I went to Austin last weekend, obstensibly for SxSW, but mostly to have fun with my friends who live there. That said, if I had to miss a flight, it doesn’t make much sense to do what Cat Chow did (from NBC-5, Chicago):

A Chicago woman accused of stowing away on a plane to attend the South by Southwest Festival faces a federal charge.

Catherine “Cat” Chow, a 33-year-old artist, was on the standby list for a flight from St. Louis to Austin, booked through American Airlines. When she found out the flight was full, Chow snuck past gate agents, boarded the plane and hid in the bathroom, authorities said.

Chow told authorities she “knew what she did was wrong, but wanted to meet with her friends in Austin . . . to participate in the South by Southwest activities,” documents said.

Airport police said they found marijuana and six antidepressant tablets without a prescription label.

Chow was charged with boarding an airplane without permission, a federal crime, and two state misdemeanors, possession of marijuana and possession of a dangerous drug.

Chow was being held in the Travis County jail on a $3,000 bail.

On the one hand, I feel sorry for Cat Chow as she seemed like a cool person (disclaimer: met her once or twice when I lived in Chicago, saw her play with Plastic Crimewave Sound a couple times) and a good artist/designer. On the other hand, sheesh, what a bad idea.