From an anonymous comment:

This is a story of returning home to the US after a one year absence. The first part describes the experience the travelers had with the manager at the Spirit Airlines check-in desk and the subsequent letter of complaint to the airline. Even more telling of the state of affairs in the US is Part II.

A country, an economy, a society in a state of widespread breakdown and highly dysfunctional.

Part I

Letter of complaint to Spirit Airlines Customer Service. Flight confirmation: RJ4SPW.

On May 31, 2023, we presented ourselves at the check-in line for flight 338, after having checked in online but not being able to view or print the boarding pass.

The woman at the start of the line asked to see my passport. I showed her the passport, she marked it on her list, then I I asked, why do I need to show my passport in order to get in line to show my passport? There were very few people in line. This is stupid!

Then she asked for my wife’s passport. And I showed her my wife’s passport, and I said don’t you see that we are together?

She marked down my wife’s passport , and we went ahead to the check in.

Meanwhile we were approached by a woman who did not introduce herself but acted like a prison guard, (I’ll call her “the prison guard”) telling me that we have to present our passports to the woman at the line entry, which is what we just did. I said, I just did show her the passports.

The woman acting like a prison guard continued yelling, “listen to me! Don’t interrupt me. You need to present your passport”. I said again, I just did present the passports.

Next she called out to the check-in desk saying “Deny boarding!! deny boarding!” And in seconds a military police pulled us over and started talking to us in Spanish. I said I don’t speak Spanish, I’m a tourist. After that both of them were trying to lecture us for a few minutes, the prison guard woman yelling again and again that we did not present our passports.

Then, I called over the woman at the entry line with the list, and I asked her: “didn’t I present our passports to you ?” She said yes. She checked her list and showed it. “But you called me stupid”, she said. No, I explained to everybody, I did not say she was stupid, I was complaining about the system. And I have every right to an opinion, to my opinion! The system is stupid.

At that point the prison guard woman yelled, “Refund! no flight for you !” We were refunded and out on the street.

The entire event was an unprecedented abuse, totally out of place, unconstitutional and in contravention of the basic rights of travelers. We had business interests to attend to in the US. Besides anything else, such ill-treatment of customers is beyond any justification, norm, regulation. Throwing a U.S. citizen out in the street, in a foreign country, on top of falsely accusing us of some imaginary non-compliance or even discourtesy is a criminal act. The prison guard woman did not even inquire as to what happened.

Part II

We arrived back home in CR kind of dazed. Now, what?

OK, we’re not going to go “home”. We don’t need to go… But, wait a minute, I ordered a lot of stuff which is now being shipped to our house at the Lake, including a new iPad. What’s going to happen? Let’s see what options we still have. — Well, I actually found a different flight, $20+ less, for tomorrow with American Airlines. We have a new plan.

No check in, since we had the boarding pass, but I couldn’t stop myself from telling the guy at the help desk about yesterday’s story with Spirit. “Oh,” he said. “You were the guys, yesterday! and they called the police on you ?! No, they were wrong to do that,” etc. So that was a big story in the entire airport.

At the security check they asked me to take off my shirt. I had a shirt unbuttoned over a colored T-shirt and that was considered a security risk. I pointed out that he had his shirt on. He said, “I am the police and if you want to fly you take your shirt off”. I had to take the shirt off but I got away with telling him, “f’ the police”.

Meanwhile waiting to board our flight, we heard that the guys from Spirit were having a bad day. Due to a “computer glitch” all Spirit flights were cancelled indefinitely (it lasted more than for 6 hours as far as we know). Mayhem, chaos, distress for Spirit passengers across the entire world. God heard my curses for what happened the day before!

We arrived in Charlotte but had to wait almost an hour for the plane to have a gate available. Poor planning is evident immediately.

At the border control we were told that no paperwork was required — They use facial recognition technology. What?! Our guy at the booth is an older man. Thinking that this is a good sign, I tell him right away that facial recognition without our consent is unconstitutional, etc. He says, “so you don’t want to be photographed” ? “Well, how long are you storing these photos, where? I hope the Russians are going to win …” — That’s OK, he says, you can skip that. He then processes our passports and hands us a special yellow card. “Now you go to the office.” Ooops . . . that must have been a patriotic military veteran.

We had no baggage other than small carry-ons, mostly empty. At the “office” two bored lads are laughing. They don’t care. Out we go.

Now the plot thickens. First, we had to go through security screening again in order to board the domestic connection to NY. As usual we opted out of the X-ray/microwave machine (mostly in order to start a whole circus of pat-downs and in order to harass the whole staff, as I actually told them straight up).

We made it through, after instructing all of them that we need a revolution to hang all the criminal elites, starting with the demented president. Interestingly, quite a few agreed.

We rewardered ourselves with an ice cream and headed to the gate. Surprise, though – when we arrive at the departure gate for the connection to New York, there was nobody waiting. Oh! the flight was canceled due to “mechanical problems” – someone claims a flat tire! After a long wait in line at Customer Service, just before midnight, we got our vouchers for the 35 Km taxi drive to the hotel. Every close hotel was already booked by other canceled flights — No getting home today, for a second day.

Our taxi driver, a smart Ethiopian, explains: oh, this is nothing. Two days ago there were like 2,000 American Airlines passengers stranded in Charlotte overnight. Yesterday, there were only 900.

The taxi trip for the two of us alone for the one way, cost the airline over $40, plus the return next day, total, just under $100.

Had a good sleep and a good breakfast, all paid by AA. I should mention, this is South Carolina, and the breakfast room was populated with mostly blacks, mostly obese, oversized fat behinds, whichever way you look around.

In the morning, we called our Ethiopian friend for the drive back to the airport. How does he like life in the US? Oh, yeah, I like it, if you work hard you can make money, more freedom, everything is easy, you know. Really?… Well, yes, it’s true, it’s hard, I used to drive a big truck, an 18-wheeler, at over $2 per mile. Then there was no more work for me. A lot of the big trucks are mothballed. No business. They cannot even afford to maintain the batteries. Too expensive. “Do you have a family?” Yes, and two kids, here is a photo. “Are you not worried?” “I am very worried, I have a lot of responsibility… And, I know, it’s going to get only worse. I do see, the American blacks don’t work, and the country is spending money on Ukraine; why not on the Americans?”

Back at the airport. Security screening again. Same circus. Pat-downs. The guy who pats me down tells me just like the driver: “I know is going to be bad, I follow the events, and the stock market . . .” That reminds me of the famous quip: when your doorman gives you a stock market tip it’s time to bail out . . . This time I test positive for explosives. A different guy pats me down again. Same. Positive. Meanwhile I lecture everyone about the demented elies and why the US is going to be defeated by Russia. But they don’t know what to do with me. I keep laughing. So all of this technology and waste of money on your salaries? For what?

The manager comes. Nice guy. He doesn’t know what to do. He asks me if I would go through the X-ray machine? No way, I say, I opted out, but I offer that I can go through the metal detector. Oh, really, great! Let’s do that. I went through the metal detector like a fish through the water. No “beep.” Meanwhile we have a full staff conference to decide what to do with me. Including now the police chief, another woman.

What to do? I keep laughing, yes, the revolution, that’s what we need. – They let me go.

Finally, we even manage to get on board the plane. We’ll be home soon… Only that, not yet.

Just before take off, the plane stops. Now, what? The captain is very cordial and communicative. There is a storm in the New York area. We have to wait. I check the weather radar in New York on my phone. (That is a sign of the new technological democracy!) Not really. Some small patches of stormy rain, no big deal. I show that to the flight attendant. Look, there are no storms in New York. She snaps back: don’t you trust the captain? No, it is all incompetence, I tell her, as she walks away. Well, not that the captain is incompetent, the incompetence is of the whole country run by “affirmative action” hires – they have to employ minorities and women. Luckily, the captain is one of those reliable white men, and very on-the-ball.

The captain then says we’ll know in an hour whether we can make it within the 3-hour remaining window that allows the returning crew to fly or we need to disembark, cancel the flight or wait for another crew.

At just 1 minute before the 3 hour limit, the captain gets the go ahead, he pushes hard on the throttle and we take off at a blazing speed. And we make it home. End of story.

The moral of the story, coming back to the US after a long absence, we found the country decrepit on several levels, and on the verge of desintegration. Everything is very expensive*. Everybody is grumpy and surly. Incompetence prevails. Minorities are everywhere, all shades of black, brown and Asiatics, most of them sporting a chip on their sholders. Utter decadence in outlook. Young women and even not-so-young, mostly whites!, parading around the airport in short shorts, almost underwear, half naked, as the typical outfit; bad postures, bad bodies, and a lot of “no speak English”.

We found the local economy in grave condition. Prices at the supermarket are between double and triple last we knew. But worse than everything else, everywhere the working class is non-white, non-English. When trying to ask for something that was available a few years ago in the supermarket, they never heard of it. In the entire enormous supermarket we came across only 3 (older) whites. “You moved to Costa Rica?” – “Oh, how lucky you.”

*P.S. A few price comparisons:

A nonstop round flight San Jose to New York a few years ago, around $200. Today over $800. But one can get a discount price for a 1-stop flight at $375, if lucky.

A taxi ride from the airport to our house: 2 years ago = $70. One year ago = $100. Today: $140 and the guy was not happy with my tip of $14.

P.P.S. This is the response we received from Spirit: “I’ve shared your experience with our management team so they can investigate how our team performed and work to improve the service we provide to our Guests.”

P.P.P.S. We were just notified by American Airlines that our bags were delayed and that they will deliver them at no cost to our home . . . Nice. The only problem is that we have not checked any bag, and we are in good order. Thanks.