You know you're in the US when...

[BFMF]

[quote]
I almost always flew in civies. I can remember only once when I wore my uniform, flying home during Christmas of 1985. I never noticed any difference in treatment at airports.

[legoalex2000]

you know your in the US when... boy this could be a thread within itself

...by the time you have gotten to the airport, checked in, gone through security, stopped for a pre-flight bite to eat, sat around for an hour or so, waited for 1st class to board, wait for the ramp rats to finish what they started 2 hours ago, as well at listen to the idiot who got on the plane complaining about something; you could've gotten there by train cheaper and faster .


(ok so 25 hours by train doesn't beat 3 horus by plane from ORD-ABQ, but hey i like the scenery, food, people, sleeper, and observation deck. im not in a rush)

Ramos

[Xyn_Air]

Just a few weeks ago I went home for a couple of weeks to visit my family.  I left out of the New Tokyo Int'l Airport in Narita and my first stop was SFO.  That was like going from pampered heaven to chaotic hell.  Many, many things about Japanese over-efficiency and order grate on my nerves (like getting a driver's license or trying to wring a single sick-day out of work), but one thing they have down well is mass transit.  Narita is one of my top-3 favorite airports (just ahead of Detroit-Wayne County and just behind Minneapolis-St. Paul . . . all three are really neck-and-neck).

Getting into SFO, I found conditions crowded and dirty and most of the staff agitated enough I was fearful to ask directions (though I fly a couple times a year if not more, the last time I have been through SFO was more than a decade ago).  The rest of the airports I went through on my trip home were definitely cleaner and more pleasant, but there is still something about the staff that make me a little nervous.

It certainly isn't everyone member; their are some very notable exceptions (everyone at Minot Int'l deserves commendation for doing things with the right mixture of professional and personable).  But, in all the U.S. airports, I got a general feeling that nobody wanted to be working there, that I was imposing upon their time, and should I even dare bring up the issue it would likely incur a rebuttal that involved a cavity search, terrorist charges . . . and of course a missed flight with no refund.

Well, fortunately, I had no problems.  Mainly because I am perfectly willing to put a stupid grin on my face and keep my thoughts to myself when it comes to sliding through bureaucracy.  Also, I did come up with the theory that the uncomfortable process of moving through U.S. airports is an intentional strategy to drive up business in their most profitable sector - the airport lounge!  ;D  If I can still see the red on the tape, as it were, then I just head back to the lounge for another round.  ;D  Think of the revenues they must be pulling in!

[JBaymore]

[quote]Getting into SFO, I found conditions crowded and dirty and most of the staff agitated enough I was fearful to ask directions (though I fly a couple times a year if not more, the last time I have been through SFO was more than a decade ago).

[alrot]

Man!! I rather even to fly totaly naked if that's for our own security, after 9/11 we didn't knew that an airplane could be use as a missil!





can you imagine all people naked and tie to their sit...LOL

[GreaseMonkey]

Well, when we first went to new york, we flew with continental (boeing 767-400 great plane may i add!)
and well my mum hated flying but she was  desperate to see new york so we went. When we were coming home though it was mad! the security staff grunted in a deep tone, "shoes please, belt please, wallet  please" etc...etc.... and if it wasnt bad enough that my mum didnt like flying they made her do all that and we could see it wasnt going down well, but we just said they have to do that for our protection and safety.  

but anyway it was a pleasent flight.

[Xyn_Air]

*Note: What I and others have found is the longer you have been in Japan and the more of the language you speak and the more you overtly exhibit an understanding of Japanese culture thru your actions, (ie. - the more Japanese you "become") the more this factor DECREASES.  At some point you actually reach a level where you "get too close".... and it can actually work against you and become a negative in some situations.

Heh.  This is so very true.  Anytime I start to get lumped in with everyone else, I just tell them I am going to have an American moment and that I don't feel like "echoing" (one of my Japanese colleague's poetic description of going with the flow).  Now, we all get a good laugh when I get frustrated and say, "I am not echoing right now.  I don't want to echo.  I am an American, and we don't echo."  For some reason, this blunt honesty always gets laughs, and not just the nervous, polite chuckle kind.  In many ways, I think it makes them more comfortable that I don't try to become overly Japanese in the way that I do things.  It makes me more exotic and entertaining to be around, I suppose.  ::)

Fortunately, part of my job is to teach the community (everyone from teachers to students to town hall office workers) international communication.  It gets to be a tough balance between doing things the Japanese way out of respect and courtesy and doing things in "my" way to show them, hey, sometimes you are going to have to learn how to communicate with people that are going to openly disagree with you.  Mostly, I worry about not being too good at my job, but they keep begging me to recontract, so I must be getting something accidentally correct now and then.  ;D

As for reverse culture shock, yes, that was definitely part of my vacation experience.  For one thing, I had to get used to women walking around with their boobs out, so to speak.  That was an easier aspect of culture shock to get used to.    Another pleasant reverse culture shock was getting used to big portions of food again.  Not like I need it, but it does make me happy.  :-[

The scariest thing to get used to again was going back to driving on the right hand side of the road.  My partner was very calm about it when she kindly advised, "Perhaps you would like to drive on the other side of the road, sweety.  You're back in America."  :o

Anyway, culture shock and such aside, SFO can bite my chappy hide.  Ugh.  What a mangled airport it has become.  And, I think we, as U.S. citizens, are shooting ourselves in the foot if we allow our airport security to be rude or hostile as a rule of thumb.  That creates more problems than it solves.  Of course, human nature being what it is . . .  ::)

That's OK.  I am just going to win some mega-lottery and buy my own aircraft and my own airport.  When that happens, I'll let you know and you can all join me there.  ;)  Until then, if you have any problems with the Xyn Air staff, be it ticketing agents, baggage handlers, or flight crew, just let me know and I will get them back to straight and level.  Oh, wait.  I don't have any staff yet.  Darn it.

A rambly all the best,
~Darrin

[ATI_7500]

have to take your shoes off to walk through the metal detector...

Wasn't any different at STN.

[Chris_F]

Airport and Immigration security in the US is proof that the terrorists have indeed won the war.  :(

[murjax]

If you were to experience the type of security the train has compared to the airplane you would be totally shocked. Train stations hardly have any security at all(but they do have bomb-sensing trash cans ).

[Jakemaster]

I hate going through security.  I've started wearing flip flops to make it easier .  One time when I flew I accidently left my toiletries bag in my carryon.  It was a black bag with a big bottle of contact solution, some deoderant, and some toothpaste.  I just ignored it (realized it was there while in line) and hoped for the best.  It went through the xray and got flagged and a guy opened it up, looked at the toiletry bag and the bottles and then just said okay go on through.  And this was at Houston-Hobby, a major Southwest hub!  All for show I tell you 'hwat

[Nick N]

I am just going to throw this in here.. sort of a hit and run comment


If anyone really wants to take out a plane, its gone. Don

[aussiewannabe]

[quote]You want airport security?

Put a Vegas casino owner in charge of it and get rid of TSA

You won

[beaky]

Xyn and JB's posts remind me of a story a co-worker (originally from Texas) of mine told me after spending a couple of months working on a theme park in Japan:

Someone dropped their ChapStick on the floor in the midst of a large common area of the site, and it was never picked up, even by the cleaning crew. Somebody set it on a nearby surface and it stayed there for weeks. Now, a used ChapStick is not exactly a desirable item, but from other things he saw there his impression was that it was a gesture of kindness ("no, don't throw it away; they might come back for it").

He was also maddened sometimes by the over-organization of things and the formality, but was touched by these little acts of politeness that the Japanese take so seriously. It takes very little effort to simply consider the next guy, and it makes life more pleasant for everyone.

[JBaymore]

Xyn and JB's posts remind me of a story a co-worker (originally from Texas) of mine told me after spending a couple of months working on a theme park in Japan:

Someone dropped their ChapStick on the floor in the midst of a large common area of the site, and it was never picked up, even by the cleaning crew. Somebody set it on a nearby surface and it stayed there for weeks. Now, a used ChapStick is not exactly a desirable item, but from other things he saw there his impression was that it was a gesture of kindness ("no, don't throw it away; they might come back for it").

He was also maddened sometimes by the over-organization of things and the formality, but was touched by these little acts of politeness that the Japanese take so seriously. It takes very little effort to simply consider the next guy, and it makes life more pleasant for everyone.

Japan is amazing.