Tag Archives: adventure

My Opinion of Airports

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Daily writing prompt
What’s the best and worst airport you’ve been to?
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I am not a well-traveled person, but I have been through a few airports. Obviously, the one I have been through the most is Memphis, now Fredrick W. Smith. The first time I saw that airport was as a Marine private flying in from LAX. I must admit, considering the size of the city, I was surprised at the size and the cleanliness of it, back in 1967. I found out later that it was relatively new and the one it replaced is now for general aviation. Since that day, I have gone through the airport more times than I can count. Unfortunately, I don’t think the airport has truly kept up. I wouldn’t count it as the best or worst. It might be better than average.

It’s been over a decade since I last traveled through LAX, yet it remains my gold standard for operational excellence and strategic planning. The airport processes an impressive volume of passengers and aircraft while maintaining a remarkable track record of avoiding negative publicity. What’s particularly impressive is their commitment to continuous upgrades that keep operations flowing seamlessly. That said, my experience is somewhat dated, so current conditions may well have evolved.

I’ve been through there about ten times without any issues or unexpected delays. They have a nice restaurant right in the center with a great view. The area has developed quite a bit, so the view has diminished somewhat over the years. But when I ate there, I enjoyed excellent food at a surprisingly reasonable price.

Chicago O’Hare is a hectic hub, as you might expect. One particular visit stood out as especially chaotic. I was scheduled to arrive from Memphis at 7 p.m., but severe weather caused significant delays. We circled overhead, waiting for clearance to land. Upon leaving the baggage claim 12:30 am, I found vehicles—primarily taxis and limousines—queued two-deep along the curb.

Still, I won’t call it the worst airport. It was the exception, not the rule. Besides, it features a smart design: you step virtually from the plane onto a train. (Or visa versa). If you know the city, that’s a major advantage. I haven’t seen that anywhere else. New York might offer it, but I only passed through New York on a connection. I’ll reserve judgment on that one. Besides, I don’t know which airport it was.

When connecting through DFW Airport, brace yourself for a challenging experience. On three separate occasions, I barely made my connections, coming dangerously close to missing my flights each time. The gates consistently closed just as I was boarding. This proves particularly problematic when transferring between domestic and international terminals.

Atlanta receives my lowest rating, primarily due to my personal experiences there. While I acknowledge that worse airports likely exist, I haven’t visited them to compare. Every time I’ve traveled through Atlanta, my plane has been positioned at one of the terminal’s furthest gates. Adding to the frustration, my luggage consistently arrived even later than I did. Thankfully, I no longer have occasion to fly into Atlanta.

The Theory of Rain

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During my military service, I was assigned to Naval Air Station Memphis, located in Millington, Tennessee, a suburb north of Memphis. The region was notorious for its generally predictable weather patterns, particularly its tendency to rain at the most inconvenient times. My fellow service members and I frequently discussed the frustrating meteorological phenomenon where clear, sunny skies would suddenly give way to intermittent rainfall starting Friday afternoon and persisting through the weekend.

As a sergeant, my crisp class C dress uniform demanded immaculate presentation. That day, which had begun with brilliant sunshine, transformed into heavy rain just prior to time to secure. Approaching the exit, I paused, studying the rain through the window with a mixture of resignation and frustration. Experience had taught me the harsh reality of local weather patterns – this downpour would persist with stubborn determination.until I was in my car.

An attractive lance corporal approached from behind, her footsteps light and purposeful. She halted, a wry smile playing across her lips. “Don’t worry, sergeant,” she quipped, her tone laced with playful reassurance, “you aren’t made of sugar and you won’t melt.”

I gazed back at her, taken aback by her unexpected comment. With a hint of irritation, I responded, “My priority isn’t personal comfort. I’m focused on preserving the integrity of my uniform.”

The rain cascaded around her as she burst into laughter, stepping into the downpour with carefree abandon. Her practical work attire, unlike the dress uniforms, meant she cared little about the water’s impact on her clothing. An instant later, I abandoned the shelter of the building, stepping into the deluge. Within seconds, my clothes were drenched, clinging to my skin. Predictably, the rain ceased its assault the moment I settled into my car.

Actually, rain almost anywhere does seem to arrive at some of the most inconvenient times. This particular uniform was hardly the only one that was soaked, just maybe the more frustrating.

Nonetheless, over the years, I did come up with a theory about rain—one that held true even during the hard rains in Vietnam. You can only get so wet. After that, the excess simply falls off. As uncomfortable as it may be, it cannot cause real harm.

While I appreciate staying dry, I’m not alone in my sentiment. Recently, I learned the Marines have updated their regulations, now permitting personnel to carry umbrellas while in uniform. Such a practical change would have been welcome decades earlier, offering us marines much-needed protection from the elements during outdoor duties.

You’ll Be Happy to Know…

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I just drove my Nissan EV about a mile down the road to purchase a new tire for about $150. The old tire had a nail in it, and with the bead not sealed, I had no way to air it up.

Therefore, I drove the car on a completely flat tire. I had no choice. The car did not even come with a spare tire, not even a small one. Even if I had a spare, I had no jack. After this experience, I will get a jack. Naturally, I could have called a tow truck, for about $40 or $45. The tire was ruined anyway, so I simply drove it to the garage.

I am sure Nissan would have rather been the one to make the sale, but that would have meant driving over ten times as far. That would have been ten times as bad. It would have made me twenty times as nervous.

The one thing that irks me the most is that the old tire had only 3,000 miles on it. That’s just not right to throw away a practically new tire because of one small hole in it. In the old days, I would have patched it and kept going. Before that, I could have just put a tube in it and it would have been good to go.

I know they make all these so-called improvements to tires just to sell more tires and then charge four times as much for them. It’s what they call a conspiracy. We all know it. Most are just afraid to admit it. There are nails on the road just for those who try to expose the plot.

Nonetheless, let us hope and pray that if you have a car without a spare, you do not have a flat tire on a Saturday night a hundred miles away from an open garage. It just might happen, you know.

The Door

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In my book, “The Secret of the Ring, ” I write about how amazing doors are. Few ever think about them. We build walls about us to keep us safe.

Then, of course, the simplest way to get through the wall is by going through a door. I think life would be more difficult if we had walls and no doors.

And so it is that we build walls for shelter from animals, thieves and weather. However, without the doors, we might not be able to enter or exit.

I am not an expert on doors, but I know outside doors should have some basic requirements. We should be able to secure, or lock it. Depending on the neighborhood, we may want it to be strong and difficult to enter without the key. We might even want bars on it.

Oddly some folks like windows in the door. That sort of confuses me. After all, glass is easily broken. Also, it doesn’t provide much privacy.

When younger, I was told to remember to close the door. In some cases it was to keep the flies and insects out. In other cases, it was to keep the warmth in. In still other cases, we left the doors wide open to let fresh air in.

Much is said about doors and windows in literature. Certainly, most of us have heard that when God closes a door, then, somewhere He opens a window.

I suppose in a way, it implies that we can go in and out windows too. That would be particularly true when escaping fire.

However, homes are not the only thing to have doors. Barns, storage sheds, planes all have doors. So do ships but when I was in the Marines, I was encouraged to call them hatches. In many cases, such doors are designed more for keeping things in.

To be sure, life would be more difficult without doors…or gates.

One piece of advice, especially about car doors. I was trying to close the car door for my wife as she pulled it firmly closed. That hurt.

Apparently, that is one thing those engineers got right. As much pain as it caused, there was no permanent problem.

Word to the wise. Don’t get your fingers between the door and the car. It was close to half an hour before the feeling returned to my fingers.

Would you believe she had the nerve to laugh about it.

Watch out for those doors or hatches, or windows or whatever you call them.

As an aside. The warning given to Scott in my my book…”Never open a door until you know who is on the other side.”