Travel Agency Sends Family To The Wrong Portland
Imagine setting your sights on a family vacation to Portland, Maine. Portland hotel booked, dinner plans made, maybe some skiing. Also, imagine not speaking English.
Then imagine walking off the plane and not seeing anything remotely resembling Maine. No seafood, no lighthouses, no moose.
Oops.
That was the reality for one Spanish-speaking family who utilized a travel agency according to WMTW.
At the end of 2020, the family sought help at a checkpoint in the Portland International Airport after landing the previous evening and being confused. The Portland, OR airport, fortunately, had a Spanish-speaking TSA officer on duty to call in to translate.
While translating he learned that in addition to being in the wrong place they were also low on finances. Out of pure compassion, the officer gave them money to help them get to the correct Portland.
The hero was a man by the name of Martin Rios. He was truly humble about his kind deed saying to WMTW, "It might not have seemed like a lot to me but it was a difference for them."
Rios certainly made what was likely a scary situation much easier. Traveling is stressful enough without ending up on the wrong side of the country.
Whoever the family may be, I sincerely hope they made it safely and enjoyed their time in Portland, Maine.
If you're ever in doubt just remember that here in Maine, we're the weirdos that went with the name Portland International Jetport. It's really no surprise that this kind of mix-up could happen.