Posted by Steve Clark on March 26, 2002 at 18:54:18:
I shipped out a Conn 46K Sousaphone from NW Vermont to Atlanta today. I shippied via Amtrak and the station here is basically a one-man operation and they evidently don't handle many packages. Here's the sousa-saga. This really happened like this:
I went to the station last night (Monday) to prepare the shipping paper-work and pay
for the horn's ticket south and as I approached the station's front door I thought, "This front door sure looks awfully narrow. I hope they have another access door that's closer to 36"." I walk through the door and tell the guy (who I had spoken with several times about the horn going out) that I have the horn outside and ready to go on the morning southbound.
He replied, "Great! Let's get the paperwork done. Where's the box?"
I respond, "Just outside here. But I don't think it'll make it through this door. Where would you like me to bring it?"
He says, "If it can't make it through that door, I can't take it."
"You're kidding.", I blurt out.
"Fraid not. Lemme take a look."
We head out and he takes one look at the box (It's about the size of a washing machine box) and says, "I can't load that myself it's too heavy."
I lay hold of the box and pick it up (probably weighs 40 lbs tops) and say, "It's not heavy. See. It's just awkward to get a hold of."
The guy looks at me--at the box--at me--and then, stares at the box. "I'm going to hafta charge ya by the cubic foot. It's gonna cost ya."
I say, "That's fine. I just want to get it to Atlanta."
He heads back inside and returns with his yard stick. Up one-side, across the other and over the top he gets what he needs. Rat-a-tat-tat-tat on the calculator and, "That's gonna be 66.79."
"Okay.", say I. I turn to my friend who owns the pick-up truck and say, "Can I meet you here at 7:30 tomorrow morning?"
He's in stitches and says, "No problem." We load the box back onto the truck and I watch his taillights bounce to beat of the truck as he tries to dodge the driveway's
ten-thousand pot-holes.
The Amtrak guy and I adjourn to the inside of the station. Mr. Coffee's red eye's peering from over in the corner filling the air with six-hour old coffee aroma. He asks, "You must want insurance, right?"
"I think so. How much."
"It's gonna cost ya.", he says. I pay him the additional 10 bucks. I tell him that I'll be back by 7:30 in the morning with the box.
TUESDAY 7:30 AM
We arrive at the station that was probably built before the Civil War and unload the box near the entrance. I walk in and there's Mr. Coffee wafting a familiar aroma. I notice the coffee level is a bit lower than it was last night. The Amtrak guy greets me. It's 8 degrees outside. "Ready to send her off?", he says.
"Sure-nuff!", I say.
In walks the engineer and another guy dressed in Amtrak garb. He says, "I heard "Stars And Stripes Forever" when I walked by that box out there!"
"I hope it wasn't the piccolo part you heard!", I reply.
"Nope. It was the Sousaphone for sure!"
We laugh. I wish them a good trip and thank the Amtrak guy.
I stroll out through the 30" doorway and as I walk past the box I'm almost certain I heard a Sousaphone playing the piccolo part from "Stars And Stripes Forever"!!
I hope the horn is everything you hope it to be and that you enjoy it
immensely.
Blessings and play on,
Steve