Re: RC: Dubai - back in the USA. Adventure at Denny's

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Dear Steph
Now I KNOW you need a videographer to follow you around. This is the
stuff Oscars are made for! It would of course fall under the comedy
section--- somewhere between Fargo and Clerks! :-)
Bette

Steph Teeter wrote:
> 
> As Karen and I were hunkered under the table at the Denny's restaurant in
> downtown LA, 3AM, in the midst of a gang brawl, chairs flying, alarm
> blaring... we were too sleep deprived to be scared, laughing since we
> couldn't do anything else... I'm sure we were thinking the same thing. Oh
> well - we had a heck-of-a time, didn't we!!
> 
> The trip home felt looooonggg. We met the shippers out at the barn at 2 am -
> loaded the horses into one of the big vans and drove to Abu Dhabi for
> departure. Single lane paved road cutting across the desert - the dunes
> drifted across the road made me think of home ... and snow. A few rough
> spots where the pavement was missing, 2 hour trip - deep dark night. Spent
> quite a while at the Abu Dhabi airport - watched the sun come up over the
> runway (I created a minor fracas when I took a picture of the sunrise -
> cameras are forbidden! at airports - I think I was very lucky to get my
> camera back - lots of shouting. dumb tourists :) We loaded the horses on the
> palettes, onto the plane, and said goodbye to the shippers  - Pedens
> Bloodstock - the company employed to handle all transport and logistics for
> the UAE equestrian events. We made a lot of friends with these folks, they
> were wonderful.
> 
> Luxembourg was a bit of a mess - arrived 7am, some confusions, delays, but
> the horses were unloaded and kept in warm roomy quarantine stalls. We spent
> the day at a hotel during the layover, met again that evening and waited
> through more delays (engine problems). We split off from the New York bound
> horses, loaded Khruschev, Sharee and Tang (btw Christy and Tang finished
> their 5th Middle East ride this time - amazing team) and took off for LAX
> just before midnight. Arrived 12 hours later - 2am (PST) and the horses were
> taken off to quarantine for 3 days, and Karen and I were deposited in the
> airport. I thought it was too early to call Carol, who was to pick us up and
> give us a place to stay while the horses were quarantined... so we thought
> we'd just get on one of the hotel shuttles and hang out in a hotel
> lobby/restaurant until it was a more reasonable time to call for a ride.
> Good idea... We were a wee bit sleep deprived by this point - almost 72
> hours with just a few naps, and a fairly demanding ride thrown in. And after
> being in Dubai where there is NO crime we weren't really up to snuff
> regarding self-preservation. The first shuttle that came by took us to so-so
> hotel. - closed. There were other hotels in sight so we sort of wandered
> along, looking for a hotel and restaurant that might be open. We were on the
> corner, hauling luggage when a Sheraton shuttle drove by. The driver slowed
> to ask us if we needed help (I think we looked a little out of place on the
> corner at 2:30 am) - we said we were looking for a restaurant. "Ok, I take
> you to restaurant - how much you pay?"  Oh heck... so $10 later we're in the
> shuttle. Turns out the guy is African, his brother is a business man in
> Dubai, he's headed there in May. Small world.
> 
> He drove a couple blocks (we were too tired to notice that we were no longer
> in the hotel district) and dropped us off at a Denny's. Still a little on
> the dense side we vaguely noticed the security guards hanging around out
> front and the fact that we  stood out like sore thumbs in the younger
> boom-box crowd. We figured we'd be here a few hours, took our time ordering,
> lots of coffee, stories exchanged. Were just finishing our pancakes when all
> hell broke loose. In no time the far side of the restaurant was a battle
> zone - no weapons (fortunately) but 20 or 30 guys beating on each other -
> management hollering, security guards in the midst of the brawl - tables
> being pushed over, chairs flying - a group of women ran past us and out the
> emergency exit, setting off the alarm. Now hollering, banging and alarm
> screaming. We were pretty much frozen and transfixed. I was seated facing
> the brawl, Karen had her back to it but was watching my expression and the
> guy next to us was doing a running commentary on the battle so she had a
> pretty good idea of what was going on. The cops arrived and things started
> to settle down a little - so we thought. There was still a lot of hollering
> and guys running around, in and out the door, shoving. It was far more
> dangerous out in the parking lot so we figured we'd be sitting quiet for a
> bit longer. Then a guy came screaming through the room waving a gun
> "everybody get down. get down!" I still don't know how we squeezed under the
> booth with all our luggage scattered around but in a flash we were both
> under the table - wide eyed, and in true brain-dead fashion I was laughing
> too hard to be scared.
> 
> We stayed under the booth for a while - finally things got under control -
> the security guys had all the gang outside, the waitress came by and we
> emerged from under the table. Still incredulous, still laughing in
> amazement, and at seeing ourselves and the others under the tables. No shots
> fired, no knives, just fists, chairs and brawn. We slid back up into our
> seats and were assessing the situation when I heard some gasping and
> whimpering from the booth next to ours. I turned around, two young women
> were sitting there, had just crawled out from under their table - the one
> next to me had bright red hair, her face was as white as a sheet and she was
> shaking. She looked at us and shrilled " I----- I-m fffrromm  Kansas! I'm
> from Kaaanssass!!" I don't think I've laughed so hard and hysterically in
> years....
> 
> So - all ends well.
> 
> More later - after a nap!
> 
> Steph
> 
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-- 
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov	
(Yes, really 16.2!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com