YYZ - DTW - LAX
The flight from Toronto to Detroit was nondescript, a quick lift up, level off and then a forty minute flight. Landing in Detroit. I sit down to wait for my next flight and I turn on my iTouch.
The WiFi is not free, unlike most countries, the WiFi in the States is free in some airports (Portland) and pay per hour in others (LAX and Detroit). I refused to pay $9.95, if I am sitting in an airport for over an hour, the least they could do is offer me free air waves. I am already paying for drinks and "snack boxes" on my flights, what next? A quarter to use the lavatory? I can picture that little coin box on the door already.
As I sat in Detroit waiting for my flight back to Los Angeles, I wondered why I was being asked to pay for WiFi. It's already set up, it's not like they have to put in terminals that you have to physically plug into. It's just air. I am being charged for air.
In that airport waiting lounge, I am part of a nomadic tribe; we set up tent briefly and move on, we cross paths for a short time and then move into a web that stretches across the world. I want to be part of a community, no matter how temporary it is, let me join the world by letting me access that web of air. If I cannot communicate with the person next to me, let me communicate with the person on the other side of the world. Let me breath the air for free.
Image: Ophelia Chong
"The Sound of Clicking"
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They should have free WiFi in all airports so that you will be distracted as the baggage people rifle through your luggage to steal anything of value. At least two of them were arrested this week.
dear jeff,
in most airports there is free wifi, but i see a trend to where they are charging for it. and you would think with this "Homeland Security", they would be less baggage left. I noticed that at Terminal 2 at LAX, they don't have anyone checking the bags taken out with the check-in stubs anymore. Now you can just walk in and lift a bag very quickly. One time my parents were traveling through Russia, in one bag they had their personal effects, the other it was all Russian tourist tchatchkes. The bag that got stolen was the one filled with Russian nest dolls and postcards. Irony and karma all rolled into one neat package.
Free Wifi is a great bonus for an airport, we usually don't have choices of where we want to fly out of, but we do care about the service rendered when we are at the airport. LAX is not designed for humans, it's designed for no one really. The disjointed terminals, not connected by an underground tram or moving sidewalk, the "U" shape, the racetrack that goes under the name of Arrivals roadway, makes for one of the worst airports I have ever used. They could take a lesson from Beijing, Hong Kong or even Detroit.
thanks for visiting and commenting. :O) ophelia
I had no idea they charged in airports for Wifi! Maybe that is their profit center?
Regardless, they do make us pay for every little peanut now, maybe you are right; maybe they'll even start charging for every "little square", of course after you pay your quarter to use the lav. =<
Dear Tracy,
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Can you picture that Pay Per Toilet box on the Lav door? I can. It would be entertaining if it had a timer and the door would open regardless of what state you were in, giving all those around you a good show.
Given a choice most people don't pay for those snack boxes. No one liked the free ones to begin with. They reminded me of what you would get at a relative's house, a relative that was a pack rat and would pull out packaged food from the last century.
Now if the LAX had better take out food courts in the terminal, that would help. In Hong Kong the food courts are amazing. Every type of cuisine. And they package it for the plane ride.
Great stuff. Here at Terminal 2, you get the choice of frozen Wolfgang Puck or cold pastries from Starbucks. A good time to start that diet.
Thanks for commenting and visiting, :O) Ophelia