Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Why Bob Hope Rules
No two words can better describe a decadent weekend for the Angeleno than Las Vegas. This LAist poster joined the masses at the Bob Hope (a/k/a Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena) Airport on Friday afternoon for a Southwest Airlines 3 PM cattle call to the city of Lost Wages. And we didn’t mind a bit. OK, maybe a little -- but we still love us the Bob Hope…
Here’s the timeline from Friday that some can probably relate to:
12:45 PM: Driving from Woodland Hills to the Bob Hope Airport
1:02 PM: Slowing on the 101/134 interchange.
1:15 PM: Driving to Lot C at the airport. Full.
1:18 PM: Driving to Lot B. Full.
Sponsored message
1:20 PM: Entering Lot A. Not full.
1:25 PM: Driving around the lot looking for a parking space.
1:35 PM: Still driving for a space. And this lot isn’t full?
1:52 PM: Hopping on the shuttle. (Finally found a space by stalking a guy with a suitcase walking towards his
car. Kinda like the parking lot at the Grove on a Saturday afternoon around 2.)
2 PM: Arriving at the terminal. Flight is 15 minutes late.
2:07 PM: Going through security. (We love this: Time to find a parking space: 20 minutes. Time to get past
Burbank Airport security: Seven.)
2:08 PM: Let the waiting begin.
Sponsored message
3 PM: Southwest moooooves us onto the plane. (Thank goodness for our “A” boarding passes that we can
now print out 24 hours before the flight. It used to be 12:01 AM. “C’s”’ are for “chumps.”)
3:17 PM: Doors close for departure for our scheduled 3 PM flight.
3:20 PM Captain comes on and says that there’s a backup in Vegas, so we’ll be sitting on the tarmac for a
little while…15 minutes. Max.
3:30 PM He was right. We’re taking off…
3:52 PM Realize Southwest drink coupons are still at home. Opt for the Diet Coke.
4:32 PM Touching down in Las Vega$. Let the debauchery begin…
To some folks, this timeline might seem like a real bitch. But what are the alternatives? LAist knows that in the four hours that it took to us to get to our destination, some would've been able to make that long, cramped drive, past Zzyzx Road and the Bun Boy Thermometer. On a Friday, however, it's not unheard of for drives up to five and six hours up the I-15.
Sponsored message
But the main reason we love us the Bob Hope? It ain't LAX. Those poor folks are either still stuck on the 405 or standing in the security line of Terminal 1.
That's why Bob Hope rules.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
