Thoughts about the airport

[podling]

Well so. Last night I picked astrophysicat up at Newark airport. In a weird moment of serendipidity, she'd brought me back a card with a chinese monkey zodiac thingy on it. Still recovering from the shock of it being the year of the sheep soon. Maybe the guy was just telling me he was a monkey the whole time and I misunderstood him? Hard to say, the lines of communication can get blurry with accents once in a while. For instance, they call me "Anjou" instead of Andrea, and the first few times I was really confused and kept thinking, "pear!". So anyway, it's fabulous to have her home. But there were some weird things about the airport...

Firstly, some of the parking construction is actually completed, and so I went in to the parking area a *completely* different way than ever before. And then was really confused by the path to the terminal. I don't even remember that being there!

So fine, I go into terminal C, which is apparently where they've been doing the most reorganizing and stuff. Terminal C is pretty much all Continental Airlines, I should point out. I'm starting to think they own the airport. But anyway, so now, in the areas that you can access without having a ticket, there's nothing! No soda machines, no little coffee shops (okay, there was a cart, but it was somewhere in baggage claim and I'd passed it without realizing it was the only one, and then I was like, acres away from it). I'm pretty sure the other terminals aren't like this yet, but they might be heading that way. There were also lots of new security things up, like huge scanner machines and such. Many of them were still inoperational, judging by their huge plastic wrapped states, but they were there. But why can I not get a drink and a snack while waiting??? That's all I'm asking for. Really. Terminal B (or is it A?) has a bar that you can get to fercrissakes!!! There were other people wandering around, looking like they needed snacks too. Cara claimed that beyond the security checkpoint is a golden land of snackfood and drinks and such, but I don't know. Seems all too mythological to me.

And the other thought I was having... just when *exactly* did Newark Airport become Newark *Liberty* Airport?

Last thought... always take the truck lane on the turnpike. :)

Comments

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

Pear!

[podling]

Pear!

[godcat.livejournal.com]

Mmm...pear.

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

Near as I can tell, airports hate when you come to pick someone up. Atlanta has some stuff outside the gates, but arrivals come out of the tunnels via an escalator, and there's nothing for the hordes of people waiting to meet them. No seats no space, no indication of what is landing. Just a wide corridor in front of a bathroom.

[podling]

Yeah, I'm seriously starting to think this is true. I wonder if the bar at the other terminal is now closed. That would be really sad. I was sitting on the floor against a railing, so people were less likely to step on me. And people were sitting all along it, so it wasn't just me. Luckily most people wait in the baggage claim area, so it wasn't too crowded. It's still freaky though. I mean, especially at a place like Newark or Atlanta, where it's easy to get to, so you won't necessarily be taking public transport. I mean, if I flew into Boston, I think I'd probably rather take one of the Logan Express busses out to somewhere reasonable to be picked up at...

[littlefrogling.livejournal.com]

yeah, when i picked up the breaknappa from newark airport - this was like a year ago now - there was no snacks and no seats and people were actually saving each other spots on the floor. it sucked. and then when i got dropped of a philly airport by my mom - i forget where i was going - there was no food anywhere and we ended up eating in the hyatt. don't you think they'd *want* you to spend money while you wait around for someone?

[podling]

You'd think that, right? I guess it's mostly a safety issue, especially if there really is a golden land of snackfoods past the security checkpoint, but it's still kind of annoying. I mean, I was only waiting for about 5 minutes there, but I remember when she came from Vegas 2 years ago and I was at the airport for almost 2 hours. I keep just hoping that maybe they only destroyed terminal C, but I'm pretty sure it's not true.

[arkibet.livejournal.com]

Other Newark Airport Tips:
1.) If you're doing a drive by pick-up, but them up at the departure side.
2.) Take the Monorail to Terminal B and get your drink. :) When the person disembarks, have them call you on the cell phone. By the time they get their baggage, you'll have returned from Terminal B on the monorail.

Truck lanes are always better, because people are afraid to drive with trucks. Truck drivers are better drivers - it's their job.

Yes, there were places of eating past security. I remember those wrapped up scanners, made me wonder if they're just waiting, or if they were going to make security back even farther :( Makes going home a bit sadder!

[astrophysicat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for getting me chica. (I mean pear)

There is still a nasty little eatery area in terminal A, or was when I dropped Mike off, only one though, oh and a TGIFridays.

Newark "Liberty" International

[digriz.livejournal.com]

It happened two or three months ago. Another one of our Governor's wonderful ideas. He convinced the Port Authority that the Airport should be renamed in "honor of those lost of Sept 11". So, they decided on the (rather stupid) name of "Liberty International". Newark rightfully complained, saying that no one would know where the hell "Liberty" was, and that the Newark name should stay attached. So it did, becoming "Newark Liberty International Airport".

This, in turn caused massive amounts of money to be wasted as the airlines, FAA, NJ Transit, Port Authority, and the NJ govt itself had to change lots of papers, ads, documentation, announcements (including the automated ones on the NJT trains), flught plans, and so on. IOW, a typically useless but hyper-expensive NJ move.