Well M777LR, if you are thinking that was bad, how about an experience I had one time, though before 9/11, departing from a busy international terminal, destined for JFK.
We were late arriving at the airport due local traffic conditions (overseas basing), and as I was briskly walking towards our departure lounge, I noticed that there were no pax at all waiting in our particular lounge, as there normally was, but since we were about an hour late, I figured they had been offered refreshments and had moved away to enjoy that diversion elsewhere in the terminal!
As I got to the aerobridge entrance, I notice it's not locked, and go right on thru.
What a shock, as I step thru the L2 (B747-200) door, I see around 300 pax onboard and ready to go - they had simply let themselves in and there were people and kids everywhere, and of course, the flight deck was unlocked and the door open, with not a company traffic guy anywhere to be seen!
So, I used the 'bridge phone to call traffic, and we had all the pax deplaned, and spent the next 90 minutes searching the airplane from nose to tail, us and any company ground engineers we could find, about 8 guys all up!
Then we reloaded and departed, significantly late!
