Free Flying with the Rich and Famous: True Stories from the Flight Attendant who flew with them by Patricia Reid Page A

owns the most successful Indy car racing team to date. He is now chairman of the Penske Corporation, which owns several business entities, including Penske Automotive Group with over 300 car dealerships, Penske Racing and Penske Truck Leasing. His revenues exceed 1.1 billion and he employs over 36,000 people worldwide.
    We were leaving from Long Beach, California, and I was very excited, as it would be my first time to places like Taiwan (I saw a huge silk batik of an Asian elephant hanging behind the counter in a small shop in Taiwan and refused to leave without it) and Singapore. I had flown Roger Penske on another company’s jet and knew he was a dear man. In fact, the planet would be far better off if more men were like Roger Penske.
    When traveling overseas, an experienced flight attendant will prepare for the unexpected, so I purchased a variety of items,just in case, along with my usual list of staples. Because I am such a fan of Asia and always impatient to get there—this is just idiotic -I arrived at the airport way before my “show” time and began to prepare the galley and cabin.
    As I looked about I felt something was missing, but could not put my finger on it, so I just kept working. I put things in their places and arranged the flowers, but all of the sudden it hit me: Oh no! I left all the perishables in my refrigerator at home! Panic! Panic! Panic! Ok, wait, slow down, and take a deep breath. What are you going to do? You stupid, blonde moron. What an idiot! At that point my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest and flop around on the floor. Panic! Panic! Panic! Take another deep breath or you’re going to pass out.
    All right, let’s see, you’ve got to go back and get it, you just don’t have a choice, and fortunately you’re really early. Maybe not so idiotic, after all. All right then, where’s my car? Crap! They’ve already parked it! (Some of the FBOs are so niceto the flight attendants and pilots that after we’ve unloaded our luggage and supplies, the rampers will park our cars inside the hangar so we have clean vehicles upon our return—the perks of flying the rich and famous!
    Okay, then I have to take a car from the FBO. Oh no, there’s going (there is always traffic on this particular section of freeway!) to be traffic. Ok, I have to use the carpool lane, but I’ll need another person. Wait, remember Julio, the janitor? Get him! Ok, I see the manager over there. I’ll get a car from him, grab Julio on my way out and hit the carpool lane. That is my only option.
    I screamed my problem to the ground manager, got the keys to a crew car (cars that the FBOs let flight crew borrow in lieu of renting), grabbed a frightened Julio (I actually grabbed the mop out of his hand and stuck it in the bucket) and drove like a maniac back to Newport Beach only to realize the keys to my house were on my key ring in my car in the hangar! I should justshoot myself now and forget about it.
    I prayed like no one has ever prayed before that I had left the kitchen window open a tiny bit like I usually do. Then again, if I was a smart chick (and clearly I’m not), I would have closed the window before I left on a twelve-day trip. Please let me have forgotten to close the window. When I turned the corner to my house I immediately looked up at my kitchen window—and it was cracked open! This smart/stupid, stupid/smart gig was really stressing me out. After I shimmied through the kitchen window and retrieved the groceries, I came out the front door and noticed the expression on Julio’s face: he looked like he was in a horror flick. Julio didn’t speak much English, and I don’t think he knew where he was going or why. My speed-demon driving probably scared the pants off him, not to mention watching me breaking and entering. We made it back to the hangar uneventfully (although, Julio almost broke his leg trying to get out of the car , literally getting his leg caught in the seat belt) and I