Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
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CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT — It's always frustrating to have a flight delayed and have to spend a few extra hours at the airport.
Airports are crowded, the Wi-Fi usually isn't great, the food options are limited and you have to lug all your carry-ons with you wherever you go. But what if your two-hour delay due to weather actually turned into a full 18 years spent in the airport? Sounds fun, right?
No, it kind of sounds like a nightmare. But for one guy, that nightmare was a reality.
This video tells the story of Sir Alfred, a man who spent 18 years at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. Sir Alfred entered the airport in 1988 when he got stuck, not due to weather issues, but due to a much more complicated issue involving his passport and citizenship. He didn't take a single step outside the airport again until 2006.
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This dance crew’s choreography only involves their hands and it’s amazing.During those years — the amount of time it takes a person to grow up, go through all years of grade school and graduate high school — he made friends, used the post office, ate a lot of airport food and even wrote a book.
The video doesn't go into much detail about how Alfred felt about his time stuck in the airport, but it is still a fascinating story. You'll probably have to read his autobiography to learn more about what living in an airport for nearly two decades is like, but for now, enjoy the video. And maybe remember how much worse things could be next time you find out your flight is going to leave a little late.
