I am sure someone could enlighten me as to what the more recent DL corporate policies are for management of site and problem solving. Here is my letter to DL.
Please note I ask for no refund, miles etc. I would all be pointless. I am just trying to understand how careless they can be.

After years of being your loyal customer, often preferring DL the joy of Asian airlines first class at comparable fares for the sale of keeping getting better device while flying domestically, I have to inform you of a significant operational concern. Today, an Alabama to Las Vegas itinerary booked in full fare will take me the beauty of 13,5 hours, causing me once more, despite a cautious 315 AM wake up machine programming, the cancellations of five colonoscopies and the loss of patient trust, something more important than money. What is very concerning is the dynamics.
A mechanical delay due to a defective cargo door at 450AM, on an airline sitting in Birmingham since the evening before, was attended by a contract mechanic who lives 45 minutes away from the airport a couple hours later, without any solution. By the time it was decided to get us out, no seat were available, on a Saturday with great weather, to get anywhere for the next few hours.
What is the company's respect for 150+ paying people waking up at 230-3 AM to go to work, on vacation, see their sick loved ones etc? Not enough to have a DL branded or contract mechanic on site, in an airport served by 30-year old planes with a dozen early morning flights. Is this the attention to safety and good operations that first world standards require? I am baffled. I suspect, and to be suspicious is a sin (but one is often right!) that if "minor" issues occur, the BHM operation will avoid calling such a far-fetched resource as an off site contract mechanic and will let "minor" things go unchecked. I hope I wrong. i certain you will be kind enough to respond and to look into this very serious issue, and I apologized if I took too much of YOUR time and to bother you directly. Other than a few kind, apologetic voices from the diamond medallion desk I have not been blue to get a reliable answer to my concerns.

With many thanks

IkarosBos
loyal DL DM, MM