Cell phone waiting area at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
It's one of life's little annoyances. Friends and family members who drive to Cleveland Hopkins Airport to pick up an arriving passenger are stuck circling around, waiting outside the airport or paying to use the airport garage beyond the first 30 minutes. But Airport Director Ricky Smith is pitching another option; creating a cell phone waiting area.

The concept is growing among large and small airports. Motorists would have an area to park and wait until the traveler they're meeting calls or sends them a text message that they've arrived. Security regulations imposed after 9-11 prohibit motorists from idling outside the terminal.

Airport spokeswoman Jackie Mayo says officials are looking at Jackson Road across from Concourse "D". Their plan calls for lighting and repaving the road to create 50 parking spaces. Motorists would not have to pay to wait there. Cleveland City Council would still have to approve a contracting bid but Mayo says she's not aware of any opposition. The project would cost an estimated $200,000. If approved, Mayo says the lot could be ready by the busy Thanksgiving Holiday travel period. A second phase of the project, planned for 2010, would involve adding large screens in the waiting area to display the status of arriving flights.