Thoughts in Transit

My theory (which I just came up with while trying to kill time at Heathrow) is that there are a few categories that most people fall into when they are flying:
- The sleep deprived grumpy people
- The over cheerful people (usually couples sans kids)
- The stressed out (usually WITH kids)
- The emotional quiet types and
- The nervous energetic ones (these are the annoying ones who talk your ear off)

I often fall into the emotional quiet type. Not to say that the emotion is always bad, but its usually not until I get into that seat on the plane that I realize where I am departing from and where I am going to. Between pre-travel prep and airport annoyances I rarely get a chance to think much about the trip itself. This time was no exception.

Not that I am leaving Copenhagen, but I know that when I get back in a few weeks several of the people I have spent time with over the last year will have moved either home or to somewhere else in Europe. And not that going home is sad either, it is great opportunity to visit with people in the summer when schedules are freer and spirits higher than in the stressful Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday season when I tend to be in the US.

Taking off from Copenhagen happened more or less on time, ensuring I would not need to be worried about time upon arrival in Heathrow to transfer to my Boston flight. Anyone who has ever flown through Heathrow will testify that its absolutely no use to be in a rush because transferring terminals is a painstakingly slow process that none can escape enduring.

The last time I went through Heathrow, perhaps on my way back to Tokyo last year the terminal transfer took some surprising turns – quite literally. The transit bus driver didn’t know how to get to the terminal he was supposed to be driving to!

That said even with a more knowledgeable transit bus driver it still took longer to transfer from Terminal 5 to Terminal 4 than to travel from downtown Copenhagen and through security at Kastrup (CPH) airport!

Fortunately my transfer process started cheerfully (and strangely) enough, upon reaching the transfer information board a black, bearded and dreadlocked Brit of slight stature said “what do you need that board for love? You’ve got me here.” At which point I started to ask him where to get my flight to Boston. I was not able to finish my sentence before he said “lets start with a hug”. What? Perhaps it’s a public relations thing, so people will forget about the stereotype of Brits being polite but distant (not that this has ever been my experience with Brits). Anyway, he was up close and a bit too personal. THEN, ironically he nearly sent me the wrong way. Fortunately, a less huggy fellow chirped in and pointed me in the right direction.

Also at Heathrow it seems there is an attempt to make announcements both English and the language of the country to which people are traveling (Dutch to Holland, French to France, you get it). Then there was a flight announced to Seattle, I wondered would there be an American English translation following the proper British voice? There wasn’t of course but I think it is amusing to think of how different it could be depending on the US city destination.

And now the long flight to Bwoa-ston (Boston that is).