We all can and should plan for contingencies. Obviously we all have our own individual crosses to bear. My experience in life, however, leads me to believe that a lot of people in this society believe that THEIR personal problems are for more important than anyone else's.

99 times out of 100, they are not. Everyone should look at the consequences of thier actions and their impact upon others. When travelling, people should realize that their tardiness affects other passengers- consequently, as airlines aren't going to help us out on this one, we should all strive to plan ahead for possible contingencies to ensure we inconvenience other passengers as little as possible. After all, everyone has problems and responsibilities, and chances are, yours are no appreciably greater than anyone else's.