LAX

Oh my gosh! I can’t believe we did not go to jail! We flew from Idaho Falls into LAX. If you’ve never been to LAX it is like a mini city. It’s crazy big. The airline that takes us directly into Idaho Falls is small and a lot of times has a lot of delays and takes forever to get the bags out on the carousel. But it’s worth it for the direct flight.

We thought it would be more efficient if we got on the shuttle and got the car while we waited for our bag and car seat instead of just waiting. Then drive to the baggage claim, walk in and get our stuff. This SEEMED like a great idea. It was not. We walked out the airport doors and walked right onto the shuttle to our car, which was amazing. So we’re thinking we are awesome and this was a good decision. We had checked the car seat so it was with our bag which we didn’t have to put Krew in. This is VERY illegal in California. If you have a child without a car seat in the car you go to jail for child endangerment! No questions asked it’s automatic! We didn’t think it would be a huge deal since it was just a few seconds. I got in the back and held him. Well… we turn to enter the airport area and what should be there except a checkpoint! They were stopping every car!!! I started to freak out, I pushed Krew down on the floor of the car, Jeff started spewing some choice words and quickly veered into the other lane to avoid the checkpoint plunging us into unknown territory. We went to another entrance, another barricade, we drove all around the looking for a way in. I don’t know what was going on but we couldn’t get back into the airport!

We tried to figure out how to get past the cops. Maybe Jeff could just drop Krew and me off somewhere, but then how would he stay with the car and run in to get the stuff. So much time had passed by now we thought for sure our bags and car seat were in the lost luggage place which would take longer to get and so we couldn’t leave the car that long. So we just kept driving around trying to find a way in. Jeff saw what might be a way in but it was not for regular car use, on top of that we didn’t know if there would be cops around the corner waiting for that lane too. He went through the commercial/ bus lines then Jeff plummeted through supporting pillars and crossed a solid double red line to get to the baggage claim. So he pulled up to the curb and I jumped out but not before I buckled Krew into a seat belt and prayed Jeff could loiter in the passenger pick up and not have to exit. I was also praying Krew would not wiggle out of the seat belt and open the back door! It was crazy stressful. So then I start running full speed up and down the baggage claim looking for the Allegiant counter to get our stuff. Remember how it’s a small airline? They don’t have a baggage counter. I ask information, they sent me to Delta thinking they could help, Delta says sometimes they have one person in this side room and if nobody is there I need to go upstairs to the ticket counter. So I run back down the corridor to this side room to find nobody. Meanwhile Jeff is outside by the car with his phone to his ear talking to no one and waving to people coming out the doors acting like he was family to pick them up in order to avoid getting a ticket for loitering in the pick-up lane. As I am inside running to the elevator to get upstairs I glance again at one of the carousels and what should I see, the car seat! I squealed and grabbed it and then I saw our bag! I grabbed them both and bolted for the door hoping Jeff was still there and not in hand cuffs with child protective services. He was there frantically waving and smiling.