Monday 8 November 2010

Do I get airpoints with that? Now you see me, now you don't

It is a story that should make anyone laugh.

Over the weekend we learn't about an Asian lad who fooled security and boarded a plane in Hong Kong, arriving in Canada as a elderly man, thanks to an elaborate head mask. The young lad is now seeing refugee status.

It makes a mockery of the billions of dollars we've spent of security at airports since 2001, as the world has gone into melt-down over fear of fear. This was used post September 11 to justify all manner of intrusive powers and restrict our freedom.

Anyone who's visited an airport in recent times, will probably detest the experience. In Cairns, it's no different. Since the airport was flogged off by the State Labor Government after we all helped pay for it over the last 25 years and benefited from it's success locally, the domestic 'renovations' resemble a Stalinist prison camp. The trees and birds are gone. Concrete is everywhere. There's no shelter from the sun when you're waiting outside, as visitor do to experience the tropical climate. There's no shelter from the wet season rain from the car park or drop off areas, to the terminals. It's a design mess.

One of the most appalled airport experiences these days is the dropping off and picking up drama we endure. Airport authorities now treat everyone as some crazed nutter with 400 grams of Pentaerythritol tetranitrate strapped to your chest.

Try pulling up to the 'pick up' area at Cairns airport and sit for more than 10 seconds without getting pranced on by some control freak that has been programmed by some super nerd computer with extraordinary move-on powers. Even if you can sight your arriving guest, have made mobile phone contact, and they're on their way, they don't give a shit.

"Drive around again," someone resembling Bea Smith in Prisoner ordered me recently when I was picking up a visitor. When I explained I could see my arriving guest, and he was on his way now, she repeated her order.

"Do you want a ticket? I told you to drive around the block again."

The world's gone mad and people are merely an bloody nuisance at airport now it seems.

1 comment:

Bryan Law said...

You've been flying recently hey Mike?