Other people down the terminal cheer as their flight starts boarding. Even though people are in sour moods, they are more likely to talk to the person next to them at the gate - they all have a common gripe!
Here I sit, in DFW - lots of irritation in the air!
Weather has wreaked havoc on the travel system today, I sit at a gate waiting for my New Orleans connection watching people get turned away from the last flight back to Chicago - people are in denial that they will be spending the night in Dallas. People at the counter being hounded - oops system crash, they can't close out the flight. I guess nothing is crashproof this is not a local crash at the gate - but a crash at the central computer that calculate loads for all craft - planes can't leave till they get the numbers in.
One of the counter staff who is pregnant and probably been on her feet for many hours sits down next to me and reads on my screen this story so far over my shoulder - giving the occasional thumbs up.
Other people down the terminal cheer as their flight starts boarding. Even though people are in sour moods, they are more likely to talk to the person next to them at the gate - they all have a common gripe!
San Diego is a big military town. Its actually easy to forget this when you live where I live in the city, but you can't ignore it at the airport. I was surrounded by men from the armed forces on all sides on my flight - and of all different generations. As a near stereotypical liberal northeastener - the military world is a foreign one to me. But to these guys from Texas and Arkansas it is a family tradition. One of the younger guys had barely made it through the first week of boot camp before he was diagnosed with heart valve trouble - and discharged, he was going home with the shame of failure that was out of his control. There was of course the lingo of this brotherhood, including telling each other the time in 24 hour time. The two older guys shared 'Nam stories, one was still active in the reserves, proud that his son was moving through the ranks - the other guy, next to me was missing his left hand and part of his arm, and had seen slimmer days (I pretty much 1/2 a seat out of the two we had to share).
Treated to a spectacular midair lightening show from Dallas to New Orleans - tried to get some pictures, but I don't think they came out.
Finally got to the hotel at 2:30 - ugh. One guy in our room didn't make it out of Dallas I think.
I expect news of my trip to be pretty light the first couple day as the first part of the conference I'm here for is to be the most interesting.