dougxr: I have a house in Galveston, Texas. I am on a Tugboat right now but get relieved on february 1st. I live in Austin, Texas but must check on the house in Gaveston as soon as I get home. I would be willing to look into the matter for you. I am a ships Captain and am familiar with the paperwork gauntlet. It could be the agent screwed up or the stevedoring company who loaded it. If it was on a container ship, the stowplan is usually made by a supercargo ashore. The plan is then carried out by the ships crew. If the shipping agent is worth a shit, the paperwork is routine. If the vehicle doesn't arrive on "said" date, it complicates matter. Customs are bureaucrats. Items like "HAZMAT" material, ie, Gasoline (excuse me "petrol") in tank can complicate matters but I'm sure you dealt with that on you end. I doubt if it was stolen. It may have been "missplaced" like luggage at an airport. I did not quite get if it was in customs in Galveston or did you say L.A.. If you do feel like you are getting "dicked" over, a surge of e-mail inquiries from this website would raise some eyebrows. If you are still at odds with them by the begining of February, e-mail me and I can see what I can do. I am familiar with some of the agencies and agents in the area. Good Luck and hope "not" to hear from you. Captain Smitty

Thanks for you offer but I also hope that I won't be needing your assistance! Even if it doesn't get to me then it might be a bit out of your way, I've been told the bike is in LA - apparently that's where they want to fly it from. I had no choice in that, when I originally got quotes for shipping to and from the US I got a quote for air freight into Houston, but unfortunately didn't take up that option.
Whether it's stolen or misplaced there's another "disastrous" outcome of it having been damaged or destroyed. I'll have to wait and see.

Speaking of waiting and seeing...

Delivery has been delayed yet again. Apparently my documents were delayed getting to the US because of the incident at Heathrow airport (on 17th Jan 2007 BA038 touched down short of runway). Is that just a convenient excuse? I'd've thought courier and freight companies would have back up plans for delays of that nature; not only are there other airports after all but Heathrow was re-opened fairly soon.


So instead of flying on the 22nd Jan the bike is supposed to be touching down 26th Jan. How do I know this? Because I rang them up to ask - they obviously didn't feel it worth telling me (steam). Anyway, that's 3 days delay (if it flies out 25th) surely my documents weren't delayed three days?

It is just one excuse after another.

It does sound like complete bollocks, got to say.

I guess you still have an absolute cut-off set for the end of this month, so hang in their Doug - I'm sure you are not going to let them off this hook!

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Dave

On a lighter note, did you get to make your trek or did you blow it off (or do a different route?). I've done part of that route (through Arkansas and Tennessee) and it's amazing that it even exists in this day and age. Hope you got to see some of it.

Hi dougxr,
I hope things work out in the end, I think it's a sign of the time in many industries, I work in Saudi Arabia and it's always, come back tomorrow, even when you were there yesterday.
It's usually a minor cock up to start with and instead of holding their hands up they turn it into a major incident.
Good Luck
Ian

I managed to do various bits of the Trans Am Trail, not all of it though.

Did Tennessee, Mississippi and a bit of Arkansas, a bit of Oklahoma, some of Colorado and some of Utah. It was all good but Colorado and Utah were definitely the highlights.

Some of the bits I missed were due to the lost time at the start, it kind of used up all the spare time and money budgets.

It was my first big trip and I've got a pretty long list of things that I'd do differently but I think that's normal!

Just be thankfull your Bike wasn't on THAT plane!
your Blood pressure must be reaching dangerous Levels by now though...


Martyn

Last week I received a copy of the air waybill and after some discussion it looked like my bike would be arriving in the UK on Sunday 27th Jan and that I should have taken possession of it the following Monday afternoon or Tuesday.

Of course, that's not what happened. Monday morning I got a 'phone call. The bike was still in US Customs (22nd to 28th?). Now booked on 31st January flight. Might get to UK 2nd Feb.

I leave the UK on 1st Feb.

What a saga Doug!

What's your confidence in the new delivery date? (Supposed to be back in the UK by the end of the month, wasn't it?).

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Dave

Doug, sounds like about 70 years worth of bad luck has dropped on you from a great height! what did you do wrong as a kid.... smash up a 'Hall of Mirrors' at the Fairground? hope things are sorted in a satisfactory manner soon.

Malc