Last week, I was interviewing my former college roommate and good friend Dan-ard. I’m planning a series of blog posts that cover travel do’s and don’ts, random observations, and so on. Although I’ve since determined I may actually have enough material to write a fun and informative book. But, I digress. Anyway, during the interview, before sharing my least favorite airport in the US, I asked him, “What’s the dirtiest, worst airport in the country?” His response, without hesitation, was Philadelphia (PHL). I laughed. Philadelphia is also my least favorite airport. You know that dark, flaky filth film you get in your toilet below the water line when you don’t clean it for a long time? The stuff that looks like dis-colored toilet paper stuck to the edge waving at you with every flush? The urinals in PHL have that. I’ve been startled by incredibly rude non-airline, staff. Tables, chairs and other furniture tend to be sticky. Well, I should have known, before berating the quality of the airport, that it would come back to bite me. I should have known not to publicly voice my displeasure with a place that I would be visiting the next week. Because, today, I’m getting to spend six solid hours in this lovely little place. My scheduled plane was having maintenance problems. It’s not that bad. I can make do. More of an inconvenience than anything. I’ve embraced the challenge. And, it helps me pass the time. I just spent 15 minutes finding a clean table in my terminal. Later this morning I plan to venture out and find electrical outlets. Eventually, I’ll visit the other terminals in a quest to locate a bathroom with soap dispensers that actually have soap in them. Not exactly Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth – but a noble cause, no less. I’m being a little dramatic, no doubt. Which made me ask the question, what do other people think? Well, according to this report, the publics’ general consensus supports my claims. Their list of the worst airports is pretty spot on in my opinion. La Guardia’s post-security amenities are sparse to say the least. And it’s old as balls. When you leave your terminal to go to ground transportation/baggage claim, you have to go down real stairs. That’s unheard of in the era of rollerboard suitcases. Not even an escalator. (Side Note: Reminds me of the Mitch Hedberg line, "I like an escalator because an escalator can never break, it can only become stairs. There would never be an escalator 'temporarily out of order' sign, only an 'escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience.'") To that point, this commercial is somewhat amusing. In regards to the other airports on the list, Newark is “meh” and O’Hare is a good place to avoid at all costs due to all-but-certain delays. I have no problems with LAX. Either way, happy to have a delay when I don’t have to be anywhere by a specific time. Much better than a delay when you are trying to make a meeting. Or, get back in time to see your kid’s birth. The due date isn’t until tomorrow, so I have plenty of time.
1 Comment
5/28/2013 07:19:47 pm
If you are traveling to Newark, you can find a parking space for your car right at the airport.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |