A Lousy Bedroom

If spending a night sleeping in the “C” Concourse at O’Hare Airport in Chicago is on your bucket list, I would suggest you scratch it off the list immediately without giving it a go.  O’Hare is not bad for an airport, but so far as a bedroom it’s not very good.  For one thing, the chairs in the gate waiting areas are not even comfortable for sitting, let alone sleeping on.  Worse than that, the housekeeping staff will vacuum the floors all around you and the PA system warns you—all through the night—that liquid personal items in your carry-on must be limited to three ounces and must be inside a plastic bag.

Here is the story: a storm in Chicago shutdown all flights to and from O’Hare yesterday.  That girl and I spent nearly eight hours at the airport in Bozeman yesterday, delayed on departure for Chicago only to fly in last night and become stranded here.

Huge crowds filled the concourses until about midnight last night.  After they departed on planes that were stacked outside, we walked to a far corner of the “C” Concourse to sleep.

It is now about 3:00 AM and I have given up on sleeping.  That girl and I will soon find our way to the “F” Concourse to catch our final flight to Akron, Ohio.

I have posted a photo of the path we are about to take.

PART II

The story continued (4:30 AM):

When we walked down to the “F” Concourse, we found the entire place filled with people who had been provided with cots, blankets, and pillows for their stay overnight.  Apparently, this is where you go when stranded at O’Hare. 

Please add that to your bucket list.

--Mitchell Hegman