Last week I found myself at LaGuardia Airport people watching. During the hour or so that I sat in the ticketing area waiting to see whether a friend's flight would actually take off, I became fascinated by what can only be described as the airport hustle. This is when you rush to get to what you think is the right terminal on time only to learn that you're in the wrong place or the line to get through security looks like it will take more than an hour. Suddenly, you've crossed the line from being on time to the dangerous territory of being left behind. That's when panic threatens to rear its ugly head—especially when it puts that possible Shangri-La also known as a vacation in jeopardy.

As I watched scenarios unfold without the stress of having to worry about boarding a flight, I realized why the airport hustle can often be a stressful experience: basically you have to have a willingness to be vulnerable. Before you literally strip off layers of clothing to get through security you must contend with luggage issues—not only the number of bags you check, but how much they weigh. Most of us would rather keep that number to ourselves (along with our body weight). I watched two men open a huge suitcase trying to figure out which items weighed the most so they could haphazardly stuff them in a shopping bag one was carrying onto the plane. Then there's the anxiety about setting off the alarm as you pass through security. This is my personal issues since my choice of bras has been known to sound alarms in various cities—which would be funny except that it leads to the awkward pat down (which I am no fan of). Then, once you get to the gate, there's a possibility that your flight could be delayed for a whole hosts of reasons.Vulnerable indeed.

More annoying is arriving at the ticket counter only to discover that you've gotten there too late to actually get on the plane. Now what constitutes too late varies by airline. But if you have bags to check the ticket agent may stop you in your tracks at T minus 35 minutes. Such was the case for a young couple who arrived at the ticket counter with their toddler daughter in tow and a skycap carrying quite a bit of luggage. They were under the impression that they could still make their flight. The agent informed them otherwise (even though there weren't even close to final boarding) while the Sky Cap stood them awkwardly for what probably seemed like eons to him.

I've only watched snippets of the  reality show "Airline"  (clip above). But it is clear that how people handle a monkey wrench in their plans is literally a make or break moment. I don't know how cordial the couple's conversation was at the counter (they were up there chatting for some time) but I was clear about the outcome. In order to reach their destination, this family would have to return the next day and pay $150 to change each of their tickets. (Steep when you consider the number of people involved.) I heard this all because they sat down near me to figure out their options. When I left the airport they were still thinking of ways to deal with this unexpected expense. 

Anyway, I think that  "terminal fatigue" happen to us all from time to time. It's inevitable. But in this case it is best to expect the unexpected. (Although it does sometimes help to leave the house super early—but even then there are no guarantees).