Dhahran Diary®

Title: Travel Scam

DD25

High school and college students returning to the field traveled unaccompanied sometimes. At other times, they met in New York city and were scheduled on the Camel, the Gazelle, or the Oryx. At the time, ARAMCO operated the eleventh largest private airline in the world. After the ninth grade at the Dhahran Senior Staff School, I went to Beirut one year, the American Community School (ACS), and the next two years I was in Carlsbad, California, at the Army and Navy Academy (ANA).

I think my mother was afraid I would somehow get lost or in trouble in the airline system, although when she was along everything went smoothly. She may have based her fears on gossip that was so much a part of ARAMCO camp life. Unaccompanied student travel stories circulated rapidly among students and I suppose became family dinner table topics. When I became a student traveler to ACS and later at ANA, mom felt I needed help. Except for one trip, I was always scheduled to fly on one of the company aircraft. She had good reason.

She always made sure I had a first class ticket when traveling between San Diego and New York city. In late May, I received a call from a San Diego ticket agent who informed me of my itinerary and mentioned the first class status. I had been thinking about the difference between first class and coach fare at odd times during the school year. Before claiming my ticket, I told them to change it to coach and refund the difference to me. I had plans for that money. My mother's imagination had a long reach, however. When I got to the airport the ticket that I had converted was once again first class. But, I had the difference in my pocket! I ended up with about four hundred dollars cash in small denominations.

The family plan was always the same. Whatever American greenbacks I had to bring back to Dhahran, I would convert to small bills. I would turn this money over to my parents and they would use the folding money through the year for various needs (in those days we used to send money in the mail for birthdays, etc.).

ARAMCO reimbursed incidental travel expenses too. So a student could re coop a few bucks by turning in relevant receipts. The drill in those days was to stop in at the New York office on 505 Park Avenue, or call. I usually took a day flight from California, went directly from the airport to the Lexington Hotel, ARAMCO's home away from home in NYC, and called the office to let them know I was in town. They would tell me if there was a student meeting and other pertinent details. On one particular visit I was told which students were already in town; we were all to be at a meeting the next morning.

During the meeting, which was corralled by a rather informal circle of chairs, we discussed travel behavior, reimbursements, times to be at the bus, new rules in the field, etc. I had sent most of my receipts ahead to make sure I got the money. I accidentally sent the receipt for a new baby-cord suit and the office staff made a joke of it, mentioning that ARAMCO paid for almost everything but not my clothing. It was put in such a pleasant way that we all had a big laugh. Friends and acquaintances alike caught the humor.

We were also given ARAMCO travel bags. At first they were sewn from heavy green cloth with the ARAMCO logo on both sides. They had a zippered opening between two soft cloth handles. It was the typical carry-on. Later the bags were made of pliable plastic. They were easier to keep clean but the zippers tore out easily.

That night, I recall we took a taxi from the Lexington to the Metropole on Broadway. The band was above the bar and they played jazz. It was loud and buzzy. I bought several rounds. Then we went to the African Room. This was a mistake; they had a minimum. I got sloshed trying to drink my minimum. I remember having a steak sandwich and several exotic concoctions. I bought several rounds there too. The rest is not too clear but I am told the guys brought me back and then went out for a real evening of fun.

We flew to Amsterdam the next day and visited a few bars, one of which was the Five Flies. It was very late when we got back to the hotel. I had learned a lesson in New York city but one of the friends got sloshed in Amsterdam. I got him back to his room and eventually went to bed myself. The next day I had 27 champagne corks and no money! I knew I was going to catch it from my folks. Actually, mom took it pretty well. The next time I was home for Christmas, I noticed she had made a tree from coat hanger wire and impaled the corks on the wire ends as decoration. She sprayed it white.

That fall I went back to the states with my summer earnings minus the difference between a first class and coach ticket. Mom had a good memory!

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