Any seasoned air traveler knows that Murphy’s Law often reigns when it comes to delays and cancellations, either due to weather or a technical glitch, the latter being the case for thousands of Southwest Airlines passengers this week. And I am one of them.
The at least 300 flights cancelled by the carrier on Friday included the one my wife, daughter and I were supposed to take to Reno for the 23rd Annual STN EXPO that begins on Saturday. As a few of our staff flights, not just mine, have been negatively impacted I can only think (and worry) that our attendees and exhibitors are also facing similar challenges.
The STN EXPO has been shaping up to be one of the best attended, if not the best, in history. But with Southwest being a popular airline in and out of Reno, the “lingering disruptions following performance issues across multiple technology systems,” according to the company, couldn’t have come at a worse time. But, no matter how inconvenienced we all are, whether that be angling for new flights or waiting in extra long line at airport security checkpoints, it pales in comparison to the news of yet another terror attack, this time a mass shooting at a crowded Munich mall Friday night and the surrounding area.
Unfortunately, this latest tragedy underscores the importance of vigilance across our society to increase safety and security, especially for our children, as the Munich attackers reportedly also targeted children. Sadly, the incident is also timely in light of an anti-terrorism session scheduled for Saturday at the STN EXPO, where security expert, law enforcement official and former U.S. Army Captain Bret E. Brooks will discuss the impact on student transportation operations and transit, in general. Brooks previewed the training last month during an STN webinar.
Terrorism soft targets, such as malls and school buses, have increasingly become a concern among security and law enforcement experts. It’s vital especially among student transporters that if the “see something, say something.” As events continued to unfold in and around Munich, our travel woes become more and more trivial.
We’ll eventually be on the way to Reno, and I hope anyone else affected by the Southwest Airlines cancellations wil be, too. But let’s all make sure we do so safely and keep our eyes and ears out for our loved ones and all others. We also offer condolences for all impacted by the Munich massacre as well as all other incidents that have become all too common.
