Is It Too Early To Start Drinking at the Airport?

If you're sitting in an American airport this morning, wondering why you're sitting there and not on a plane that was supposed to leave an hour ago, we have an explanation for you. There seems to be a glitch in the FAA's flight plan computer system today, and it's causing delays and cancellations nationwide. If they won't open the bars yet, we think you at least deserve a conciliatory Cinnabon. (Thanks Sparky!)

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

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edselpdx

Kein bier vor vier.
adent1066

I believe it had to do with a fault in the Retro Encabulator http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w
mellowknees

Totally aside from the computer issues facing all of our airports today:

It is never too early to drink in an airport.

NEVER.
- teapot
  
  Thirded… an airport is basically a licence to drink.
  
  Strong LSD is not recommended, but will result in the most amazing / perplexing sunrise you will ever see.
mdh

could it be haxxorz in ur towers, wrecking ur plans?
Moriarty

Airports are timeless portals between worlds and timezones. “It’s always five o’clock somewhere” has more meaning when there are people present who just came from that place, or are headed there. Have a bloody mary – the perfect blend of spice, vitamins, and alcohol for surviving an airport.

None of that, however, is an excuse for the depravity of Cinnabon.
Enoch_Root

Privatize ATC! Be like socialist Canada.
ironix

I agree with mellowknees, it is never too early to start drinking at the airport. Just be sure to remain in control enough to not get turned away at the gate for being too drunk. =p
Teapunk

There’s a very nice bar in the airport of MahÃ© (Seychelles). Never too early for a Mai Tai or something, just be sure not to overdo it. In the right dosis it also helps with the sleeping on the plane.
Anonymous

It was sad to see that MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” mentioned this, and then used that as a reason to speak to the Georgia Governer about how bad a job Barak Obama is doing rather than giving ANY information about their lead in

“Computer issues shut down US Airports”
dwdyer

I’d love to know what the actual trigger was, but I’ll be we’ll never really know. If it were just one airline, they’d be prevaricating about “equipment failure”.

p.s. a stumblewrapped link rather than a direct link?