over-organized....but still chaos

So I arrived at the Philadelphia airport on monday night...to go out to wilmington, DE for the week for work. My coworker, Jessica, and I...we stay downtown in wilmington...and usually just walk to work in the morning (it's about 4 blocks). anyway - so we dont usually get a rental car in Delaware. meaning....we get a car service to take us from phl airport to delaware (about 30 minutes or so).

Anyway - I haven't been to PHL in a while, so i must have forgotten about the way their airport is run. But this time...i was paying close atention so i could tell all of you what a mess it is. I'm going to make it a step-by-step reenactment.

1. so...you have to call the car service in advance and make a reservation. i typically use 'delaware express', and they've been great every time. so i called on monday morning (when i was still in denver) and made a reservation for that evening. 2 ppl (jessica was flying in separately), gave them my flight # and time.

2. When you arrive, you walk all the way down to baggage claim. there is a booth with a grumpy old man sitting there. there is also a phone with a list of #'s (you know...for the courtyard marriot...just dial 11, for the delaware expres...just dial 24, etc). you pick up the phone and the man hollers at you....WAIT!!!! YOURE NOT DOING IT RIGHT.

3. so you hang up the phone. the man says 'did you get your luggage??" (n/a), 'are you ready to go?' (yes), 'did you make a reservation?' (yes). ok...then he gives you a carnival ticket (or a raffle ticket....you know what i mean....the ones that have a 6 digit number on the side.

4. THEN...you can pick up the phone and call #24. Delaware express answers.....they say 'where are you....what terminal....do you have your luggage....are you ready...... (yes, same questions. also...why did i give you my flight # if you have to ask me again what terminal i'm in). then you have to give them your raffle ticket #.

5. THEN...you stand around for 15 minutes (i timed it), all the while getting solicited by illegal cab drivers and such. you're in the baggage claim chaos so it's really crowded and annoying. then....the drivers pull up outside (in a separate line from the cabs). they come in....and go talk to the grumpy man....they say 'i'm here for #210989' or whatever your raffle ticket says.

6. THEN....the grumpy man gets on his intercom and screams out the number.....even while he's STARING STRAIGHT AT ME. so he clearly knows who i am....and i'm the one waiting for the car.

7. then the driver approaches you and takes your stuff and confirms AGAIN your name and raffle #.

anyone else see the ridiculousness in all of this. it's like the grumpy old man is someone's relative and can't lose his job. his position is ENTIRELY useless. it adds like 4 steps to the process and is completely skip-able. why couldn't i call Delaware Express on the phone, tell them i'm here...then when they come in they holler out my name? or call my cell? it was ridiculous.

although (in old man's defense) - during my 15 minute waiting period...a girl about 20 years old walked up to his booth and completely broke down into tears. she was exhausted and frustrated (i've been there) and needed directions. he was really nice and helpful with her...so maybe that's why they keep him around????