April 2

So my first vacation in a long time doesn't seem to want to end. Not of my choosing, of course. The very lovely and talented (and did I mention close to bankrupt?) USAirways has decided that I was not going home tonight. In a very annoying turn of events, I am stuck in Charlotte. But I am not the only one. There are literally hundreds of disgruntled holiday-makers stuck with me. Here are just a few of things I heard as other passengers dealt with the cancellation of their flights.

"Okay, change of plans. We're being royally screwed."—woman waiting for 2552 to Pittsburgh (my original flight) on her cell phone.

"This is BULLSHIT!" –priest, upon hearing that the next flight out of Charlotte would be Tuesday and he was going to miss Sunday morning mass in Boston tomorrow.

"Ma’am, if you don’t get out of Charlotte tonight, the next available flight is Friday."—Ticket counter lady.
"::honk::"—Me.

"Attention all passengers in the baggage claim area: if you missed your connecting flight, your luggage is now at its final destination."—Overhead voice (I think she had a starring role in the movie Airplane) (And yes, my luggage somehow got a flight to Pittsburgh when I couldn't.)

"Well, Jesus Christ Jessica, why don't you just go pick out one of the nicer looking bags over there. I'm sure they have some toothbrushes we could use." My mother standing amongst the hundreds of unattended bags in baggage claim that had somehow made it to Charlotte without their owners.

"We have no record of you ever having bags." Baggage claim representative.

"Who the hell runs this airline, the Three Stooges?" very, very old man to gate attendant.

"Attention all passengers, flight 1076 to Pittsburgh will be delayed indefinitely; we can't find the flight crew." Same gate attendant.