Disappeared News

Sorry, no news here. Check the commercial media. I tried. I really wanted to know if the judge would even give Lingle's representative standing to make any kind of motion or even speak. We'll find out later.

I went down to Bankruptcy Court hoping to get in. I figured the courtroom might be small, so I got there early, about 1:20. There was a huge crowd outside—Aloha Airlines employees and their families as well as folks from related unions, and of course, the TV cameras. There were signs and plastic megaphones and some good t-shirts. Some t-shirts blasted Mesa, but most were pro-Aloha.

So I went into the building and got on line. Surprisingly, there were only about a dozen people altogether waiting, so I was feeling like I would get a seat, the courtroom couldn't be too tiny.

Then WHAM! In piled Aloha employees mostly in their work uniforms, and they pushed ahead of all of us line-waiters right to the front, where they stayed laughing and chatting. In fact, there wasn't a long face anywhere. The only serious looks were owned by the many attorneys in their strange black outfits who of course went in freely ahead of us.

Now, I know I would never get away with pushing ahead like that at the airport! No way! But what to do? I was probably the only one there not an employee or mechanic. Actually, I began to feel guilty, thinking I might take up a seat instead of an Aloha employee. After all, they are about to lose their jobs and I'm just there, well, to write something in a blog.

The bailiff then went to the back of the line, now probably 60-80 people long, and told them that they wouldn't get in, better to go upstairs to room 606, where there is a TV set up.

So I was third in line, still waiting, still hoping. But the bailiff got a radio message, no more room. The judge was not allowing anyone standing in the courtroom. And up to 606 we all went. It was like rush hour in Tokyo. Everyone was still strangely in good spirits, making jokes about squeezing into elevators and not weighing too much.

Up on the sixth floor the room with the TV was already packed full.

Oh, well.

Downstairs again I thought I'd grab a late lunch at Govindaji. Oops, they closed at 2 p.m. But with the only good luck I've had today (I'm not even going to tell you what Windows Vista did to me before I left), they let some of us in, and I had a great vegetarian Thai red curry.

So I've wasted your time reading this, I have nothing to tell you except how good the curry was and that usually, if you want to eat at Govindaji (1118 Fort St. Mall, 585-0960), it's best to get there between 10 a.m. and  2 p.m.