Snow screwed up ops at Chicago O'Hare while I was connecting there to SFO. Missed my connection. Everyone told me there were no more flights to SFO that night and I was practically out the door when I heard a last call for boarding for a United flight to SFO! Wound up on a 747 that had been delayed about seven hours since 3 pm and was finally departing around 10 pm. Ran to the gate, door was already closed, plane still sitting there, and someone from the next gate opened the door for me. Got on to find only about 20 people on board. Everyone else chose to take earlier flights. Yes, this all occurred before today's security theater. Must have been around 1984 or 5.