No White Lies

So, I've been chosen for a jury. It's official (actually it was official last Thursday but since I'm not allowed to talk about anything regarding the trial and all I'm in court all day it makes it rather hard to talk about anything, thus very little blogging). And not just any jury, I don't mess around, my first time on a jury will be on a murder trial...yeah, rather crazy! So, you may be missing some posts from me for the next week or so, but man will I have plenty to say once I'm allowed to!

Anyway, seeing as how I've been chosen for a jury with the end of trial being very much not in the near future I had to buy myself a plane ticket to Kathleen's wedding next weekend. We were originally going to drive half way Thursday night, then the rest of the way to my parents' house Friday morning, go to the rehearsal dinner on Friday night, and then the wedding on Saturday. I, however, have court now until 6:00 everyday, which rather impedes on that driving plan. So, we decided that Sandor would drive up Friday, I would fly up Friday night, and then we can drive back together on Sunday, so as to cut down on the number of flights we need to buy. I got online and found the cheapest one way flight, went to the U.S. Air website to purchase it (I figured just in case I needed to cancel it I would buy it from the actual airline - this turned out to be a VERY good decision), and after going through all the selections and entering my credit card number and such a message comes up that says the transaction cannot be completed, try again in a few minutes.

So, I wait a few minutes and try again. Same message. I then call the number on the screen for assistance and book my flight. Having accomplished that part of my list of things that need to be done now that my schedule of life has been flipped on it's head, I continue on with canceling appointments and such, and at the end of the night head to bed. I'm laying in bed and start thinking about what day (as in number of the day) it is and come to the conclusion that it's the 23rd. At which point I think, 'wait didn't she say my flight was for the 24th, it can't be the 23rd, that is next Thursday'. But I think back through the month and realize it is definitely the 23rd, and I think back through the conversation with the US Air lady and realize she definitely said the 24th. And I realize, as my stomach drops that I just bought a ticket for the next day, not the next week.

Beyond the fact that it's 11:30 the night before I have a ticket to fly to D.C., I realized that the ticket was $134 and the change fee for US Air is $150. Right, that would not be a good use of funds by any stretch of the imagination. So, having no idea where this would take me but realizing there was really nothing else I could do about the situation, I called US Air(I didn't even know if they were open at 11:30pm, but in fact they are). The man confirmed that I did in fact have a ticket for the day that started in 30 minutes. He also confirmed that the change fee was $150. I explained to him that it was totally my fault, when we switched from the computer to the phone purchase I didn't check my calendar and I definitely told the person that the flight she listed for me was correct and to buy the ticket.

Thankfully, he took pity on me and after about 20-30 minutes he figured out how to make the change a continuation of the earlier purchase, and thus incur no fee. It was awesome. I generally don't put airlines into the kind and willing to help category, but US Air totally fit that category last Thursday. He said that because I called back immediately (thanks to Sandor suggesting that maybe they were still open) and I told the truth about it not being the US Airways person's fault (thanks to my parents teaching me not to lie), he could work it out for me. Whoo-hoo!

So, to all of those who say that you can only get out of things by lying, I provide this example for your consideration. That little white lie may have cost me $150! In fact, many a person told me to lie during my jury duty interviews so that I didn't get on the jury. Beyond the fact that I just can't imagine lying outright to people, and I certainly can't imagine lying under oath, I have found the whole thing to be rather interesting. And although I'm missing work for a week plus, it will still be there when I get back, so instead I'll get a little break from the normalcy and work and be involved in a process, that most likely I'll never be involved in again. So take that white lies. Have a good week...and wish me jury deliberation luck...when we eventually get to the deliberation phase of the process!