Wednesday, December 07, 2005
The Joys of Travel ::
I wanted to do a proper post, but I'm too tired and jetlagged. I'd promise one tomorrow, but there's all the catching up to do as well as the regular meetings... So, here are a few thoughts on the wonders of travel.
1. Thought One - Chunnel Europe: the journey I just did is incredible, Sunday morning in Besançon (near the French/Swiss border), by train to London (changing in Dijon and Paris) the channel tunnel is a SciFi dream, that's now taken for granted, but it seems to be actually changing the way people think, more than the EEC it seems to be making Britons European!
2. Thought Two - LAX or why can't the Empire Strike Back Los Angeles airport is always a transit passenger's nightmare. Not only do you always have to change terminals (well it seems that way) but the people you ask directions from seem incapable of directing one to the right place, resulting in a series of trial and error approximations. Then, of course, there's that bizarre US requirement that you take your hold baggage through customs and you go through immigration (yes fingerprints photo and all) before you wheel your luggage to the other terminal and check it in again... or that's what you would do if the checkin counter was open... I assume that the sort of chaos that was LAX yesterday was caused by all the new extra security caused by 9/11, but really, we are a few years on, you'd think they'd have worked out a more user friendly system by now! The most powerful empire the world has ever known, and they can't manage a simple job liketransferringg your baggage from one plane to another, without putting the passenger through half a dozen long queues... I mean, isn't it time someone told the Americans that the inefficiency of their airports and customs and immigration handling gives visitors the impression that Americans are incapable oforganizingg anything, let alone a world! ¶ 4:50 PM
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I wanted to do a proper post, but I'm too tired and jetlagged. I'd promise one tomorrow, but there's all the catching up to do as well as the regular meetings... So, here are a few thoughts on the wonders of travel.
1. Thought One - Chunnel Europe: the journey I just did is incredible, Sunday morning in Besançon (near the French/Swiss border), by train to London (changing in Dijon and Paris) the channel tunnel is a SciFi dream, that's now taken for granted, but it seems to be actually changing the way people think, more than the EEC it seems to be making Britons European!
2. Thought Two - LAX or why can't the Empire Strike Back Los Angeles airport is always a transit passenger's nightmare. Not only do you always have to change terminals (well it seems that way) but the people you ask directions from seem incapable of directing one to the right place, resulting in a series of trial and error approximations. Then, of course, there's that bizarre US requirement that you take your hold baggage through customs and you go through immigration (yes fingerprints photo and all) before you wheel your luggage to the other terminal and check it in again... or that's what you would do if the checkin counter was open... I assume that the sort of chaos that was LAX yesterday was caused by all the new extra security caused by 9/11, but really, we are a few years on, you'd think they'd have worked out a more user friendly system by now! The most powerful empire the world has ever known, and they can't manage a simple job liketransferringg your baggage from one plane to another, without putting the passenger through half a dozen long queues... I mean, isn't it time someone told the Americans that the inefficiency of their airports and customs and immigration handling gives visitors the impression that Americans are incapable oforganizingg anything, let alone a world! ¶ 4:50 PM
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