A Spot in Time at Heathrow -Terminal 3
Posted: Monday, November 08, 2004
by Ieuan Dolby
The Mariners Articles
Six hours to wait and the central departure lounge is a seething mass of intent humanity, all with one purpose but so divided and varied in how to achieve it.
In the corner sits a potential writer on the way to some other place and filling in the time by observing and noting all that he sees in his gaily decorated Donald duck decorated notebook.
The excited and the curious the nervous and the bored! The coming or going the sad and the happy!
People on a mission seethe around in endless crossroads: from far above like an ants nest immediately after the foot has landed.
Holiday , work, play or necessity, they are all here and are all waiting.
The well dressed and rich sit shoulder to shoulder with the flip-flopped and casual. The eager and the edgy sit next to the bored and the accustomed lined up on rows of green coloured and uncomfortable seating like waxworks on display. The business man and the tramp balk at the 1pound/15 minute fee charged by the awkward to use email machines that stand like phones around the hall.
Checked shirts haul briefcases around that resemble steam trunks and dolled up and skimpy dressed girls lug handbags around that hold the world. Muslims are eyed carefully by the suspicious as they go quietly about their business and children run around with freedom and excitement as their parent’s loose control.
Laptops perch on seamed trousers, eyes stare wonderingly into little mirrors as make-up is ladled on, Crisps, coffee and chocolate is liberally demolished as boarding tickets, screens and watches are studied with constant urgency.
The Shops The buoyant, the spendthrifts and the first timers attack shops selling trinkets and souvenirs at above the odds prices. The drinkers, smokers and perfume addicts troll through endless choices of duty free that defy easy selection and all buy bottled water to ward off advertised dehydration on the long flight ahead.
Starbucks for a coffee, TGIF’s for a full blown burger, O’Neil’s for a beer or the deli for a baguette?
Unattended bags lie awkwardly and under suspicious eyes as shopper’s dash for a last minute tube of toothpaste, a book to read or a Gucci handbag. People collide and make poor excuses as desperation for purchases battle with the need to catch a plane.
Perfume, make-up or handbags all promoted by well made up and groomed assistants who give no pause for customer’s reflection or slowness. Dixon ’s promotes electronic goods at supposedly cheaper prices and key rings of Phone boxes, black cabs or policeman vie for attention against woolly sheep and London fudge!
The Action A coffee spills a pram jam occurs and a boarding pass lies unclaimed and ignored near to the boy who is equally lost. Unintelligible announcements battle endlessly with babies crying over the constant hum and languages mix and cross as nations meet and depart in queues for toilets, for bottled water and for winning a car for 80pounds. Assistants struggle to cope with the endless queues that have no end and to keep up with the endless assortment of notes and the exchange rates as cash is given over.
And still the announcements remain unintelligible even to the English A turbaned gentleman saunters past lost in a world beyond and scratching his head with his finger, like he would a bee is in his bonnet. Two lovers argue over “go to gate" or “smoke first", and Mr Samson has been told that it is his last chance to catch his flight. The hippie thankfully stretches out across three seats as he attempts to wash away the rigours of a long journey and prepare for the next.
“I love you", “3 – hours difference", “I’m boarding now" and “whisky or gin, Pall Mall or Bensons" all go to keep mobile phone companies in business. As do “arrange a meeting", “pick me up at 2.00am " and “remember to put the rubbish out" by those who feel that that they are the central cog in the wheel that turns back home.
A little Asian girl adopts another family as they wander past to the consternation of a stressed out mother with too much luggage and a trolley filled with a potential drinks cabinet. A harangued shelf stacker at the newsagents unmercifully mows down with his laden trolley a rather slow and amiable back packer who happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And through it all cleaners keep control and sanity by emptying ever filled bins and by keeping lost boarding cards from under purposeful feet.
Flight XXX is now ready for boarding They all come and they all go, time ticks away – as does the writer who eventually closes his Donald Duck decorated notebook and moves on to his gate, his flight and soon his destination.
And in turn his seat or another like it becomes occupied with another who decides to observe and to write down the endless activity that he sees around him.
Life goes on.
Ieuan Dolby Author and Webmaster of http://www.seadolby.com
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