Things you learn during an overnight in the airport

Most people don’t know the questions to ask. I am totally alone in an upper floor passenger lounge with maybe 60 easy chairs, a table to work at and relative quiet. Most of the MANY people who missed their connection and have to wait until morning are downstairs with the thin and very used floor cushions the airport puts out for their use. (Update: Between 8:18pm and 5:31am, only four other people made use of this great space. Go figure.)

The TSA folks are really nice when they don’t have a mile-long line of stressed passengers in front of them. I’m just across from their office.

Speaking of TSA, when you go in their office to ask a question, don’t step into the part with all the radio gear – it makes them quite touchy.

All-nighters are for college-age humans, not old Fudds.

You can get a lot of writing done when you have nine hours to kill and a comfortable chair in a quiet area. Which is not to say good writing, but what the hell.

Those recorded messages about not letting strangers touch your baggage get more annoying the longer the night drags on.

You should not begin an airport overnight in a state of fatigue. You see, I am afraid of falling asleep – not because I might get robbed, although I might – but because I don’t want to wake up covered in drool surrounded by smirking strangers.

The night janitor in the ‘quiet’ section of this lounge is a really pleasant, hardworking guy. Jamaican, I’m guessing from the accent when he declines my offer to move out of his way.

There are 1,036 itty-bitty holes in each of the vent grills in the ceiling above me. Counted, did the math.

I am no more erudite in the MSP airport in the middle of the night than at any other time.