Chapter 47 Air Travel

The young mechanic drove Ronald to downtown Los Angeles and told him that there was a Greyhound bus station here and he could buy a ticket to take the bus out of Los Angeles.

Carrying the US Army backpack left by his uncle Steve, Ronald found the Greyhound bus terminal.

The lights in the hall were not bright enough, which just concealed the lack of maintenance of the interior decoration. There was also an iron fence by the ticket window.

Ronald carefully looked at the bus map on the wall. There was a bus to Las Vegas, and then he could transfer there and go all the way east to New York.

He bought a Greyhound ticket to Las Vegas, walked out of the ticket hall, and prepared to wait for the bus.

It started to rain, and Ronald put down his backpack, took out the M65 windbreaker left by his Uncle Steve, and put it on.

The Marine Corps version is darker in color than the Army version, and it is wind and rainproof. Paired with jeans and a pair of New Balance running shoes on his feet, it is very suitable for outdoor hiking.

The Greyhound Bus Terminal in downtown Los Angeles is notorious for its poor environment. There are garbage and stagnant water puddles on the street, and the smell is terrible.

Ronald was looking for a waiting station, and suddenly someone spoke behind him.

"Hand over your money obediently, or you will be in trouble."

Turning around, two black guys were looking at him. The smaller one was holding a knife to threaten him.

Ronald quickly looked around and at the same time said, "Here, don't hurt me," while putting the change he got from buying tickets on the ground and backing away.

The smaller one squatted down to pick up the money, but the taller one rushed up. Ronald was alert and carefully avoided him and put him on the ground with a limp. Then he picked up his backpack and ran away. The taller one got up and chased him, and with a snap, he turned on the switchblade in his hand, and the blade popped out.

Ronald was shocked, it turned out that he had a switchblade hidden in his hand. If he had been approached just now, this sudden knife would have been difficult to defend against.

Ronald used the US Army bag in his hand to block it, and the bag was pierced with a hole. He used his bag to stir the knife of the tall man.

Ronald then turned and ran away, and the short man also caught up with him.

However, the two men seemed to be running out of energy. Ronald ran faster and faster, and in a blink of an eye, he left them out of sight.

The Greyhound ticket was lost somewhere during the fight, the change was robbed, and the backpack of the American soldier left by Uncle was also cut. Ronald never dared to go back to the city center to take the Greyhound bus again.

His house has been returned, and the car has been sold, so he still has to leave Los Angeles as soon as possible.

Before he knew it, Ronald had run out of the dangerous area of ​​the city center and ran to the vicinity of the University of Southern California.

There was a travel agency on the side of the road. Ronald walked in and asked the staff to pour him a glass of water in shock.

The lady on duty today had the label on her chest showing that her name was Samantha.

Samantha saw that Ronald was sweating and there was a hole in his bag, and immediately realized that he had been robbed.

"Since the President took office in 1977, the public security in the city center has been getting worse and worse."

Ronald thanked Samantha and turned to look at the travel agency. Seeing the billboard advertising discounted air tickets at the door, she asked, "Can I buy a direct ticket to New York?"

"Of course. What time do you want? Um... sir."

"My name is Ronald, Ronald Lee. The sooner, the better."

Samantha made a few phone calls. "The earliest flight is National Airlines at 8:35 tomorrow morning, arriving at New York JFK Airport at 5 pm Eastern Time. The fare is $128."

Ronald calculated that if he didn't take a plane, the cheapest used car would cost more than $200, and it was also a question whether a $200 broken car could last to New York.

"Okay, I want a ticket for tomorrow morning." Ronald took out some cash.

"Last year, Congress passed a bill to cancel the government's guidance price for airlines. This year's air tickets are much cheaper, which is a good time to travel."

After sending and receiving several faxes, Samantha printed out a ticket and gave it to Ronald.

"Will I be in time to get to the airport at 6:30 tomorrow morning?" Ronald blurted out.

"Why do you have to go so early? You can just get to the airport 20 minutes early."

Seeing that it was Ronald's first time to fly, Samantha gave him some general knowledge.

"Go to the check-in counter and give your ticket to the staff for check-in. If you don't smoke, you can ask for a non-smoking area. By the way, it's best to ask for a window seat for your first time on a plane."

"Lunch will be provided on the plane, and it's free."

"There are newspapers and magazines on the plane, but I suggest you bring a book to kill time. It's also a good idea to chat with your seatmates."

"You can call a taxi in advance tomorrow morning. If you want to save money, you can also take the Airport Express."

"Where is the Airport Express?"

"Van Nuys."

Ronald took the plane ticket, took the bus to Van Nuys, and found a Super 8 hotel not far from the Airport Express to stay.

In the afternoon, he walked around the street casually and saw several locations where "Rock n Roll High School" was shot and the telephone booth where he made his acting debut. 'It was nice to spend the last day in Los Angeles.'

Remembering Walter Murch's advice, Ronald found a movie theater to watch the most popular movies and cultivate his aesthetic intuition.

The most popular movie now is the new film by Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award winner Laurence Olivier.

The title of the movie is "A Little Romance". On the poster, Laurence Olivier is wearing a formal suit and pointing at a little girl and saying, "She is the new Grace Kelly of the future."

"Hmm? Being praised by the old Oscar winner, it seems that her acting skills are amazing."

"I'll buy a ticket for A Little Romance."

"It's a good movie." Ronald didn't doze off again this time.

An American girl went to Paris with her mother to work and met the son of a local taxi driver. When they were dating, they befriended a old guy played by Laurence Olivier.

He said that if a couple went to Venice to take a gondola and kissed under the Sunset Bridge, they would love each other for life. The two went to Venice and kissed under the Sunset Bridge to seal their love. After Ronald had left the movie theater, he found the director's column on the movie poster.

George Roy Hill, the Oscar-winning director of "The Sting" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," brings you "A Little Romance."

It turns out to be another Oscar-winning director. Ronald wrote the name down in his notebook and plans to watch more of his movies in the future.

The next morning, Ronald went out early, took the Airport Express, and arrived at Los Angeles International Airport.

Just as Samantha, the travel agency employee, said, the check-in procedure was very simple. Ronald took his ticket and lined up at the check-in counter.

"Non-smoking area, window."

The employee searched for his name on a huge computer. A sticker with his seat number was affixed to his ticket, and he was allowed to pass.

"Please board the plane at Gate 4."

Ronald, wearing a suit and sunglasses, passed the gate and entered the cabin door. There was a couple saying goodbye outside the cabin door. Another person who was seeing off the guests was at the cabin door, waving his hands desperately at the cabin.

He found his seat. The stewardess helped him put his bag into the suitcase. Ronald took off his sunglasses and began to look around.

The stewardess saw his uneasiness. "Is this your first time on a plane, sir?"

"It's my first time travelling by air..."

After wiping his face with the hot towel handed to him by the stewardess, Ronald looked around. There were not many people on the plane, and about half of the seats were not full.

There was a faint smell of cigarettes coming from the back of the cabin. Looking back, I saw several passengers puffing out of a cigarette.

Hey, there is no partition between the non-smoking area and the smoking area.

After a while, the captain began to broadcast, "Good morning, passengers, I am the captain of this flight..."

The engine made a huge noise, and Ronald stared out of the window. A strong sense of pushing back came over him, and with a pause, the plane left the ground and began to rise.

"This is exciting."