Recovering attorney, lover of freedom and Justice.
Florida escapee, part-time Italian.
So tired of snark and meanness.
All photos are my own. Or my mom's. Or my husband’s, AKA my RFL (Reason For Living).
#photography #umbria #travel #wanderlust
Public Key
npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Profile Code
nprofile1qqs0yr7nl6nff44djthtma62djx5y0aun60pk5cnz69mhex6ew5e49gpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsgmc6sg
Show more details
Published at
2026-10-23T19:55:24Z Event JSON
{
"id": "2db5c8c71d3274515ef6eb3da817287b2efa204e85ab1e1835bc570e0cef15f2" ,
"pubkey": "f20fd3fea694d6ad92eebdf74a6c8d423fbc9e9e1b5313168bbbe4dacba99a95" ,
"created_at": 1792785324 ,
"kind": 0 ,
"tags": [
[
"t",
"Photography"
],
[
"t",
"Travel"
],
[
"t",
"wanderlust"
],
[
"t",
"umbria"
],
[
"proxy",
"https://mstdn.social/users/gparenti",
"activitypub"
],
[
"L",
"pink.momostr"
],
[
"l",
"pink.momostr.activitypub:https://mstdn.social/users/gparenti",
"pink.momostr"
],
[
"-"
]
],
"content": "{\"name\":\"Gail Parenti\",\"about\":\"Recovering attorney, lover of freedom and Justice. \u2028Florida escapee, part-time Italian.\u2028So tired of snark and meanness.\u2028All photos are my own. Or my mom's. Or my husband’s, AKA my RFL (Reason For Living). \u2028#photography #umbria #travel #wanderlust\\nSuper happy older woman experiencing bliss.\",\"website\":\"https://mstdn.social/@gparenti\",\"picture\":\"https://media.mstdn.social/accounts/avatars/109/809/310/700/215/957/original/a8b5b282df23c312.jpeg\",\"banner\":\"https://media.mstdn.social/accounts/headers/109/809/310/700/215/957/original/bf89caaeec962044.jpeg\",\"nip05\":\"[email protected] \"}" ,
"sig": "f89a9cfca6fa7a230cad7e3c6dd33b091bf0b3766f19c9656a96a77cf99e5e81ff21896dad4c36a7e815fb0082f8a0f39a738672a13c4cb300214cd20cc7ae48"
}
Last Notes npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti We sure had a great day for it today! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti As we drove along the NC500 this morning, I spotted signs to watch out for tractors, for red squirrels, and for otters. Sounds like a song: "Tractors and otters and squirrels, oh my!" #Scotland npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Sometimes a grilled cheddar cheese sandwich just hits the spot. 😋 Especially after several no-cheddar months in Italy. The first time I found cheddar at a market in Italy, I'm afraid I made a bit of a scene, complete with squeals and tears. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti It is amazing. We took the proverbial road less taken today, and I was in heaven. Yesterday we headed out to one of the Big Must See sites, and after an hour on a single track road, we took one look at the parking lot and said "Nah. Not in the mood to climb a mountain anyway. We're elderly, you know?" So we saw the Big Thing from a distance and drove back through the traffic to get lunch. But this morning was completely magical. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous morning in #Skye #Scotland npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Yesterday we had another Green Acres moment. You know when the ignorant city dweller shows just how ignorant he is? I remember years ago when we planted our first garden. We went to the mill to buy our plants and the amused cashier shouted for all the farmers to hear: "Twenty-four zucchini!" We obviously knew nothing about - well, anything - and our embarrassment grew over the summer, along with our zucchini. #Umbria 1/2 npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti This morning while I was watering my garden, I thought of my grandmother. She wrote letters every day: to my mother, her sisters, and assorted friends and relatives. I never understood it. They were typically short and filled with riveting tidbits like: "I had seven red day lilies open this morning." But I get it now, Grandmeme! #Bloomscrolling npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Today was an interesting day. We visited the construction site (est delivery 12/27). Even though there is lots of time to plan and do things calmly and thoughtfully, when I saw the proposed contract (in Italian, of course) my anxieties flew into my brain like a swarm of bees, all screaming "fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, change bad, no no no!" A stiff limoncello spritz calmed the bees down, but we have lots to weigh in the coming days. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti So we came to the outskirts of Florence today because we are maybe sorta thinking about what the next chapter might look like, when we are no longer able to keep up with the demands of a big old farmhouse and 40 olive trees. Let's face it: we're not getting any younger. Florence has always had a special place in the RFL's heart since he went to school there in the 70s. So we are looking at a place tomorrow. My insides are screaming (Hills! The traffic sucks!) but it doesn't hurt to look. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti My view rn. #Firenze npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti The remains of the tree. 😢 npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I am so broken hearted today because it is time to chop down our beloved cherry tree. Our friends' children grew up with the annual cherry-picking as a real treat. It was for us, too. We saw one of these (no longer) little girls last week and told her the tree had died, and she almost cried. A sad day for sure, but so many sweet memories. #Umbria #ThickTrunkTuesday npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Enjoyed the first summer Saturday night out in our town. #Umbria npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti We're planning to go in August, just starting to fill in the itinerary. I look forward to any replies! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I'm finally getting over whatever bug we caught in our cruise (it was awful!) and, as I was reminded when I ventured out to the garden for the first time this morning, just in time for spring allergies. Che gioia. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti What are you looking at? npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Gorgeous white peacock spotted through the window at our local lunch spot today. #FensterFreitag #Umbria npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti So Stardust finally makes it to the wall. I can't wait to see what the next project wants to be. #Embroidery npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I did cry!😢 npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I really like Shrinking, too, and enjoyed the season finale. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti A foodie friend gave me the "White Trash Cooking" cookbook, and it was what made me see that I really could cook. When I tried to make gravy for the first time, I realized that I knew what it was supposed to look like at different stages, but I didn't know how to get there. It became my go-to cookbook because I was able to draw upon images seared into my memory from childhood. I was able to make biscuits and gravy for my stepdad before he died, and that made him so happy. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Buddy loves riding on Mama's rolling walker. #CatsOfMastodon npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Musical reference for non-country music fans. https://youtu.be/DQYNM6SjD_o?si=b10g7abgHp9o9uK8 npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti So I have 3 long flights ahead, one of which is 18 hours. Will I be able to work with just my fanny pack o'thread? I did have the foresight to cut a bunch of lengths of thread last night. #Embroidery npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Since this one is for my mom, I decided that it would be Buddy's Meadow. I've never done an animal before, but I'm not mad at it! #Embroidery npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I've been working on it for about a week, but being on vacation helps! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I just finished the grasses for my latest meadow project, a gift for my mom. These are fun to do as a break from my bigger work in process. I'll start the flowers later today. #Embroidery npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti KAY CAH-vo-lo! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Yes, it has the K sound. "Che cavolo!" is so useful. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti This is where I love Italian. "Cavolo" - literally cabbage - is a great substitute curse word. So maybe "cabbage"? npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti The house we rented in Hoi An is across the river from a park which holds a musical extravaganza every night which we can hear. There is a particularly dramatic crescendo when the giant sails are unfurled and hit with the lights. I love going out onto the balcony at 8:43 each night to enjoy the drama. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Gorgeous! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I hate this year already. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Good morning, Vietnam! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Honestly, WTF is wrong with these people? npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti OMG these people are awful. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I call it my tactile Prozac. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Good God almighty! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Am I alone in thinking that Trump bombing Venezuela makes Americans everywhere less safe? Not just as an American who spends a lot of time abroad, but as a Miami American, I'm feeling pretty vulnerable right now. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti WTAF? npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Palm trees, beach, vintage cars. They want to turn us into Cuba. Do I have that right? npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti How cool! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti My favorite pro bono client worked at TSA in Miami. I used to love running into her there. (I won her case for her. She gave me a fish.) npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti You are right. I broke my nose several years ago the day before a long planned romantic trip to the Bahamas, which my RFL didn't want to cancel. He was *not* prepared for literally everyone to look at him like he was OJ Simpson. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti You can never be too careful! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Well crap! I did a face plant on my bike this morning and fell exactly on my nose! I'm reminded of my amazing nephew who, at age 5, was bounced out of the back of a pickup truck and landed on his face. He had to chase his dad down the road to get back in! I spoke to him on the phone afterwards and he said: "Half of my face looks like Rocky and the other half looks like me." The good news is that a mask will cover my discolored nose, but won't do much for the black eyes which I'm sure will come. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti First sunset of the new year. #TravelPhotography #Vietnam npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Hoi An is particularly festive tonight! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti It's impossible to face the end of the year without some reflection, and I'm just glad 2025 is over. It was fucking exhausting! But while it started out badly for me on a personal level, things got better. The olive harvest sucked, but we spent a thoroughly pleasant summer and fall in our newly-repaired house. My mom broke several more bones, but had Christmas at home and is doing pretty well. I'm lucky to be ringing in 2026 in one of my favorite places in the world, with the love of my life. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I mean, WTF? I got this message over and over on four different devices! They logged me out everywhere and my password won't work on any devices. I have a theory: I started getting hinky security notifications a day after I commented on a NYT post about the "woke font" brouhaha a couple of weeks ago. ("What fresh Helvetica is this?") FB sent me a message that asked me to review this activity because it appeared that I had been hacked. No, that was me. Now I'm in FB Siberia. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I have to get my MAGA sister to unblock me! 🥴 npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti So I guess I'm finally done with FB and Messenger for good. I refuse to waste any more time and energy trying to log into what has basically become an open sewer, and I don't want to be subjected to any more ads and data harvesting. I told my family to text from here on in. I'm done. 2/2 #DeleteFacebook #FacebookSucks npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti OMG I hate FB with the heat of 10,000 suns. I use Messenger with my family, otherwise deleted the app and stay away except to lurk every now and then. Last night I sent a message to my family that we had landed safely in Vietnam, and shortly thereafter was bounced out. Password no longer worked. Process to reset password resulted in screen that said that I must sign in from another device, but same process, same message in the end. I'm stuck in an endless loop that never lets me sign in. 1/2 npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Good morning, Vietnam! (I love saying that.) All settled in, and we have already hit our favorite morning places and greeted friends. Now if I could just convince that anxiety to stand down. . . npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Landed in Vietnam with all bags arrived. Travel anxiety can stand down for a while. Time for a little detox. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti One more thing about Hong Kong: I found my people there. Everyone waits for the Green Man to cross the street, unlike my RFL who would rather play chicken with busses and taxis. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti So Apple support confirms a phone bought in HK will not qualify for the Apple Care plan, which I wasn't going to buy anyway. So I did the thing and am the proud owner of a dual physical sim iPhone. Not sure how much longer you will be able to find one at all. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Welcome! #bloomscrolling is nice. But #asstodon made me fall in love with my weird fedi friends. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti We had Christmas Eve lunch there. It was quite special. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti We had a couple of those. We are still old folks! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Hong Kong Christmas - npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti My carriers (US and Italy) both require physical sims. Maybe that will change one day, but for now that's where I am. I tire of carrying 4 phones around! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I'm thinking about buying an iPhone with dual physical sim slots while I'm in Hong Kong. It makes sense for me for a lot of reasons, but my only hesitation is support availability. I remember when I researched this several years ago, and that was raised as an issue. Does anyone have insight on this? npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Merry Christmas from Hong Kong. #TravelPhotography npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I feel you! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Since I got married, my husband and I frequently travel at Christmas. Over the years, I have always cried when I called my family on Christmas Eve while they were gathered at my mom's house. This year was the very first time I didn't feel sad about not being there. At age 67, I finally gave myself permission to enjoy our choices. We are having a blast in Hong Kong, and being here at Christmas is a once-in-a-lifetime treat. Enjoy celebrating your way. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I already regret not buying the fried chicken keychain I passed today in Hong Kong. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Am I doing it right? 😂 At least it made some of the IG posers around me crack up! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti 😂 npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Same. I can get all grumpy old lady in a hurry. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I had to wait for all of the IG posers to get out of the way to get a shot of the gorgeous tree at the Peninsula Hotel. I'm trying to see it as a source of amusement (you'd be surprised at how many young women feel the need to bare a shoulder over which to cast a come hither look) rather than get annoyed, like I usually do. #HongKong npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Kavanaugh apparently does not want his legacy to be the odious "Kavanaugh stops." Too late, buddy. That toothpaste is not going back into the tube. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I'm kind of envious. I miss that hanging out at the sink feeling. The most time I have gotten to spend with my stepsister since we've been adults has been washing dishes after our family's big Christmas Eve wingding at Mama's. Sigh. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti We made it. #HongKong npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti The bit about the person talking through the cracked front door is just *chef's kiss.* 11.5/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti The good news is that we didn't let our trip get derailed and the scammer didn't get his $2400. But we did end up spending about 4 hours on the phone and ruined our peaceful day in Rome at Christmas. We learned a big lesson: go to the airline's website! Accept no substitutes. But we are amazed that these jackasses are still pulling this shit after having been reported and exposed. How do the airlines put up with this? 12/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti And this. 11/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Yep. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti This article outlines allegations that sound exactly like what happened to us! npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti The jerk in Houston called us back to assure us that the charge would be reversed in 7-10 days, and my husband made it clear that it would be in his best interest to do it as quickly as possible. And so he did. A little more internet sleuthing revealed this outfit to have been pulling this scam for years! 8/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Husband told him not to bother, that we had already spoken with them and they told us he was a fraud. He told the jerk that we expected the charge on our card to be reversed immediately and hung up. Not 5 minutes later we get a call from a PA number and it was a girl with a singsong voice claiming to be a supervisor with Singapore Airlines, and she was giving us the requested call back. She quickly dissembled under my husband's grilling and assured us the charge would be reversed. 7/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti With his dander well and truly up, my husband called the number of the scammer and told him what he had learned and asked him questions about his company, which was not Turkish Airlines. (I have to point out that my husband was a very good trial lawyer.) The jerk in the phone tried to explain that they handled overflow calls for the airline, but offered to put us in touch with Singapore Airlines to see if we could resolve the issue. Now this is where it gets bizarre. 6/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I thought I was going to be sick. She gave us the real number for Turkish Airlines, and they were very accommodating and assured us that we would have no problem checking in the next day. Both (real) representatives repeatedly reassured us that no money was owed, and that we had been the victims of a scam. 5/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti He emailed us a receipt and email confirmation of our tickets on Turkish Airlines, and we went to lunch. But we kept going over how wrong it was, so my husband called Singapore Airlines, which had issued the confirmed ticket. The agent was super diligent, and asked that we forward the email to her. After what seemed like forever, she came back on and asked: "what number did you call?" Because,she pointed out, the email did not bear the logo of Turkish Airlines. That's when it hit me. 4/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Something something about how Turkish Airlines wasn't obliged to honor Singapore Airlines promotional fare tickets because it was a busy time, given the holidays. We ended up giving in when he talked to his manager (I know, this sounds so cliche) and discounted the additional charge to $2400. We literally felt we had no choice, and we were desperate to save our vacation. In the entire 2 hours that my husband was on the phone with him, he never said that he wasn't with Turkish Airlines. Ever. 3/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti The person who answered explained to us that, despite holding confirmed tickets since February, we would not be able to confirm our business class seats which we had purchased with Singapore Air miles unless we agreed to upgrade to "Business Flex" at an additional cost of $3700. We were flabbergasted and argued repeatedly that it made no sense, but he was very insistent. He suggested that we fly on a different date, but we pointed out that we stood to lose thousands if we changed our plans. 2/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti We made it to Hong Kong for our splurge Christmas gift to each other. Now for the tea on that scam that ruined our Sunday in Rome: When we tried to check-in online 24h before our flight but were unable to do so, my husband asked me to search for a number for Turkish Airlines Passenger Assistance in Rome, which promptly returned the result screenshotted below. Now the US number should have been a red flag, but it's one of those things obvious in hindsight that we overlooked at the time. 1/? npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I plan to spend part of the next 10 hours dusting off my lawyering skills to compose a document outlining the events. I plan to share it far and wide, including with the EU. I'm pretty sure they would take a dim view of fraudsters in Houston advertising on the web that they are Turkish Airlines Passenger Assistance in Rome. Big takeaway: always go to the airline's website for contact information. (What a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake!) npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti When Trump leaves office, the only thing that should remain to memorialize him is a gaping hope where the East Wing used to be, to remind us how easy it is to fall into the pit of despair. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Well we sailed right through the check-in process and are waiting to board. Having our last cappuccino with a little breakfast. Why does bacon in Italy not taste like bacon? I always forget and get disappointed every time. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti . . .and the fraudulent charge miraculously disappeared from the pending charges on our credit card. I'm so glad my husband didn't let it go. Of course, the whole ordeal will end up costing us about $75 in international calls. I just don't know how people like that sleep at night. Hoping for an uneventful day and much needed traveling mercies. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Yes! Yes, it is. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti This is a pretty complicated scam, and we would have never known it but for calling Singapore Airlines and asking WTF. They helped us to unravel it, and sure enough we were suckered. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Another 2 hours on the phone, and we bullied the scammers into reversing the charge. We are assured by the airlines that we are ok for the flight tomorrow, so we'll see if the scammers actually reverse the charge. We feel so vulnerable and stupid. It's just an awful feeling. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti OMG it was a fucking scam! Now on the phone with the credit card company to see if we can stop the payment. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti I know, right? npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Two hours on the phone later, and $2400 poorer, we still aren't sure they will let us on the plane tomorrow because we no longer have the credit card we used to pay the taxes nine months ago. We feel like we are losing our minds. 2/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Despite having confirmed e-tickets for our flight from Rome to Hong Kong for several months, we found that we couldn't check in online. Upon calling we learned that since we bought the tickets with miles, we wouldn't be able to use them to board the flight unless we paid to upgrade them (because, you know, holidays). In the end, it was either pay $2400 to secure our seats or lose thousands more in prepaid reservations for the next month. 1/ npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Just stressing. My relaxed day in Rome didn't happen. I'll just be glad when we are on the other side of this. npub17g8a8l4xjnt2myhwhhm55mydgglme857rdf3x95th0jd4jafn22szsermt Gail Parenti Unbelievable travel nightmare shit unfolding. I am reminded why I suffer from near-crippling travel anxiety.
