The away from home construction job was in a place known as Mt. Buller in the Australian state of Victoria. It’s one of those very rare places in Australia that offers on a somewhat limited yearly time frame that exotic pleasure known as skiing. What reminded me of Mt. Buller was a phone conversation with a friend who today recounted the escapades of a house guest who suffered both delayed and rerouted flights on his New York to Florida journey.
Mickey was a great bricklayer but that honored title paled to what he was really good at……chronic alcohol abuse. Job complete the construction crew bussed it from Mt. Buller to excitedly board the flight out of Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport with the destination of Adelaide happily on both mind and lips as family members were to be there awaiting arrival. Unfortunately for all Mickey had allready imbibed to the point of nuisance.
“Sir if you don’t fasten your seatbelt I will have to inform the Captain of your refusal to do so.”
That’s what the stewardess informed Mickey who immediately responded with that very traditional Australian response…….
“Get stuffed”
And so as promised the stewardess brought the planes Captain down from the cockpit to insist that Mickey fasten his yet unfastened safety belt in order that he might safely guide his aircraft through take off.
Mickey hit the poor unsuspecting Skipper so hard he went unconscious and calmly laid down and went to sleep in the aisle causing an incredibly long wait for the EMTs to arrive to help the skipper off the aircraft. It was a longer wait still for the police to remove Mickey from the seat that he had promptly seat belted himself into. None of this was even close to the time it took to locate a new Captain to pilot the flight to Adelaide.
After the police hauled Mickey away I never did hear what happened to him and I truthfully hope I don’t have a similar story to tell of our friend when he heads back to N.Y. next week……
