Vaction Blogging 1: Stuck in Limbo
Airports are like purgatory for the vacation traveler. You have to pay the price, so that you can get to the golden destination. In my case the price was 11 hours in various incarnations of the Airbus 318/319 and the lovely airports in Denver, San Francisco, and our own lovely BNA. But it really was worth it when I got to the golden destinations of San Francisco, rocky beaches, redwoods, and wine.
The funny thing about airports…. They’re a huge pain, especially the bigger ones like San Francisco. But they’re also kind of freeing. You’re stuck there, you can’t do anything productive, so you can just sit around and do nothing without feeling bad about it. Granted, if you don’t plan ahead and bring your own entertainment, sitting around doing nothing can be its own form of hell.
The San Francisco airport is ginormous. It has multiple terminals, and each terminal has multiple boarding areas. The potential for interesting exploring and people watching (my favorite is when they come to the end of the moving sidewalk) was enormous. But not to be. Each portion of the various terminals has its own security area. I really wanted to go exploring, but I wasn’t really interested in being that guy that needed a cavity search because he suspiciously went in and out of several security checkpoints. Don’t get me wrong, it was still like my own little slice of Walmart with crying babies, rednecks, hippies, and the rest. But I wish I could see the rest. (Obviously I don’t fly a lot.)
On the way from the airport to downtown San Francisco, we kept passing these freeway signs that said “Monster Park”. At first we thought it was the dog park dedicated to pit bull type breeds, but then we drove by Candlestick Point and saw the stadiums. Apparently Monster Park is the name of the football stadium where the 49ers play. I assume the naming rights were bought by Monster.com. Makes me wish our stadium had a cooler name.
The funny thing about airports…. They’re a huge pain, especially the bigger ones like San Francisco. But they’re also kind of freeing. You’re stuck there, you can’t do anything productive, so you can just sit around and do nothing without feeling bad about it. Granted, if you don’t plan ahead and bring your own entertainment, sitting around doing nothing can be its own form of hell.
The San Francisco airport is ginormous. It has multiple terminals, and each terminal has multiple boarding areas. The potential for interesting exploring and people watching (my favorite is when they come to the end of the moving sidewalk) was enormous. But not to be. Each portion of the various terminals has its own security area. I really wanted to go exploring, but I wasn’t really interested in being that guy that needed a cavity search because he suspiciously went in and out of several security checkpoints. Don’t get me wrong, it was still like my own little slice of Walmart with crying babies, rednecks, hippies, and the rest. But I wish I could see the rest. (Obviously I don’t fly a lot.)
On the way from the airport to downtown San Francisco, we kept passing these freeway signs that said “Monster Park”. At first we thought it was the dog park dedicated to pit bull type breeds, but then we drove by Candlestick Point and saw the stadiums. Apparently Monster Park is the name of the football stadium where the 49ers play. I assume the naming rights were bought by Monster.com. Makes me wish our stadium had a cooler name.
posted by W at 12:26 PM
2 Comments:
Did you take a taxi or a Lincoln from the airport?
My first, and only time, to SF, I got hounded by the Towncar drivers. I told the guy over and over, I'll just get a cab. He showed me the pamphlet that shows how they can only charge this one rate, it's just as cheap...
I decided the company was paying for it anyway.
It was a nice ride. I think it was $40, but don't quote me.
So after a week, I'm ready to leave. I ask the desk clerk, "What's the cost of a regular cab compared to those Towncars." She responds that the cabs can get stuck in traffic, while they keep charging you, so the Towncars are better.
I take a Towncar back to the airport. When I get home, I ask my boss about it. He says, "The cabs are cheaper. The desk clerks are in business with the Towncar drivers."
Thank Goodness for expense accounts.
It was a cab all the way. Which was good since we weren't on an expense account. But then again, I recall it being about $40 for the cab.
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