John's Blog

I just flew in...and boy are my arms tired...sorry, I couldn't resist. A busy and interesting trip even if much of my time was spent trouble-shooting issues on systems that I really wasn't experienced with. But sometimes it's not knowing the answers as much as knowing how to ask the questions that gets you through. That sounds like nonsense and it probably is, but I'm tired and cranky.

My paranoia about getting stuck in holiday traffic and getting lost one more time caused me to leave for the airport way too early. Not encountering any of the anticipated problems got me there too soon, but not early enough to make stand-by on an earlier flight. I thought I'd be able to tap into a wireless connection and surf the net, I've begun to take this for granted, since you find it almost everywhere these days. Everywhere except Dulles, apparently.

For many people, Dulles airport is best remembered as where Bruce Willis fought off terrorists in the Die Hard sequel. But as the first airport that was designed with jets in mind (in fact, they were thinking that it would eventually be a space-port) it has some unique design features that I've never seen before. Like these people movers called mobile lounges which can take 102 people from the terminal to the plane which can be located anywhere, which eliminated long walks through the terminal concourse. These babies look like you mated a white school bus, with a military assault vehicle and put two smoke stacks on top. Bizarre looking but they have character. But they never really caught on, and Dulles is adopting the more prevalent accordion hallways and "people mover" walkways...that talk...and really, really get on my nerves.

And one more thing to complain about; what were some people thinking when they came up with some of these airline names? I see the planes for AirTran and I just have to assume that it's like Lucky Changs with wings. SAS surely must be a jaunty little airline. And when Northwest Air decided to shorten the name to a more logo-friendly NWA how could they not think that people would think of the hip hop group? "Thank you for flying N.W.A...the world's most dangerous airline." Actually if they rapped the safety speech that nobody listens to THAT might be a big improvement.

And as I was wandering the concourse killing time, I ran into a store that left me shaking my head: "The Fox News Store". I was expecting all the merchandise to be on the right hand side of the store, but it wasn't. I couldn't bring myself to go in, but what I did see were neck roll pillows in the front of the store; probably to help air travelers, but perhaps it's because people who listen to Fox News are a pain in the neck? Just a thought. And strangly absent from their merchandise assortment: Loofahs!