Tuesday's Great White Death (Part One)
Dear Bro,
I don't know if you remember from your days here in Cincinnati, but anytime there is a hint of snow the local population transform into a hysterical frenzied mob of apocalyptic seers all fretting the approaching storm, lovingly referred to as the "white death". This passion is flamed by the numerous local TV network affiliates who constantly broadcast teasers about a "major storm" coming our way followed by extended news coverage by serious speaking weather people who try to estimate the extent of the impending doom. I would shake my head in shame at how we act as a city, but if I did I would have to take my eyes off the TV for a minute and possibly miss an important detail of the weather forecast....
And thus we went through this ritual last Monday night - Tuesday morning as a sheet of ice descended onto the Tri-state area. (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana) By 2:00am on Monday it began snowing with accumulations of about 1-3 inches of snow, more to the north (Ohio,Indiana) then to the south (Kentucky). However, starting early in the morning it started turning into that dreaded "mixed precipitation", which means a healthy dose of freezing rain and sleet. And of course, this was the day that Melody was flying back from North Carolina after visiting Mandy and the kids for a four day trip.
Melody was originally scheduled to fly into Dayton at 9:00pm that evening, however this winter storm was scheduled to run all day and into Tuesday night, thus making the likelihood of this flight occurring being about the same odds as Rush Limbaugh and Al Franken vacationing together in the south of Spain. Attempts to contact US Air by phone prove quite futile, as their switchboard was overflowing with other panicked passengers who had also come to the realization that they were going to have difficulty in reaching their respective destinations. Thus, Melody had our son-in-law Scottie fire up the old minivan and take her to New Bern airport about five hours early, so she could barter with US Air in person to try and beat the storm before if shut down every airport in the Ohio valley.
After much wrestling and $25 poorer, US Air managed to get her on a flight to Charlotte at noon with a connection to Dayton running arriving at 4:20pm. As I work at the Cincinnati Airport, I had decided to work at home as 1) the weather was terrible and 2) since my workplace was 35 miles to the south and Dayton Airport was 40 miles to the north I did not feel like driving a gross total of 150 miles in some of the worst conditions we had seen in some time. Plus, I have a office in the third bedroom of the house, which allowed me to work without taking over the kitchen table for the day....
Melody called me after she arrived in Charlotte and gave me the number of her next flight. So I jumped online and pulled up the flight status from US Air's website:
FLIGHT: 2244
Looking good, I check the road conditions up I-75 to Dayton. According to the local Dayton news channels it is snow covered but passable with no accidents at the time. I figured I could run up there to beat the rush hour and maybe have dinner with Melody while all the other cars clear the roadways before we head home. About 1/2 hour later I check the status again...
FLIGHT: 2244
"Honey, what does the board at E-3 say."
"It still says we are leaving at 3:30."
"Get out of your chair and get to the ticket counter now. Your flight just got canceled."
With that Melody hunted down the "service center" and got in line. She was third. After about a five minute wait she was assisted. Just before she got to the counter the phone rang and she clearly heard them state that Dayton and Columbus flights were just canceled. As well, they requested that additional personnel be sent to the "service center" desk.
Melody made the statement: "Dayton just got canceled." to which the agent replied in a low tone "yup". After some discussion she managed to grab the last seat on the Cincinnati flight leaving at 5:30. The agent seemed to become more agitated as they spoke, stating that Melody had to "surrender" her seat on the later Dayton flight she was booked on and there was no guarantee that her luggage would make it. Melody had already figured out based on her conversations with me that there would be no "later Dayton flight" and it is very easy to pick up luggage later when there is not a foot of snow descending on local airports. Thus the agreement was struck and Melody had a seat on the 5:30 to Cincinnati.
When she turned around she noticed the reason for the change in the US Air employee's tone. The cancellations had been posted and the line in front of the counter now contained the better part of sixty very disturbed passengers with nowhere to go.
END OF PART ONE.
I don't know if you remember from your days here in Cincinnati, but anytime there is a hint of snow the local population transform into a hysterical frenzied mob of apocalyptic seers all fretting the approaching storm, lovingly referred to as the "white death". This passion is flamed by the numerous local TV network affiliates who constantly broadcast teasers about a "major storm" coming our way followed by extended news coverage by serious speaking weather people who try to estimate the extent of the impending doom. I would shake my head in shame at how we act as a city, but if I did I would have to take my eyes off the TV for a minute and possibly miss an important detail of the weather forecast....
And thus we went through this ritual last Monday night - Tuesday morning as a sheet of ice descended onto the Tri-state area. (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana) By 2:00am on Monday it began snowing with accumulations of about 1-3 inches of snow, more to the north (Ohio,Indiana) then to the south (Kentucky). However, starting early in the morning it started turning into that dreaded "mixed precipitation", which means a healthy dose of freezing rain and sleet. And of course, this was the day that Melody was flying back from North Carolina after visiting Mandy and the kids for a four day trip.
Melody was originally scheduled to fly into Dayton at 9:00pm that evening, however this winter storm was scheduled to run all day and into Tuesday night, thus making the likelihood of this flight occurring being about the same odds as Rush Limbaugh and Al Franken vacationing together in the south of Spain. Attempts to contact US Air by phone prove quite futile, as their switchboard was overflowing with other panicked passengers who had also come to the realization that they were going to have difficulty in reaching their respective destinations. Thus, Melody had our son-in-law Scottie fire up the old minivan and take her to New Bern airport about five hours early, so she could barter with US Air in person to try and beat the storm before if shut down every airport in the Ohio valley.
After much wrestling and $25 poorer, US Air managed to get her on a flight to Charlotte at noon with a connection to Dayton running arriving at 4:20pm. As I work at the Cincinnati Airport, I had decided to work at home as 1) the weather was terrible and 2) since my workplace was 35 miles to the south and Dayton Airport was 40 miles to the north I did not feel like driving a gross total of 150 miles in some of the worst conditions we had seen in some time. Plus, I have a office in the third bedroom of the house, which allowed me to work without taking over the kitchen table for the day....
Melody called me after she arrived in Charlotte and gave me the number of her next flight. So I jumped online and pulled up the flight status from US Air's website:
FLIGHT: 2244
| Depart: Charlotte, NC | Arrive: Dayton, OH |
| Date 2/13/2007 | Date 2/13/2007 |
| Gate E3 | Gate C4 |
| Scheduled 14:55 | Scheduled 16:20 |
| Actual | Actual |
| Status | Status |
Looking good, I check the road conditions up I-75 to Dayton. According to the local Dayton news channels it is snow covered but passable with no accidents at the time. I figured I could run up there to beat the rush hour and maybe have dinner with Melody while all the other cars clear the roadways before we head home. About 1/2 hour later I check the status again...
FLIGHT: 2244
| Depart: Charlotte, NC | Arrive: Dayton, OH |
| Date 2/13/2007 | Date 2/13/2007 |
| Gate E3 | Gate C4 |
| Scheduled 14:55 | Scheduled 16:20 |
| Actual 15:30 | Actual 16:55 |
| Status | Status |
So I grab the phone and call Melody on her cell. It appears they have not yet posted this information, but within a few minutes the info is displayed on the board at gate E3. A collective groan can be clearly heard over the line.
I do a quick recalculation in my head. I can still miss most of the rush hour if I leave a little early, but I really wanted to make sure her plane got in the air before I ventured out into weather as bad as this.
I check the website again....
FLIGHT: 2244
| Depart: Charlotte, NC | Arrive: Dayton, OH |
| Date 2/13/2007 | Date 2/13/2007 |
| Gate | Gate |
| Scheduled 14:55 | Scheduled 16:20 |
| Actual | Actual |
| Status | Status |
Strange... the gate and status are gone???? I hit refresh.....
FLIGHT: 2244
| Depart: Charlotte, NC | Arrive: Dayton, OH |
| Date 2/13/2007 | Date 2/13/2007 |
| Gate | Gate |
| Scheduled | Scheduled |
| Actual | Actual |
| Status Cancelled | Status Cancelled |
"Honey, what does the board at E-3 say."
"It still says we are leaving at 3:30."
"Get out of your chair and get to the ticket counter now. Your flight just got canceled."
With that Melody hunted down the "service center" and got in line. She was third. After about a five minute wait she was assisted. Just before she got to the counter the phone rang and she clearly heard them state that Dayton and Columbus flights were just canceled. As well, they requested that additional personnel be sent to the "service center" desk.
Melody made the statement: "Dayton just got canceled." to which the agent replied in a low tone "yup". After some discussion she managed to grab the last seat on the Cincinnati flight leaving at 5:30. The agent seemed to become more agitated as they spoke, stating that Melody had to "surrender" her seat on the later Dayton flight she was booked on and there was no guarantee that her luggage would make it. Melody had already figured out based on her conversations with me that there would be no "later Dayton flight" and it is very easy to pick up luggage later when there is not a foot of snow descending on local airports. Thus the agreement was struck and Melody had a seat on the 5:30 to Cincinnati.
When she turned around she noticed the reason for the change in the US Air employee's tone. The cancellations had been posted and the line in front of the counter now contained the better part of sixty very disturbed passengers with nowhere to go.
END OF PART ONE.
posted by Rich in Cincy | 5:26 AM
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