Extra news. Snow in Europe.

Airport day 2

Got in yesterday. Since my flight was cancelled, I hoped for the late evening one. So did quite a few other travellers. Everywhere I looked there were people sitting, or standing in line. Ah the lines, the ques. Hours and hours just to find out you are on a waiting list for the next flight, that might fly. Only maybe tho.
So no flights out, almost to anywhere, snow keeping coming, and more passengers arriving all the time. Like a pool of piss forming when tha drain is clogged we have multiplied over the last 24 hrs. Everywhere lines, ques.
And the walking.
Stand in line for really long (making friends with a couple of travellers), then go to gate, then wait, then see the terrifying Cancelled-sign pop up…walk back (and Frankfurt airport is quite big…lots of walking) and get in line again, only this time hundreds of new passengers being added.
Finally, after 4 hours of hotel-sleep, back here @ 0530, I decided to stand in the train-line instead. Only 3 hrs. Got one of the few last train tickets out of this insanity.
Will be back home tomorrow afternoon (if train doesnt get stuck in the snow, that is continuing to fall, ofcourse).

My luggage?
No clue.
I gave a woman a paper with my luggage number and my adress. Will I ever see my clothes and xmas gifts ever again?

But even if this suck big time, there is something in it.
Travelling might not be so good after all.
One must choose trips more carefully.
Its clear that the system is fully set to run smooth, and then it does, but when something gets in its way…it all fails, and it fails like a motherfucker!
There are long distance travellers in those halls who have been here since Thursday, families, kids…when I asked for my luggage, the woman said ”I would love to get your bag for you, but its in there among aprox 20.000 others so i dont think I can find it”.

We both smiled.

For what its worth, my experience is that the Lufthansa people have been supernatural in their way of dealing with the chaos and irritated people and everything. Taxis, hotels, water and food for everyone, even clowns and santas doing tricks for tired kids.
It seems that they all have at least a PhD in Behavoral Science and Psychology .

It makes for another point: whatever hi-tech stuff we have, computers, mobiles, www, and all other gagdets that makes our world function, the most crucial is still, and will probably always be, how we deal with real human interaction. How we understand when someone really really needs a hug, a glas of water or just a thanx.
No sleek i-product is ever going to be able to replace that.

Well done Lufthansa.