Vexed at the Airport

“Excuse me.” I was trying so hard to be polite, but the airport was so crowded this morning and people were just annoying me. Everyone seemed to be roaming, a little lost but still in a hurry.

“Wait your turn,” growled this middle-aged dark hared woman. “We are all trying to get through this.” She reeked of cigarettes and I hoped she wasn’t going to be on my flight. With my eternal bad luck, I thought, she would turn out to be my seat mate.

I started to apologize then decided better. Why am I apologizing? I simply said excuse me.

“Some people can be so rude,” I mumbled under my breath as I walked away.

Delta and American Airlines ticket agents were struggling to make it to their first coffee break without pummeling someone. I wasn’t sure they would make it.

My suitcase grew heavier by the minute. “I should have gotten one of those new ones with all the wheels that spin every direction”, I smiled at the gentleman next to me.

He sneered and stepped up to the counter.

Through the window, the remains of the plane continued to smolder on the runway. The flames gone now, but black smoke continued to rise into the snow laden clouds.

“I need to get to Hartford this morning on time. Is that possible?” he grumbled at the ticket agent.

The ticket agent smiled at him and looked over his shoulder at me. She made a comical face that made me laugh out loud. I coughed several times to hide my laughter as the man turned around and looked daggers at me.

“Something went down the wrong pipe,” I explained. The man just sneered at me.

Please just let me get through the airport this morning without being forced to thump someone, I thought. I was proud to be small but very mighty. I could take care of myself and thought I might need to today.

The man with the curt attitude left the desk and I stepped forward.

“I’m sorry. Some people just aren’t having a very good morning,” the agent noted. She smiled a little then seemed to drift off a bit, before she spoke again.

“Oh, that’s ok. Maybe I would be grumpy too if I had five cups of coffee before I got to the airport,” I laughed. The agent laughed with me and then said “What can I do for you this morning?’

“I am headed home to Boston and is that gonna be possible today?”

Oh sure, we have three or four runways open and most of our planes are flying on schedule,” she promised.

“Oh, you know, just another day in winter wonderland,” I laughed.

The Nor’easter hitting New England was causing disruption everywhere. The snow was coming down at the rate of about 2” an hour, so it wouldn’t have surprised me to see the airport close, although, the entire airport did seem to be running on schedule even though this morning was different. I thought, it’s just me. I’m having a really bad morning. Maybe I should have had five cups of coffee, I snickered.

She stamped my ticket, measured my carry on and politely said, “You are all set. Have a safe trip. I heard on the radio this morning that the wind chill is below zero, so stay warm,” she smiled.

“Thanks,” I answered as I walked away and stepped to the security checkpoint. I wondered, again, about the safety of flying in this weather, but didn’t say anything.

The TSA agent said “Take off your boots, please, and your coat, hat and scarf. We need your phone, change, keys and anything else in your pockets.” I unbundled and did as requested, then stepped through security before reclaiming all my items. I moved toward the boarding gate after passing the Dunkin and the smokers who looked like fish in a tank after being required to now smoke in a glass enclosure.

As I walked toward the boarding gate, I looked out the window and gasped. The snow was drifting so high, it looked like it could almost touch the airport windows.

Great day for snow angels, I thought.

I boarded my plane, against my better judgment and a little behind schedule and headed home.