Right now I am at hotel computer in Connecticut freezing my ass off. The automatic doors are broken from the wind last night, so there is a steady breeze that chills the lobby and the computer lab down the hall. I spent yesterday morning going to LaGuardia in a snow storm, and yesterday afternoon and night returning from LaGuardia in a blizzard. The worst part is that I have a bad cold and little money. Why should you care? Because my story is the story of the people you see on the news who you are glad to be not. And you just might learn something.

The first lesson of this fiasco is to play it safe. I knew about the storm Saturday night on Christmas. There were varying reports that the storm would come early in the morning or later in the afternoon on Sunday. Right there I should have assumed the worst and just rescheduled my flight for Tuesday, the first day of clear weather after the storm. But I really wanted to get back to Houston because I had been visiting for a week and I was sick and tired — literally. So I left on Sunday as scheduled.

The second lesson is to follow your instinct. On my way to the airport the snow was heavy, but not blinding. I checked my bag and went to the gate without a problem. At the gate the 1pm flight was getting de-iced for departure at 2pm. My plane had not even come in yet. That was a bad sign right away. I made some calls, and my flight was still scheduled to leave at 2:30pm. But I learned the flights after mine were all canceled. The line to talk to the ticket agent was long, but since I would be waiting anyway, I got in line. Waiting paid off. I asked the woman with solemn sincerity, “if I were your friend, what would you tell me about this flight getting to Houston today?” She shook her head. After that I left, changed my flight, and booked the first ride back to Connecticut. On the long shuttle ride back  I heard 1010 CBS news interviewing people from my flight stuck in the airport.

Another lesson is to tip your baggage carriers. When I checked in I gave the guy 10 bucks. Usually I tip $5, but I figured under the circumstances it was a good day to make some new friends. Later when I walked out on my flight, I needed to get my bag back from the airline into my hands. The ticket agent said one thing, the airport attendant said another, and I scrambled to find a way to make it happen. In the concourse I saw the guy I tipped earlier, and he came right up to me and asked me how I was doing. I told him I was leaving before all the hotels and rides were booked, and that I needed to get my bag back. He took my claim ticket, disappeared for a half-hour and came walking back with my bag. I gave him another $20.

The last lesson is to think outside the box. When I walked away from my gate there were 3 thoughts in my head, get your bag, book a new flight, and get back to Connecticut. I got my bag and booked a new flight with a little help. The last thing to do was the hardest. At airport transportation, there was a long line for cabs. A few attendants told me there would be no cabs willing to drive to Connecticut. One driver said he would do it for $200. There was no way I was paying that much. The airport shuttle services could not promise for a drop-off at a private residence, so I looked for a free shuttle to hotels around LaGuardia. They were all booked. A guy near me was calling and arguing for the same thing as I was — a stay in Queens or a ride to Connecticut. He eventually walked back to the terminal. It looked like he had given up. I started calling hotels outside of Queens and asking about their transportation services. In the end I found out that the hotel I stayed at in Connecticut was a stop for shuttle service, and that there was one more on rout before they shut down service. I booked it.

Now I am living out of a suitcase, and I have to wait and see what I can do until Wednesday. That is when my new flight leaves. I am lucky I got a place to stay, but all the alternative planning has cost me over $300. The point is that the airlines and the airport should have a better way to deal with the people who are stranded. However, I would not know what to suggest off the top of my head. Utlimately I had the chance from the very beginning just to play it safe, and I didn’t. So if a situation sounds daunting, then plan for it that way. The airlines will do everything they can to keep you safe in the air, but nothing to keep you comfortable on the ground.

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