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Best airport to be stranded: SAN

She was bawling. Bags in hand, this seemingly youthful 20-something-year-old passed through a crowd of on-lookers, stealing their attention as she stomped through aimlessly angry and visibly upset.

The airport security guard and I caught a glimpse of one another, wondering what we ought to do to help (as many San Diegans tend to do). But he had to remain stationary at his post.

After trying to assess her situation and determining I could not infer any queues from her, I simply asked. Her flight had been changed. This small framed little girl was now sitting down in the waiting area in front of the United Airlines check-in counter, waiting (as instructed) for an airport authority to help get matters settled regarding her flight. She looked up at me with her mascara stained cheek and began to talk.

She poured out the inconveniences of having no money, being so far away from the mid-west--and more importantly, it seemed, no cigarettes. I left my wallet that day so I couldn't help her monetarily. But someone had "moved her cheese." And I was the perfect overly friendly stranger to find a way to point it out while still trying to be sympathetic.

"I'm sorry you don't have any money for cigarettes but San Diego is the best place to be broke and find something to do," I said.

I realized I caught her attention but at the moment, that was all. I directed her to the information booth where she would inevitably be surrounded by pamphlets about the boardwalk, the pier, the parks and other activities as well.

But rarely do we find writings about the friendly people in San Diego. It doesn't have to be at an information booth. A lot of San Diegans tend to be friendly folk. Even when they say, "No, I can't help," it is often done in such a polite manner.

I have to admit though, sometimes I can scare people off. Maybe I shouldn't have offered her a prayer and a hug. Que sera. I knew she'd be OK.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/25/53717/

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India Hawthorne is common in coastal gardens, Citrus trees are in full bloom

The vernal equinox is on March 19

She was bawling. Bags in hand, this seemingly youthful 20-something-year-old passed through a crowd of on-lookers, stealing their attention as she stomped through aimlessly angry and visibly upset.

The airport security guard and I caught a glimpse of one another, wondering what we ought to do to help (as many San Diegans tend to do). But he had to remain stationary at his post.

After trying to assess her situation and determining I could not infer any queues from her, I simply asked. Her flight had been changed. This small framed little girl was now sitting down in the waiting area in front of the United Airlines check-in counter, waiting (as instructed) for an airport authority to help get matters settled regarding her flight. She looked up at me with her mascara stained cheek and began to talk.

She poured out the inconveniences of having no money, being so far away from the mid-west--and more importantly, it seemed, no cigarettes. I left my wallet that day so I couldn't help her monetarily. But someone had "moved her cheese." And I was the perfect overly friendly stranger to find a way to point it out while still trying to be sympathetic.

"I'm sorry you don't have any money for cigarettes but San Diego is the best place to be broke and find something to do," I said.

I realized I caught her attention but at the moment, that was all. I directed her to the information booth where she would inevitably be surrounded by pamphlets about the boardwalk, the pier, the parks and other activities as well.

But rarely do we find writings about the friendly people in San Diego. It doesn't have to be at an information booth. A lot of San Diegans tend to be friendly folk. Even when they say, "No, I can't help," it is often done in such a polite manner.

I have to admit though, sometimes I can scare people off. Maybe I shouldn't have offered her a prayer and a hug. Que sera. I knew she'd be OK.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/25/53717/

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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