Intra-In-Transit

Hello all. I got back from Chicago yesterday. I leave for Chester tomorrow. The fun never stops. Here is something to think about:

Chicago'hareport is the worst airport in America (I was going to write "In the world", but I realized that there are whole continents of misery that I have yet to sample).

I talked to many people about their experience arriving in Chicago. The extreme end involved cancelled flights, re-routing via inexplicable mid-points, and early morning arrivals eight hours after the claimed arrival time. I got off relatively lightly, with only a 30 minute delay. I eventually found someone who had experienced no problems flying to Chicago. It transpired that they had flown into the alternate budget "Midway" airport. See what I mean?

I think part of the problem is that even when you get to the miserable place, it resembles hell on earth. Instead of sensibly segmenting the gates, and putting up walls to give a sense of structure and belonging, the entire thing is arranged as a giant series of corridors, all packed to bursting with miserable screaming people desperate for a stand-by seat on an overbooked flight. Baggage reclaim (which I was subjected to after the airline stole my bags from me at the cabin door) takes place in a strange unlit dungeon, with the shredded remains of luggage that didn't make it through littering the corners (my bag eventually emerged, but with the straps mangled and the handle stuck). It's just a horrible place.

I got up this morning, and was going to drive to work when I noticed that something vital was missing. No, the car was safe and well. Someone had stolen the road. So I took the train instead. Hopefully this will be fixed by the time I get back next week.