Think twice before giving the nod for free tickets

A group of Tampa-bound U.S. Airways passengers recently got quite a scare on their way home. And this was when they were on the ground.

I know because I was one of those passengers.

The Pittsburgh-Tampa flight we were supposed to catch on the evening of Aug. 18 was overbooked. So in exchange for a free roundtrip ticket, about 15 of us volunteered to fly to Orlando, then take ground transportation that the airline promised to provide to Tampa. That would get us home about two hours late, which didn't seem too steep a price to pay for a free ticket.

Little did we know we were about to earn the full value of that freebie.

After we landed at Orlando International Airport, 11 of us boarded a white airport shuttle van bound for Tampa. It was already nearly midnight. I was hoping to get some shuteye on the way home.

No such luck.

Shortly after we reached Interstate 4, the van began drifting erratically. Then we swerved slightly into the passing lane and pulled back again. No doubt about it: Our driver was falling asleep on us. From my seat in the back, I called out to him to wake up and suggested that he pull over for a break. He muttered something inaudible and continued driving.

At least he seemed more alert. But hardly 15 minutes had passed before our driver began to slip back into dreamland. The van drifted again into the passing lane, even though there were (fortunately) no other vehicles in sight. This time, with the driver's droopy eyelids fully visible in the rear-view mirror, the entire van erupted into shouts of "Pull over!! Pull over!!" and "Watch where the %#$!^ you're going!!"

This finally shocked our groggy chauffeur into a state of full consciousness. We listened slack-jawed as he proceeded to scold us.

"I meant to move into the passing lane!" he yelled, evidently referring to the lumbering SUV he dreamt was blocking our way.

Berating us as substandard passengers, he claimed other passengers were "more interesting" because they usually chat among themselves and with him. In other words, our inexplicable silence at half past midnight forced him to take a catnap.

His astonishing belligerence was oddly comforting because we knew it would at least keep him awake.

Somehow we made it back in one piece. I don't believe anyone tipped the guy.

When informed of our eventful road trip, U.S. Airways spokesman David Castelveter said it was "extremely disturbing that that situation developed." He said the shuttle company was approved for use by Orlando airport but wasn't one that U.S. Airways usually uses. It was used that evening because of the lateness of the hour. Castelveter said U.S. Airways representives in Orlando will be conveying their concerns about the incident to the shuttle company.

Driving drowsy is serious business. It's absolutely no different from driving drunk -- it slows your reflexes, dulls your sense of danger and imperils lives. I should know. Eight years ago, I wrecked a brand-new Subaru after nodding off minutes away from home. The car was a complete loss but by some miracle I wasn't seriously injured, nor did I hit anyone else. But I could have killed somebody.

So the next time you find yourself fighting sleep behind the wheel, remember: "Pull over!! Pull over!!"

-- Louis Hau can be reached at hau@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3404.

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