Thursday, December 18, 2008

people watchery


So, we get to the airport, get our bags, go inside. OH NO. Where does the line for Southwest start and stop? We start walking, keep walking, still walking, "Sir, is this the line for Southwest?" Yes. Keep walking...finally, but the United desk, the end of the line. (The line grows to the next airline counter...masses of people.)

By this point, I'm facing the fact that we're not making our flight. I figure our flight is delayed. We made it up to the actual posts where the line starts and then it happens, "Unless you are on flight @#*$ to Dallas, your flight has been cancelled. Please call the 1-800 number to reschedule your flight." Oh great. We get out of line, kind of laughing at everyone, call the number, on hold for a few minutes, flight rescheduled for Saturday morning. Not ideal, but it works.

Okay, so the couple in line behind us was already fighting when they got in line. Something about their boarding passes which she had printed offline or something. Then we find out our respective flights are canceled, the husband loses it. He starts off with the cussing and how they'll have to wait forever for a ride since they're from out of town, they won't get to Phoenix, this is the worst thing ever, blah blah blah. He keeps walking off and then coming back and saying something to his wife dramatically and then does it again. We are trying not to laugh because he's acting like a 4 year old. We move outside to wait for Thomas to pick us up, and watch as TSA employees inform those getting out of their cars that all flights have been canceled. We told a guy as we were getting in our car as he was saying goodbye to his friends and the disappointment on his face was priceless. We watched this again and again while inside and outside. I don't know why I found hilarity in others misery today, but it was glorious.

5 comments:

Mags said...

Oh my gosh, I'm just laughing reading this! Wow, right there with you on finding the hilarity! I would have been pissed but only momentarily for the effort to pack and arrive timely - I'm beginning to realize I DO NOT WANT TO TRAVEL on holidays. period. but seriously, Phoenix?!?!?!?!? 7 days ahead!?!???!?!? hahaha. 4 year old for sure.

I hope your bags weren't too heavy walking all the way to the end of that line.

katie johnson said...

whaaaaat! i was at the airport today, too. this is like the one day that i didn't take southwest to go up to st louis. thank god!

shannon paige guillot said...

i really like that you laughed. laughter is good.

Mike said...

Here's your word for the day: "Schadenfreude"

Scha·den·freu·de

Function: noun
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy
Date: 1895
: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others

revbrunet said...

i tried to fly home from philadelphia on southwest this past wednesday. i started at 6am. i finally arrived in okc at 10pm. for the mathematically challenged, that's a 16 hour travel day spent mostly in airports waiting on delayed planes. thank god for laptops and unlimited texting or i might have gone crazy with boredom!