7.00 am 18th April 2011- Changi Airport
Having spent a great 4 days in Singapore, I was happily settled in the limousine on my way to the airport. I had made a special effort to get up early to leave the hotel by 6.30am (the Limousine chauffeur Mr. Dean Ong was punctual on the dot) to be at the airport by 7.00am for my flight to Penang at 8.05 am.
As I was alighting I discovered to my horror I had left my laptop behind. Panic button activated! Mr. Dean made the decision for me by saying calmly “I will head back for it”.
I proceeded to check in at the SilkAir Counter but was advised against it as I had check in luggage and it would be troublesome if I were to change flight. Wait for confirmation of retrieval of laptop and whether it could be delivered in time for me to check in at 7.15 am latest.
Immediate priority was to contact Hotel (oh dear no telephone contact with me), so I proceeded to look for ‘ Information Counter”. I happened to sport a lady wearing an uniform (bright orangy red top and purple skirt ) and holding a tablet. She looks likely to be airport official. I approached her , told her my predicament and my need for the contact number of Marina Mandarin Hotel. She promptly access the internet, found what I wanted and connected me to the hotel using her handphone. (At this point I didn’t who she was.)
The Hotel staff was most professional and efficient and the person at the concierge knew exactly when I left the hotel in a white limousine (he even knew the car number plate!). I told him that I had left my laptop behind but I did not know where. He could look for it in the room, reception, restaurant and the concierge urgently and keep it with him for the chauffeur Mr. Dean Ong to collect it. There was no time to lose as I have to board the plane by 7.55 am at the latest. He agreed without a murmur and said he would try his best.
Ira (the airport personnel ) was in close contact with Mr. Dean Ong via the handphone. Mr. Ong by now had got hold of the laptop and was on the way back ( estimated time 15-20 mins because as luck would have it there was no traffic jam bearing in mind that 7.15am is peak time). She asked me to proceed to check in, clear immigration and wait for her at the departure gate while she waited for Mr. Ong to return. She would rushed the laptop to me at the departure gate!
Received a call from Hotel staff that my laptop (some verification on my part to make sure that it was indeed my property ) had been given to Mr. Ong.
In the meantime I was escorted by another lady in the same uniform past the immigration and to the departure gate where I duly informed the officer in charge of the situation.
Joy of joys when Ira gave me the laptop in the nick of time and I couldn’t resist giving her a bear hug.
I was the last to board the plane on scheduled time.
I am truly impressed with the honesty, kindness and efficiency of all those people involved in this little saga. What all of them did was beyond the call of duty.
I would like to put on record my sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who helped me retrieved my laptop and to return to Penang on the scheduled flight . It was important to me as I was on my way back to work and appointments could not be cancelled at such short notice.
Dr. Adele Tan