Few are going to the hub city in question. It's anyone's guess as to what reasons those passengers were given for their delays. The plane finally pulls away from the gate and moves about 50 feet. After about 15 minutes, it taxis to the runway and the pilot announces that the flight is 25th in line for takeoff and the engines will be shut down. Twenty minutes pass.
Lightning streaks the sky.
Passengers have now been on board for over an hour. He offers tours of the cockpit but nary a glass of water nor a bag of peanuts is offered to any but First Class passengers. Passengers using cell phones are ordered to turn them off. Of course there is no reason why passengers in an aircraft on the runway on a shutdown airport cannot use cell phones, but we are already deep in the woods of illogic and the depths of disrespect. An hour's delay in landing versus several hours' delay in takeoff should be an easy decision.