Airport Observations

"You can observe a lot by just watching. ~Yogi Berra

As I was flying to the big surprise this past weekend, I had a layover in Dallas and took some notes for this blog. Here are a few thoughts about airports.....

(photo courtesy of Forbes.com)

Cell Phone Use: Now I realize that cell phone use has gotten rather out of control everywhere in the world, but I hadn't ever noticed how much it's out of control in an airport! People seem to be on their phones more in airports than anywhere else. I mean it, everyone in there is yapping away. Why, I wonder? Maybe because you know that when you get on the plane you have to turn your phone off for the flight? Maybe people are scared of flying and want to talk to their friends or family before they leave? I don't know, but I do think that cell phone companies must love airports! (Just in case you might have missed it, this reminded me of a past guest blog by Connie J!)

Food: Airport food costs double, and tastes half as good. I think this is great example of supply and demand at work. Everyone there is stuck in the airport....so the demand for food his high. There are not that many options, so the supply is low. They can serve bad food in there, because you have to buy it....wheras if they served bad food out in the world, you wouldn't go back. I ordered my usual pretzel sticks from Auntie Anne's.....they were not good. Like not good at all. What a disappointment that was.

Football: (And you thought you'd have a blog without football in it! Ha!) Sunday the NFL playoffs were on tv. Everyone was gathered around every tv in the airport watching. It was funny---either everyone loves football (which is possible in my happy little mind) or people were bored with no other options, or they just enjoyed being part of the group. It was so funny to walk through the airport and see the big groups of people congregated in a little area. Made it really easy to find the tvs!

Arrival Gate: I think watching people at the arrival gate at an airport is good for your soul. Seriously--it's really fun to watch people anxiously waiting and getting all excited to see someone walk up. This doesn't seem to happen too much in the world in other places.....it's cool. I'm sure it would be cooler if I was one of the people waiting all excited or getting mobbed by someone as I came through the door.....but watching was still pretty good.

Random Bonding: People talk on planes. People who would never talk in real life just strike up a conversation. You get sat next to a random person and there you go...instant bonding. Example? On one flight, there was a total stereotypical redneck......like picture Cledus T. Judd on an airplane. His name was Jimmy. Next to him was Alejandro. He was from central Mexico going to visit relatives. I have no doubt that these guys never would have been in the same circles or chatted in life. But on the flight, they discussed everything from the drug wars in Mexico, to taxes in Oklahoma. It was amazing. Too bad there are not more opportunites for people to talk with other people who are really different than they are in every day life. Seems like that might be something that could make the world a better place.