Model Citizenship

I am sure we will all agree that airports are busy places… cars flowing in and out - people moving in all directions. No matter how hard designers try to make these public facilities convenient and efficient, the human factor always seems to get in the way. I am sure you have all witnessed several examples of this:

• Passengers with excessive questions at the check-in counter (as if they are the only one flying)
• Passengers in the security line who wait until they are in front of the agent before they ready bording passes and IDs (which happen to be buried in their carry-on baggage…
• Travelers at the X-Ray machines insisting “they let me bring this last time.”
• People at the baggage claim who place their six oversized bags right in front of the conveyor as they wait for their small duffel (blocking access to the rest of the luggage for 5 yards in either direction).

So, this morning I witnessed a new one to add to the ever-growing list of airport insanities. The curb-side box-in!

I dropped my girlfriend at the John Wayne Airport this morning (SNA) - a relatively small airport that serves as an Orange County alternative to making the trek to the much larger LAX. Traffic at the terminal was steady but not too congested - it looked like curb-side check-in was going to be a relatively easy task… I pulled into the unloading zone (see the green car in the linked illustration) Curb-side Approach

I helped her with her luggage, kissed her goodbye and jumped in the car pleased with the ease of it all - an easy exit was just moments away. Suddenly, a car pulled into the space behind me (only temporarily mind you), around my driver’s side and stopped slightly ahead of me in a double-parked position (see the black car in the linked illustration) Airport Box-in

So, this aero-idiot takes it upon himself to box me in - forcing me to back-up and merge into the steady flow of traffic at a 90-degree angle. Not sure why the space behind me was not suitable, or why he didn’t pull up farther to allow me some space to get out. At least this time it wasn’t a Mercedes (Mercedes owners are probably getting a little sensitive with all the uber-bashing)… No, this was an Escalade - you know a Chevy nicely appointed with 22″ wheels and the skin of four to five cattle that had no idea they would serve such a lofty purpose as to provide comfort for some idiot’s ass.

So - plainly stated - double parking at airport curb-side check-in zones is in no way Model Citizenship!!! Thanks for reading!

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