Unfortunately, this trip was less than fun. It started with my conversation with a TSA agent at my departure gate. As he checked my driver's license, he noticed it was two months out of date. While that meant I could still travel, I knew my plans for a rental car were likely scrapped.
After waiting in a long line at National Car Rental at my Columbus, OH destination (OSU was hosting Michigan in football the coming day) I did my best to ply the National agent, but Ohio law prevented them, or anyone else, from renting me a car. Thus, I took a cab to my crappy Holiday Inn Express.
Hungry from my trip, I walked outside to grab a bite. Options were a Tim Horton's, a Big Boy, a Wendy's, and a grocery store. I opted for the grocery store, got some baked chicken, and made the most of it in my room. Ah, the glamour of business travel.
I set up a taxi ride for the next morning to take me to my appointment, and headed off to bed. I slept like a champ, took a descent run on the hotel's crappy treadmill (it was just too cold outside for a run), and got ready for my taxi.
At my appointed hour, no taxi was there. I went to the front desk, but that person was working solo and was doing the best she could. With the game in town, most taxis were around the stadium, and I was at the opposite end of town. Finally, about 20 minutes late, my cab arrived to take me to my appointment.
After a 10 minute drive we arrived, and I pulled out my credit card to pay. The cabbie waived me off, and demanded cash (holy cow, it is 2014). I grabbed my money clip and paid the man, got a receipt, and got on my way.
Everything was going good at my appointment until I got up and for some reason grabbed my own butt and realized that I didn't have my wallet. I don't carry any of my cash in my wallet (save for an emergency $20), but my out-of-date ID was in there, and I wasn't sure how I was going to board my return flight without it. Managing the best I could despite my growing panic, we retraced my steps, exhausted all options, and realized it was likely left in the cab.
Thanks to the receipt the cabbie gave me, I had the number to the cab company. While conversations were very strained (English was not the first language of any of the people with whom I talked), I was able to discern that my wallet has been found. Unfortunately, the cab was back at OSU making a killing, and he wasn't leaving anytime soon. When he did, he'd need to charge me for the trip back to me.
Fine. I just need my ID. Everything else I can deal with.
I had the cab pick me up at the end of my appointment, and he actually arrived early. He told me a subsequent fare found it - "they are black people - very bad" but to his surprise they gave him my wallet. And at that point he handed this over to me:
Between the cabbie and the fare that found it, you know what was missing from my wallet? Not a damn thing.
It cost me $60 for a fare back to me to get it, but at least I was able to get home last night.
Whoever it was that found my wallet, I hope their football team won yesterday.