I have just spent six hours in an airport, and if I’m lucky I’ll  be here only another 90 minutes.  Which is what spawned this complaint-o-gram.

Without further ado, what I hate about airports:

10.  Forgetting to check the weather in the Midwest and therefore being caught by surprise when arriving at the airport at 6:00 am, to discover that all hell is breaking loose weather-wise somewhere else and it’s affecting the rest of us.

9.  Paying $23 to check one suitcase.  (At least Delta doesn’t have the gall to call your first bag “extra” like Air Tran does).

8.  Waiting on a hellacious line while trying to reschedule my flights.  With lots of people who are unhappy and therefore fairly unpleasant to be with.

7.  An idiot airline that thinks it’s better to re-route people traveling from Florida to New York through Detroit, instead putting them on a direct flight to another NYC airport.

6.  Having to find a new place to settle down after every bathroom/Starbucks/candybar break because when traveling alone you can’t just leave your things to hold your spot.

5.  Not packing a spare toothbrush or deodorant in my carry-on because I was an arrogant idiot and was positive I’d be there by now.

4.  Getting on the wrong line at security and waiting endlessly behind someone holding up the whole shebang while people are breezing through the other checkpoint.

3.  Being searched by a security guard, who actually started chatting with me whilst patting me down… what did she expect me to say when she asked how my day was going??

2.  Airport food.

1.  And the number one thing I hate about airports — Having to endure all that in order to squish myself and my stuff into a seat with inadequate legroom for someone who’s 5’5″ (my heart goes out to the people who are taller than me).

The only good part?  People-watching.  The endless parade of nearly every type of person.  The snippets of conversations that you pick up; the ladies who just got off a cruise ship… the girls’ soccer team in matching burgundy jackets… the couple cuddling over a salad and laughing when their plastic fork broke… the young woman tottering by on heels that are both high fashion and clearly uncomfortable… the people chatting in various languages… the book readers, sudoku puzzlers, computer tappers (myself included, at the moment), and all the others.  A veritable smorgesbord of humanity.

All in all, not a horrible way to spend the day.  As long as I get out of here soon!!