Saturday, April 18, 2015

A day in the life: Airport madness

A while ago I visited the Netherlands. It is a beautiful country with very kind people. However, no matter how much fun I had, one thing will stay with me forever, just because it doesn’t happen that often - a blackout in Amsterdam.
It wouldn’t be such a big deal if it wasn’t for the fact we were at the airport when it happened. 
I was just in the middle of security check when all of a sudden the light went out, along with all the computers and X-ray scanners. To be honest, I am always nervous while going through security check even though I have nothing to be afraid of and the first thing that went through my mind at that exact moment was: “Was it my fault?”  
Some of the lights turned back on, I believe the airport has its own generator, but most of the airport was still in the dark. Security was all over the place, but luckily I was one of the few  people who was allowed to continue their way to the gate. Sadly all the shops were closed, meaning I had to kill time sitting around and sharing some food with a few of my friends. 
Our flight was delayed for approximately two hours. Considering we had to take a train to the airport, be there at least an hour before, and the fact our flight took about an hour and forty-five minutes, it meant I hadn’t eaten a proper meal for seven hours and only had a glass of water.  
So, here are few things I learnt during this experience:
  • Take some food with you even if you think you may not need it
  • Once you get past security check fill your water bottle on the toilet
  • Make sure your phone is charged

Everything turned out okay in the end, and all the credit goes to the well organised staff at the airport. They did the best they could and it was a chance for us to see how much work is put into controlling an airport. On the other hand, it was scary to see how much we rely on machines nowadays. 

No comments:

Post a Comment