People, Places: Raison d’être

Experience Life

First Impressions of Louisville Kentucky

Hot and muggy. It was 88 degrees and very humid when I arrived in Louisville just before 11 p.m. on Sunday night. The small airport had little activity. I think our flight was the last to arrive for the evening. As I walked to baggage claim, I saw advertisements that indicated what to there is to know about the local market: Kentucky Derby, Mint Julip, Louisville Slugger. What else is Kentucky known for?  I gave it some thought, and then I remembered: Bourbon. Once I reached downtown, I quickly learned that Muhammad Ali is from Louisville. A street is named after him, and he seems to have a prominent role in the community.

Oh, I should note, there isn’t a direct flight from Boston to Louisville. I flew USAirways via DCA. The flight from DCA was a commuter plane. The small size with three seat across, and one where nobody over 5’11’’ can stand up straight. The plane was a half hour late, so it was already around 9 p.m. when we were all situated on our tiny plane. It was sweltering hot, and of course the AC wasn’t working.  As luck would have it, I was just about in the last row, so we had  no fresh air circulating in the back of the plane.  I could barely breathe, but the flight attended said the AC would kick on as soon as the engine started.

Just when I thought we would be on our way, the flight attendant tells us the plane is overweight.  I think, isn’t that the story of America these days? Even the plane is overweight!  She informs us that one person must get off of the plane. S/he would receive a $400 voucher, hotel for the rest of the evening (not much left of it at that point) and the unlucky person would be booked on the 5:45 a.m. flight that transferred through Charlotte, NC and arrived in Louisville around 11: 00 a.m. Who in the right mind is getting off a direct flight for that? That’s when the standoff began. She said we would not leave until someone volunteered to get off of the plane.  After about 10 minutes, a guy walked up to the front to get more information. I was hoping he was our hero.  I could barely breathe at that point and beads of sweat were beginning to drip down my back. He returns to his seat, presumably to discuss the option with his wife, and quickly gives the option a thumbs-down.  We all sigh with disappointment.

A few minutes later, the flight attended announces the name of a man who must depart the plane. I have no idea why he was selected. He was sitting behind me.  He was tall and skinny. I ask out loud, how it’s possible that he of all people was going to make a difference. He was maybe 160 pounds, and even he agreed it seemed ridiculous.  Next, the pilot gets off the plane and begins to dig in the baggage compartment.  He brings a few bags on board and stuffs then into the very limited overhead. Small bags by the way. The overhead bins were very small. We are all wondering what the heck is going on at this point.

Then a few minutes after that, the skinny guy that was previously removed boards the plane again.  I guess they also figured removing him really didn’t make a difference.  Now I’m getting concerned. I started to wonder if I should get off of the plane.  One minute they tell us the plain is overweight, and it isn’t safe to fly.  Then they shuffle a few small bags, and it is safe?  I wondered if I was testing fate.  Are commuter pilots really experienced enough to make the call? I wanted Captain Sully. Why didn’t they explain the situation to us?  As a communications professional, I made mental notes of how the situation could have been handled better. First tell us  how much overweight we are and what the repercussions are. I asked the flight attendant for answers. She said the plane was nose heavy, and moving the bags to passenger-level  helped the situation. She said they calculate an average weight per passenger, and we all packed too many bags. She said the pilot did us a favor, and we should thank him.  Thank him for what I wondered. There average calculations didn’t work on this occasion.  I paid for the ticket, and I paid $25 to check my bag. It was not excessive, just a normal bag. Anyway, we eventually took off and landed safely.  The experience was just one more reason that I don’t care for USairways.

My airport cab driver was from Trinidad a spice island I quickly noted.  He was friendly and interested in learning more about the conference that I was in town to attend, so I shared what I knew about ASEE.  As we entered the city, he pointed out contributions by the local university. He was very proud of his city. The airport is about seven miles from the city’s center.

The next day, I walked a few short blocks from the Galt House Hotel to the convention center.  I was on the 22nd floor of the hotel, and I had a nice view of the Ohio River and several bridges. The view remind me of Pittsburgh, but the Ohio River  in Louisville is much wider, brown and muddy looking. Oh, there were also millions of odd bugs that looked like dragon flies but weren’t. They were only by the river, but the pathway had piles of dead bugs and even more flying around. I didn’t stick around to investigate. I decided it was better to walk in the city center.

I had very little free time during the three days I was in town.  I had some free time in the evenings after dinner, and luckily, the sun sets pretty late. I think it was light out until around 10 p.m.  What did I notice?

The town is clean. The architecture of the older buildings also reminded me a bit of Pittsburgh. Perhaps the designers were similar, or they were built in the same years. Not sure.

I noticed parks, public art, and flowers.  The small town boasts an unusually high number of museums and art galleries for its size. In particular, I recommend Art in Proof on Main which was part of the 21 C Museum Hotel.  I have the impression there is a big philanthropic community supporting this art. I also had the impression economic development is a priority for the city.  There are a few chains on fourth street including Hard Rock Café which hit it’s prime about 10 years ago. Most of the businesses near the convention center are there to support tourists. The locals come into the city for work and then quickly depart at the end of the day.  It was really quiet in the evenings. I always felt safe walking around, but there really weren’t many people on the streets. I also noted the lack of retail. There isn’t one single department store in the city. I didn’t see any boutiques or retail shops. OK, CVS and Payless Shoes, but that was it.

If you have plans to visit the city, walk beyond 4th street live towards the Brown hotel and away from the convention center.  There seemed to be a few independent cafes in that area as well as an old theater.  If you read my blog, then you know I prefer local restaurants over chains.

I attended a banquet at Glassworks, which is OK. I wish I had time to explore some of the museums.

Overall, I liked Louisville. I doubt I’ll return anytime soon, but perhaps for the Derby someday.

July 1, 2010 Posted by | Domestic, Travel | , , | Leave a comment