Years ago I was flying out of the old terminal at TVC. Those familiar with Traverse City know it's a small operation and the staff who run the check-in counter are the same ones who man the gate and probably the same ones who are loading the plane. United, Delta and American (plus Northwest, way back when) each have one gate, and regional jets rule the day. I suppose when you work in an airport that small, you know every single person who works there, including those who work for your company's competitors.

Anyway...it was the day after Christmas, I was on the first flight of the morning and we'd had lake-effect snow all night long. Our place is about 60 miles from TVC and I think we left at 4am for a 7am. The entire way we were following the tire tracks of a vehicle that had gone ahead of us some time earlier...roads weren't plowed, winds were horrible...it was an interesting experience.

Anyway, I got to TVC and checked in for my American flight, then went to the gate. Suddenly a United agent announced over the loudspeaker, "Attention United passengers: If you're curious about why our 7am flight was canceled, it's because the winds overnight picked the plane up and spun it around. We don't think it's safe to fly."

To this day, I'm certain that announcement wasn't directed at the United passengers and was fully intended to give grief to the American employees while scaring the passengers half to death. (And honestly, it was one of the more terrifying takeoffs I've ever experienced.)