Dan Scheeler said...

Germany has Dollar Rent-a-Car? It's not Euro Rent-a-Car? You're smuggling pickled dilly beans (or was it dilly pickled beans) into the EU?

I'm guessing the fact that you're blogging means that Scott (and the computer) made it to Germany. It's good to know that I can use my young-uns to line jump airport security - thanks for the tip!

Alexis said...

Thanks Dan. How can I post more than one photo?

Dan Scheeler said...

Do you want to add more than one photo to a post? When you click on the Add Image button in the editor, the pop-up window should have a link that reads "Add another image." Click on this as many times as you'd like to add fields to upload additional images.

If this doesn't work or make sense, feel free to email me.