Hope quickly turned into irritation as my 12:45 flight was delayed until 2pm. Like everyone else, I whipped out my mobile phone determined to call everyone I knew to let them know that I was delayed at the airport in Boston…as if they cared. In the interim, one desperate passenger after another flooded the ticket desk to see how they could make it to their destination if our plane was to leave 2 hours late. The time passed quickly since I had my trusty mobile…but the bars were definitely diminishing.
Irritation turned to joy as we boarded the aircraft. Yay!!! I would still be able to make it to Chicago in time to go wander in the park and view the city from the top of the Sears tower. Then…we waited. Ten minutes turned into 30 minutes and 30 into 45. Every half hour the pilot would make new promises that we would be leaving in 30 minutes. After each announcement…frantic passengers dug deep into their bags, pulled out their mobile phones and begin to chatter away telling friends and family alike that they just received a new update from the pilot…. I too felt compelled…obligated almost to pull out my phone and begin my rants. But… I called my brother instead. We talked about his new daughter, my new niece. The bars on my phone were definitely past the halfway mark now.
Joy turned to desperation. After our conversation…I begin to realize just how hot it was inside the plane and just how long we’d been on the runway in the tin can posing as an aircraft. The pilot made yet another announcement. After two long hours in 100 degree heat inside a non-airconditioned aircraft, we were going back into the gate. O.k. time for those cell phones to come out of their hiding place again.
Desperation turned to relief. We get back to the gate, we deplane, we wait an hour, we reboard. Finally, we are on our way to Chicago after 5 long hours…or are we? Our pilot calls to our attention on the loudspeaker again to tell us it will be another half hour before we can take off. Really??? Are you kidding me?? Guess what everyone started doing again? Yup, you guessed it. They pulled out their cell phones, called their respective loved ones to tell them where they were at in the ‘day from hell’ process and then promptly hung up without any resolution.
Finally, we took off. Guess what. I made it to Chicago. Fabulous city by the way! Wish I had more time to wander around.
I love people watching at the airport. It is hilarious to watch the flurry of phones pop out of purses and pockets when travel is delayed. The conversation is always the same, and there is never a good way to end the call. Usually people get off the phone more frustrated and desperate. I wonder what used to happen in the good ol’ days before cell phones when there was no way to complain to anyone except the person beside you that your flight was going to be ‘delayed’.
