Airtraffic control

As far as airports are concerned I'm not a big fan. Today my hate for them has been further fuelled.

Cape Town airport is undergoing renovations in anticipation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. As one can imagine, with all the work going on there should obviously be some disruptions.

Parking for instance was a nightmare. Upon arrival many of the roads and slipways had been blocked off due to construction and I found myself driving around in circles being confused due to all the detours. It's understandable, but still highly inconvenient.

The restrooms too were not ideal and were temporarily built using makeshift materials. To be honest I don't think the rest rooms were even part of the building at all and it seemed to have been erected as an extension, on flimsy stilts. If the airport was going for an authentic "aeroplane" feel then they did well to achieve this, because as I stood by the urinal to do my business; I could swear that I was flying and was even convinced that I felt some turbulence.

Lastly, there was a massive wait to board our flight. The reason being that one of the incompetent incumbents at the airline I was flying on, had overbooked the plane by one passenger. Unfortunately we, the passengers, were asked if one of us would volunteer and relinquish our place on the plane. The kind martyr who stayed behind was given many words of appreciation as no one else was ready to give up their seats.

My overall impression of airports have thus taken a further slump. Unless the experience on my return flight is filled with glorious satisfaction, it will stay in this position, at an all time low.