How to miss a flight (a blunder story)

2025-09-14

I. Blunders

So far, I've missed two flights in my life. The first I missed because I forgot to check in in advance and left home too late to check in at the airport. Since then, I've been more diligent about having enough time. The second flight I missed because reality presented me with facts and I denied their existence. The facts were: 'your flight is boarding, go to the gate now'. My mind was: 'haha, can't be right, let's get a Joe&TheJuice protein shake'.

Narrator: reality was right.

Both occasions of me missing a flight are blunders. A blunder is an easily preventable, but highly consequential mistake.

Two non-examples include:

1. forgetting to buy carrots in the grocery store (not highly consequential - you can just return to the store, or live without carrots)
2. systemic oppression (not easily fixable, because people)

Missing a flight - because you look at the departure board, see that your flight is boarding and instead of immediately hauling ass to the gate, you go get a protein shake - is both, easily fixable, and highly consequential.

II. Missed flight

In the case of my second missed flight, the root cause was a cancelled train. See, I have two ways to get to the airport - get a metro, or get a train. I like the train more - less occupied, less stinky, faster. But randomly, it gets cancelled. And you usually find that out on the platform. Not pleasant. Well, on this particular day, the train did get cancelled.

But do not worry - I budget for this. Ever since missing a flight for the first time, I leave home early enough that I have plenty of time to survive a cancelled train. So, off to the metro I go. One transfer and twenty five minutes later, I'm standing in line at security.

Line is somewhat longer than usual. That's no problem for me. See, after missing a flight once, I leave early enough that this can't make me nervous. When the security folks confirm my two laptops, iPad, ortholinear split keyboard and two sets of undies¹ are not a threat to general safety, I'm through.

Next up is a ceremonial check of the departure board for any UNEXPECTED changes to my flight.

"10:50 - F1234 - Prague - Boarding"

Where I'm from, when your flight is boarding and you're not at the gate - bad news. The message is 'go to the gate, NOW'.

Here, dear reader, comes the blunder. Instead of 'go to the gate, now', my brain asserted 'haha, wrong, let's get a protein shake'.

Narrator: he fucked up.

For the past two dozen or so flights, I've always had plenty of time to roam the airport, get a "ňamka"², coffee and be tempted by literarily unimpressive books containing "leadership"³ in the title.

Building on top of the empirical evidence of my ability to arrive early, I've built a habit. It went - leave early, arrive early, glance at the departure board, shrug about what it says because I'm early and roam the airport.

Until one day, I wasn't early - but that didn't register.

III. When the clock tells you it's time...

So yeah, I missed that flight because I looked at the clock and thought 'haha, that's incorrect'. And you are rightfully thinking 'what the fuck'. Because if you didn't, it would not have been a blunder.

When reality presents you with facts, don't get a protein shake.

PS: What blunder did you make? I'd love to hear it! tomas@tomasvemola.com