My Daily Walk

Since I have a security pass for CVG I have access to all the secure passenger areas of the airport. This allows me to basically use the airport as an all climate walking track, as it takes about forty minutes to navigate the walkway between Terminals One, Two, and Three, and then through security and the tunnel under the ramp to Concourses A & B. Concourse C is only accessible by a shuttle bus, so unless the transport is empty and I can walk in circles while being driven there across the ramp, it doesn't get included in the daily stroll.

Now part of the fun of my "health club" (besides that if I lose my badge I have to pay $100 to get a new one) is being able to observe the variety of people who are utilizing the facility for its designed purpose, flying from one location to another.

The unhappiest group award goes to when I take a walk in the morning before work. Around 7:00am the flight returning from Honolulu comes in at the end of Concourse B, and large groups of dejected tanned and souvenir shirt wearing people wearily drudge in the direction of a connecting flight or to baggage claim in Terminal 3. It is an overnight "redeye" flight from Hawaii so I can honestly say I can't recall seeing anyone happily sprinting out the gate. Of course if you are out there about 9:30am when the return leg starts to board, you will encounter the polar opposite of the early morning crowd, all grins and giggles as the group wait to board and head off to a long dreamed Hawaiian vacation.

I usually walk wearing my IPOD, as I have become addicted to "podcasts", a form of TIVO for radio shows. This will normally deter all but the most desperate people from bothering me as I stroll. Plus, since I do not work for an airline, I am usually of no help to individuals anyway. That is with the exception of smokers. A person having a "nic-fit" after a long flight will all but rip your earphones out of your head to find out where the ever-decreasing areas are that they can light up. My personal favorite happened in Concourse B in the early morning when an average sized man approached me very rapidly. His haircut and clothing screamed "I am European" and so did his accent. He approached me and I removed my earphones in anticipation of his question. He grabbed my arm quit forcefully and asked in a clear and urgent Russian accent "Vhere ist smoking chamber?".

People watching can be fun also. There tends to be a re-occurring theme on somedays... like bad toupee day, or "this is all that was clean in the closet"clothing day. Occasionally one will see Amish people with their simple clothing and white bonnets for the women and simple black suits for the men. I did a double take when I saw an Amish young lady gabbing away on a cell phone, only to notice an impatient "regular" passenger waiting to get their phone back. I wondered all day who an Amish person would call, being as they don't have home phones either....