My sister, Izmui, whom I haven't seen in 30 years, was due to arrive on a flight from Japan. Just two hours later she was to catch another flight.
The last time I met an international flight, you were allowed to go to this large window that looked down into the customs area. You could see your family/friends as they were going through customs. They would look up and see you and everyone would wave and be all excited. Well now, not can't you see down into customs, you aren't even allowed to go on the trams out to the international satellite. You have to wait at the top of the escalator in the baggage claim area.
So we drove down to the airport...parked in the wrong place so we had to walk a long way. We asked an airport employee where we could go to meet an international flight. We got to the escalator about 10 minutes before passengers starting arriving. The trams arrived every three minutes with about 25-30 people. I watched each person as the rode the escalator up...hoping I would recognize Izumi. I got tears in my eyes as I was so excited to see her again.
Tram after tram after...nothing. Finally, no people were coming anymore. Had I not recognized her...I really didn't think that would be possible. I just knew the second I saw her it would be just like old times. Connections that strong don't disappear just because 30 years pass. But there was no denying it...no more people were coming.
I talked to the same airport employee and asked if it could be possible that more people would come later. Nope, that's it. As I was talking with him, I mentioned that Izumi was making a connection to another flight. "Oh", he said. "She won't be coming up these escalators. She'll be routed a different way where the public can't go. You won't be able to see her."
I was so disappointed. This whole trip was a waste. But mostly I was just disappointed not to see Izumi. Just as we were starting to walk back to the parking lot, my phone rang. It was Izumi! I explained that we were at the airport then went on to explain to her how to come out into the terminal. We walked toward the gate exit area. About that time we notice the security line was so long that there would be no way she could get back in with enough time to make her flight.
Just about that time we saw Izumi standing inside the exit by a sign that said not to go any further as you'd have to go back through security. Fortunately she could read and understand that sign! I tried to walk up to that sign but was quickly stopped by a security agent. I couldn't go any closer than about 30-40' from where Izumi was standing. It is so hard to visit from that far away. We tried to yell but it was very difficult to hear each other. So after about two minutes we left and she went back to catch her next flight.
What happened to the good old days when you could just walk right to the gate and meet people or send them off on their flight. It irritates me that just a few rotten people can ruin things for millions of us. This really isn't progress in my opinion.
I think I was born a couple decades too late. I'd easily give up all this technology to go back to simpler times. When you could walk down the street at night with a friend and not worry about being robbed, kidnapped or killed, when you could drive down any road without worrying about being shot by someone suffering from a moment of road rage, when you could walk anywhere in an airport and not be surrounded by security guards with guns looking for terrorists or the dreaded lone bag, and the list goes on.
What happened to the good old days? The scary thing is, in not too long, people will look back on today and think these were the good old days. Scary.
Debbie
5/6/10
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