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US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'



 
 
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  #101  
Old June 21st, 2014, 10:58 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Erilar
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 599
Default US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'

"tim....." wrote:
"Erilar" wrote in message ...
"tim....." wrote:


I don't know why you have singled out LHR for not having water fountains
just because American airports do.

IME most European ones don't, it isn't (wasn't) just London

Maybe other airports I've been through are more efficient so I don't get
stuck for long periods where there are none or there are only machines
requiring a kind of coinage I don't have with me. You may not have
noticed, but cash machines don't dispense coins.


was there really nowhere you could change a note into coins

I do this regularly when a bank machine only dispenses the local
equivalent of 50 pound notes and I know that (e.g.) the local bus driver
isn't going to be too happy when I try and pay him with it.

I do the same when I know I'll need several, but there's usually a place
where I can deal with a human selling things. This is not always the case,
particularly when I'm exhausted from finding the departure gate area
without passing such and barely grabbed the last open seat, which was next
to one of those machines.

-- Erilar, biblioholic medievalist with iPad



--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist with iPad
  #102  
Old June 22nd, 2014, 11:09 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
tim.....
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,591
Default US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'



"Martin" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 15:20:01 +0000 (UTC), Erilar

wrote:

"JohnT" wrote:
"Erilar" wrote in message
...

I grumble about the size of O'Hare in Chicago, but there are water
fountains.

I may not be a typical traveller, but the availability or otherwise of
water fountains has never figured at all in my evaluation of Airports.
Has Erilar even flown into, or out of Geneva. There is a GIGANTIC water
fountain quite near the Airport.


Not one of my goals. I!ve only been in one Swiss airports, and that was
Zurich on departure, so I did have coins and don't remember hunting for a
free drink.(Ihad flown INto FRA that trip)


You bought drinks from a machine with Euros in Swiss Franc land?


Doesn't seem at all unreasonable. IIRC you can pay to park your car in
Strabane using Euro


The place to go for free drinks at Zurich airport used to be the Swiss Air
business class lounge.


and the entry criteria for such is?

You might just as well argue that the best place for free drinks in London
is the House of Lords bar.

(FTAOD, no I suspect that the drinks aren't actually free)

tim


  #103  
Old June 22nd, 2014, 11:22 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
tim.....
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,591
Default US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'



"Erilar" wrote in message
...
"tim....." wrote:
"Erilar" wrote in message
...
"tim....." wrote:


I don't know why you have singled out LHR for not having water
fountains
just because American airports do.

IME most European ones don't, it isn't (wasn't) just London

Maybe other airports I've been through are more efficient so I don't get
stuck for long periods where there are none or there are only machines
requiring a kind of coinage I don't have with me. You may not have
noticed, but cash machines don't dispense coins.


was there really nowhere you could change a note into coins

I do this regularly when a bank machine only dispenses the local
equivalent of 50 pound notes and I know that (e.g.) the local bus driver
isn't going to be too happy when I try and pay him with it.

I do the same when I know I'll need several, but there's usually a place
where I can deal with a human selling things.


Of all the criticisms that you might validly make about LHR the lack of a
shop open 24/7 is not likely to be one of them.

This is not always the case,
particularly when I'm exhausted


Why is this the fault of the airport? If you need assistance to/from the
gate because it's a long way, just ask.

from finding the departure gate area
without passing such


I'm struggling to understand the scenario of you not having any local money
because you have just arrived and yet you are looking for a departure gate.

I can only guess that you are changing flights off of a transatlantic onto a
local flight?

and barely grabbed the last open seat,


Are we talking about the last seat in the departure lounge?

Again, it's not the fault of the airport if fellow pax are too rude to give
up their set to a person in need.

which was next
to one of those machines.


This would be the machine that you didn't have the appropriate change for?

I buy the criticism that the prices these machines are extortionate. But
that is in no way unique to LHR. It is true of machines in 95% of the
world's airports and 95% of the world's (manufactured) tourists attractions.

tim





  #104  
Old June 22nd, 2014, 07:18 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Erilar
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 599
Default US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'

"tim....." wrote:
"Erilar" wrote in message ...
"tim....." wrote:
"


I'm struggling to understand the scenario of you not having any local
money because you have just arrived and yet you are looking for a departure gate.


I had used my coins previously; I was only in London overnight, headed for
Eastern Europe, and still a bit jet-lagged

I can only guess that you are changing flights off of a transatlantic onto a local flight?

and barely grabbed the last open seat,


Are we talking about the last seat in the departure lounge?

Yes.

Again, it's not the fault of the airport if fellow pax are too rude to
give up their set to a person in need.

which was next
to one of those machines.


This would be the machine that you didn't have the appropriate change for?

I buy the criticism that the prices these machines are extortionate. But
that is in no way unique to LHR. It is true of machines in 95% of the
world's airports and 95% of the world's (manufactured) tourists attractions.

Oh , i know that 8-(. Actually, I had some coins left, but not enough, and
had foolishly thought I'd find water or a non-machine source of liquid
along my route. Obviously, my airport experience is not diverse enough,
being primarily Germany, Scandinavia, and Chicago for the last decade.


--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist with iPad
  #105  
Old June 22nd, 2014, 07:18 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Erilar
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 599
Default US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'

Martin wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 21:58:45 +0000 (UTC), Erilar
wrote:

Martin wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 15:20:01 +0000 (UTC), Erilar
wrote:

"JohnT" wrote:
"Erilar" wrote in message
...

I grumble about the size of O'Hare in Chicago, but there are water
fountains.

I may not be a typical traveller, but the availability or otherwise of
water fountains has never figured at all in my evaluation of Airports.
Has Erilar even flown into, or out of Geneva. There is a GIGANTIC water
fountain quite near the Airport.

Not one of my goals. I!ve only been in one Swiss airports, and that was
Zurich on departure, so I did have coins and don't remember hunting for a
free drink.(Ihad flown INto FRA that trip)

You bought drinks from a machine with Euros in Swiss Franc land?


I normally have Euro coins left over from a previous trip. Since Zurich
was the end of my Swiss visit, I had some coins.


The Swiss use Swiss Francs.


I arrived in Germany, however. By the time I left, I'd been in Switzerland
for well over a week.

--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist with iPad
  #106  
Old June 23rd, 2014, 01:54 AM posted to rec.travel.europe
poldy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 788
Default US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'

In article ,
Erilar wrote:


I don't know why you have singled out LHR for not having water fountains
just because American airports do.

IME most European ones don't, it isn't (wasn't) just London


I've been at CDG looking for water fountains, hated the idea of paying 3
or 4 Euro for a 50cl bottle.

Just went to the bathroom and filled up my bottle from the sink.

But a couple of weeks back, I recall seeing water fountains at CDG with
signage encouraging people to fill up rather than buy more bottles.

As it turned out, I had AF lounge privileges so I didn't use it, but
maybe there's progress.
  #107  
Old June 23rd, 2014, 05:42 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Erilar
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 599
Default US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'

Martin wrote:
On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 18:18:36 +0000 (UTC), Erilar
wrote:

Martin wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 21:58:45 +0000 (UTC), Erilar
wrote:

Martin wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 15:20:01 +0000 (UTC), Erilar
wrote:

"JohnT" wrote:
"Erilar" wrote in message
...

I grumble about the size of O'Hare in Chicago, but there are water
fountains.

I may not be a typical traveller, but the availability or otherwise of
water fountains has never figured at all in my evaluation of Airports.
Has Erilar even flown into, or out of Geneva. There is a GIGANTIC water
fountain quite near the Airport.

Not one of my goals. I!ve only been in one Swiss airports, and that was
Zurich on departure, so I did have coins and don't remember hunting for a
free drink.(Ihad flown INto FRA that trip)

You bought drinks from a machine with Euros in Swiss Franc land?

I normally have Euro coins left over from a previous trip. Since Zurich
was the end of my Swiss visit, I had some coins.

The Swiss use Swiss Francs.


I arrived in Germany, however. By the time I left, I'd been in Switzerland
for well over a week.


Dodn;t you have any coins left after your trip to Stonehenge?


That wasn't the time i was so thirsty. I believe I had bought some
overpriced liquid that time.


--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist with iPad
  #108  
Old June 23rd, 2014, 10:04 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
poldy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 788
Default US airports: 'menacing, cramped and devoid of humanity'

In article ,
Martin wrote:

On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 17:54:15 -0700, poldy wrote:

In article ,
Erilar wrote:


I don't know why you have singled out LHR for not having water fountains
just because American airports do.

IME most European ones don't, it isn't (wasn't) just London


I've been at CDG looking for water fountains, hated the idea of paying 3
or 4 Euro for a 50cl bottle.

Just went to the bathroom and filled up my bottle from the sink.

But a couple of weeks back, I recall seeing water fountains at CDG with
signage encouraging people to fill up rather than buy more bottles.

As it turned out, I had AF lounge privileges so I didn't use it, but
maybe there's progress.


Were the showers unlocked or are they still locked "because nobody uses them"?


Didn't check, it was a short flight so didn't even occur to me to use
them.
 




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