The good news is that airlines do use a program for that and they are quite good at figuring all that out. The problem is that you don't know everything going on behind the scenes. True scenario: I worked a flight going into SFO. I was supposed to turn around and return home for my last leg. Bad weather in SFO called for a ground stop that lasted from 8am to 3pm. No flights coming in, or going out. I got home just barely legal to fly (and paid no more for my time). But if the ground stop had gone on further, where would they have gotten a Flight Attendant from? All reserves are not sitting at an airport waiting to take a flight--if they were they would go over the legal limits also. No one is flying in-- so they can't pull from another domicile? In SFO that day even the freeways were not reliable. So ground personnel are just praying that the ground stop will be lifted before the crew is illegal. And if the flight gets off before then--you would never know. Weather affects positioning of planes and crew. You can't pull off miracles and make either appear where and when you want them. Both are subject to the same kind of stranding that you experienced. (I have sat for hours and days sitting in a remote airport waiting to get home for missed appointments, family events--believe me if I had that kind of magic, I would have made it happen.)
I have yet to fly one single leg where my crew didn't have the best interests of the passengers governing their decisions. Every weather warning that I know of was legitimate and covered in our crew briefing (professional decisions--not some unprofessional, behind-the-scenes "let's-tell-em-this" crookery.) And yet I've seen suit and tie professionals yell and rant about airline safety decisions. It's like a pilot on the street telling a CEO how to run their company. Everyone has a story, we shouldn't be so quick to judge. I for one give my passengers the benefit of the doubt in every single instance. That means, if you yell at me, I'm going to smile at you and offer you a bottle of water, a pillow, a listening ear. Most likely you got bumped on a flight, had a bad TSA experience, are heading out for a funeral...who knows what. People are basically good. On both sides of the street.