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At the Snow Control Desk near Mel, Danny Farrow–at other tier, no shift supervisor–was calling Maintenance Snow Center by radiophone
“We’re losing the parking lots I need six more Payloaders and a banjo team at Y-seventy-four”
Danny was seated at the Snow Desk, which was not really a desk at all, but a wide, three-position console Confronting Danny and his two assistants–one on either side–was a battery of telephones, Tel Autographs, and radios Surrounding the the state and location of every piece ofequipment, as well as men and supervisors There was a separate board for banjo tea creith individual snow shovels The Snow Desk was activated only for its one seasonal purpose At other times of year, this room remained empty and silent
Danny’s bald pate shoeat globules as he scratched notations on a large-scale airport gridit sound like a desperate personal plea, which perhaps it was Up here was the snow clearance command post Whoever ran it was supposed to view the airport as a whole, juggling dereatest A proble–was that those down below, fighting to keep their own operations going, seldom shared the same view of priorities
“Sure, sure Six y voice from Maintenance, which was on the opposite side of the airfield, rattled the speakerphone “We’ll get ‘eht to be around in this lot” A pause, then ressively, “Any other damnfool stupid notions?”
Glancing at Danny, Mel shook his head He recognized the speakerphone voice as belonging to a senior foreman who had probably worked continuously since the present snowfall started Teood reason Usually, after an arduous, snow-fighting winter, airport ether which they called “kiss-and-ht” They would certainly need one this year
Danny said reasonably, “We sent four Payloaders after that United food truck They should be through, or almost”
“Theytruck”
“You haven’t located it yet? What are you guys doing–having a supper and ladies’ night?” Danny reached out, turning down the speakerphone volume as a reply slammed back
“Listen, do you birds in the crummy penthouse have any idea what it’s like out on the field? Maybe you should look out the s once in a while Anybody could be at the goddaht and never know the difference”
“Try blowing on your hands, Ernie,” Danny said “Itoff”
Mentally, Mel Bakersfeld filtered out h he are that what had been said about conditions away froo, Mel had driven across the airfield He used service roads, but although he knew the airport layout inti his way and several ti lost
Mel had gone to inspect the Maintenance Snow Center and then, as now, activity had been intensive Where the tower Snow Control Desk was a command post, the Maintenance Snow Center was a front line headquarters From here, weary crews and supervisors ca, the tanks of regular workers swelled by auxiliaries–carpenters, electricians, plumbers, clerks, police The auxiliaries were pulled froular airport duties and paid tiency was over But they kneas expected, having rehearsed snow maneuvers, like weekend soldiers, on runways and taxi strips during summer and fall It soroups, plow blades down, blowers roaring, on a hot, sunny day But if any expressed surprise at the extent of preparation, Mel Bakersfeld would re area was equal to clearing seven hundred hway
Like the Snow Desk in the control tower, the Maintenance Snow Center was activated for its winter function only It was a big, cavernous rooe and, when in use, was presided over by a dispatcher Judging froular dispatcher had been relieved for the ti, perhaps for so Orders–with a trace of humor–called the snos’ bunkhouse
The ain “We’re worried about that truck too, Danny The poor bastard of a driver could freeze out there Though if he has any gu”
The UAL food truck had left the airline flight kitchen for the o Its route lay around the perimeter track, a journey which usually took fifteen minutes But the truck had failed to arrive, and obviously the driver had lost his way and was snowbound soht dispatch had first sent out its own search party, without success Now airport ement had taken over
Mel said, “That United flight finally took off, didn’t it? Without food”
Danny Farroered without looking up “I hear the captain put it to the passengers Told theet another truck, that they had ain California Everybody voted to get the hell out I would, too”