Airport

It’s easy to be in at peace when you are in your yoga studio or sipping wine by the beach.  One of the ultimate tests of how much self-control you have is in an efficient and congested airport.  People show their real self when they are in a hectic airport.

You get irritated by the stagnant yet endless line. You see people shamelessly cutting lines.  The noise level is driving you crazy.   You see people taking longer time than necessary at the check-in counter.  In Soekarno Hatta Airport, just getting into the passenger check-in area is a struggle with long disorganized lines and of course always with people attempting to cut the line.

It’s worse when you have kids or elderly with you.  Most of these airports are not designed for children, elders and least of all the disabled.  If you are late due to the check-in process, you realize that’s only the beginning of the nightmare.  The customs process is usually another long queue plus the long walk to the gate.    By the time you board the plane, you are exhausted.

Airport is the part of travel I least look forward to especially in South East Asia where apart from the world-class standard of Changi Airport, the others are sub-standard.   I don’t understand why major cities don’t design better airports?  With the increase of value airlines and travelers, isn’t it obvious most of these airports need an upgrade?  Or perhaps start with making the existing one more efficient?

Until such time, I’ll just plug in my ipod and breath my way through the jungle of the airport.