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2005-05-31 14:02:03

Just ignore me when I get crabby like this.

I am really looking forward to Tech-Ed next week.  However, I always dread the tedium and frustrations of the travel.  For me, the worst part of the air travel experience is trying to get through a crowded airport when I'm in a hurry. 

My weblog has a lot of regular readers now.  With a glimmer of hope that I have enough readers to make a difference, I would like to offer this brief tutorial on the proper behavior in an airport:

When you are in an airport terminal or concourse, your primary goal (aside from safety, obviously), should be to not annoy the pathologically impatient people like me.  There are three ways you can achieve this:

Note that you don't have to do all three.  The minimal standard here is easy -- just pick one.  If you choose any of these three options, those of us who are "addicted to hurry" will probably be able to avoid you.

Unfortunately, a stunning number of people somehow find a way to ignore all three choices.  Don't believe me?  As you fly to Orlando this weekend, pay close attention and you'll see that I'm right.  In every airport I have visited, a disturbing percentage of the people are meandering slowly while looking in the opposite direction.

And I'm not talking here about kids here.  As a father of two young daughters, I understand that extra forebearance is sometimes required in the presence of young ones who don't know any better.  It is a foregone conclusion that children don't know how to behave in an airport.

No, the real issue here is all of those otherwise rational adults who believe that patience is some sort of a virtue.  For some crazy reason, these folks are just wandering around enjoying the day, as if the purpose of technology were to save time. 

I'll close this rant with a call to action:  As you travel to Tech-Ed, please spread the word about this important element of airport etiquette.  If we each tell just a few people, we can make a difference, and maybe, just maybe, I will make my connecting flight this weekend.

:-)

P.S.  If you'll be at Tech-Ed, be sure to stop by the SourceGear Vault booth.  We're giving away Vault-branded packages of microwave popcorn!  (In a few months, our current set of Vault ads will be retired and replaced with a bunch of new stuff.  Ever since we unveiled the original Vault movie trailer, we have wanted to do this popcorn thing.  Now that our movie-themed messaging will be coming to end, this trade show is our last chance.)