Letters: Bustling O’Hare is a different place late at night

If the citizens of Chicago care to experience something truly unique, or at least a little different, I have something to suggest: roaming the empty halls of one of the country’s busiest airports in the wee hours, but perhaps not in the same manner as I did a few weeks ago.

My late night flight to Mobile, Alabama, was canceled due to bad weather around Chicago, and was given a make-up flight by a very friendly United customer service rep to depart early the following morning. Since staying at a hotel would not have gotten me to the gate in time, I was given the option of a cot in a far-reaching gate area, which I accepted. When I finally found gate, I was given a pillow and blanket and tried to sleep.

Around 2:30 a.m., I realized my thin Southern blood was no match for the air conditioning system I decided the gate area where my flight would originate from had to be warmer, so I turned in my blanket and pillow, and began the long, long walk to my gate in Concourse B. It was during this trek that I experienced the surreal feeling of being all alone in the world; no other passengers, no security, not even the ever-present P.A. system.

The only life forms I saw were other apparent “cancel-ees” rolled up in blankets like tight cigars on every available elevated surface. It had the feeling of a post-apocalyptic world, being all alone in a place that was normally teeming. Glancing through the windows at the gate ramps as I trudged, I felt as if I ruled O’Hare; I could climb aboard any flight I desired and go anywhere; except at 3 in the morning there were no planes parked at those lonely-looking ramps.

I finally arrived at my gate, with four hours to nap. I couldn’t deny the feeling that as uncomfortable as the experience had been, a part of me had to admit the eerie feeling of solitude wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Doug McCall, Starkville, Mississippi

Look to Wall Street

Donald Trump wants a stop-and-frisk policy to cut down on crime in Chicago. I would suggest this would be more fruitful if done in his hometown on Wall Street. It is my opinion CEO John Stumpf stole more money from the Wells Fargo shareholders than a decade of crooks could do in our fair city.

Don Anderson, Oak ParkAppalling ads

I suspect I’m not the only Illinoisan who’s appalled at some of the awful political ads for General Assembly contests I’m hearing, especially on radio.

The sleaziest, slimiest ads, which disembowel the candidate they oppose while telling cute kitten-and-puppy stories about their favored candidate all seem to be funded by something called Liberty Principles. Liberty Principles? What’s that? Wonder what its website says.

I went there! The only name I recognized was talk radio host (and unsuccessful GOP candidate) Dan Proft. But when I scrolled down, it became clear that most of Liberty

Principles’ money comes from a familiar name: our not-so-distinguished governor, Bruce “The Bully” Rauner!

If you LIKE the chaos Rauner has brought to Illinois, feel free to vote for the people Liberty Principles is touting. As for me, support from Liberty Principles is a sure sign of a candidate I DON’T want to vote for!

Mary A. Carroll, Lincoln Park

Tweets by @csteditorials