Friday: Encounters of the Strange Kind
I have always thought that airports are the most exciting places. It is exciting to feel the rush of going to a new place or returning to an old place. It is amusing to observe the people who stream through our lives usually never touching us with a word or even a smile. Most are caught up with their own anger, joys, pleasures, fears and realities. They seldom touch our reality.
Airports can suggest intrigue and adventure. And sometimes this is true. Sometimes it is just people doing their daily jobs either in the service industry that keeps the airports running fairly smoothly or the millions of new cyber migrant workers rushing through the gate carrying their laptop computers, cell phones, and a bag with a change of clothes to meet and service their next client.
The new breed of intellectual migrant workers selling their computer skills and other information age training create the opportunity for some amazing conversations if one is willing to be friendly.
Some are totally unfriendly. They are absorbed into their laptops, phones, and doing paper work while sitting in airports and on planes. They sit in their seats with an invisible bubble around them to avoid interactions.
But then there are the others.
It was in the middle of June at the start of the summer storm season that my plane was grounded at Dullas airport outside of Washington D.C. still this side of the Virginia border. I had boarded a plane in Roanoke at about 2 in the afternoon for a flight to Cleveland Ohio which in good weather should have taken about 3 and half hours with a change of planes at Dullas. We landed in Dullas 15 minutes late and as I rushed to get to my connection, an announcement confirmed the fear I had felt as we arrived in the roaring winds and pelting rain, all flights were delayed.
An hour passed. Two hours passed. Passengers were getting panicked about making connecting flights.
A very agitated man from the middle east kept pacing back and forth. First he would go to the airline's desk and while gesturing frantically would discuss intently the situation with the agent. Then he would rush to a payphone and make a call. Then back to harrass the agent. He talked to her with a truly arrogant and condescending manner that was rude beyond belief. He was increasing the anxiety of everyone in the area.
This pattern repeated itself at least 10 times and finally the agent had us in a line reticketing us for the following morning because all flights were cancelled till the next day.
In one of the most sickening sexist manners, the middle eastern man finally was told by the agent that this is the way it is: All flights are cancelled till in the morning. I have told you what can be done. And I will reticket you as soon as I have information. He again ran to the payphone frantically.
Now I have to tell you that in the wake of 9/11 one does not feel very comfortable having a man who could be a terrorist if one were to do profiling acting in an agitated and threatening way.
The agent called for passengers to please line up so that the staff could reticket them for the next morning.
Unfortunately this crazy-making dark and furious man was in front me in the line. Everyone was looking at him with growing disgust, suspicion and distain.
He turned around and looked me straight in the eye and asked me in that same tone of voice: What is going on here.
I smiled nicely at him, looked him boldly in the eye and said: Perhaps God is teaching you a lesson.
He stomped his foot, spun around 180 degrees, became quiet and waited to be ticketed like everyone else.
Every person with in earshot, looked at me and smiled.
And that was just the beginning of the adventure...
Myriam
Airports can suggest intrigue and adventure. And sometimes this is true. Sometimes it is just people doing their daily jobs either in the service industry that keeps the airports running fairly smoothly or the millions of new cyber migrant workers rushing through the gate carrying their laptop computers, cell phones, and a bag with a change of clothes to meet and service their next client.
The new breed of intellectual migrant workers selling their computer skills and other information age training create the opportunity for some amazing conversations if one is willing to be friendly.
Some are totally unfriendly. They are absorbed into their laptops, phones, and doing paper work while sitting in airports and on planes. They sit in their seats with an invisible bubble around them to avoid interactions.
But then there are the others.
It was in the middle of June at the start of the summer storm season that my plane was grounded at Dullas airport outside of Washington D.C. still this side of the Virginia border. I had boarded a plane in Roanoke at about 2 in the afternoon for a flight to Cleveland Ohio which in good weather should have taken about 3 and half hours with a change of planes at Dullas. We landed in Dullas 15 minutes late and as I rushed to get to my connection, an announcement confirmed the fear I had felt as we arrived in the roaring winds and pelting rain, all flights were delayed.
An hour passed. Two hours passed. Passengers were getting panicked about making connecting flights.
A very agitated man from the middle east kept pacing back and forth. First he would go to the airline's desk and while gesturing frantically would discuss intently the situation with the agent. Then he would rush to a payphone and make a call. Then back to harrass the agent. He talked to her with a truly arrogant and condescending manner that was rude beyond belief. He was increasing the anxiety of everyone in the area.
This pattern repeated itself at least 10 times and finally the agent had us in a line reticketing us for the following morning because all flights were cancelled till the next day.
In one of the most sickening sexist manners, the middle eastern man finally was told by the agent that this is the way it is: All flights are cancelled till in the morning. I have told you what can be done. And I will reticket you as soon as I have information. He again ran to the payphone frantically.
Now I have to tell you that in the wake of 9/11 one does not feel very comfortable having a man who could be a terrorist if one were to do profiling acting in an agitated and threatening way.
The agent called for passengers to please line up so that the staff could reticket them for the next morning.
Unfortunately this crazy-making dark and furious man was in front me in the line. Everyone was looking at him with growing disgust, suspicion and distain.
He turned around and looked me straight in the eye and asked me in that same tone of voice: What is going on here.
I smiled nicely at him, looked him boldly in the eye and said: Perhaps God is teaching you a lesson.
He stomped his foot, spun around 180 degrees, became quiet and waited to be ticketed like everyone else.
Every person with in earshot, looked at me and smiled.
And that was just the beginning of the adventure...
Myriam
posted by Myriam Maytorena | 9:50 AM
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