I picked up a cyberfriend at LAX last night so that she could attend the annual Brian Wilson Walk-a-Thon. In the past, I’d just make a couple of orbits of the arrival level and pick her up at the curb. Parking in the structures was also easy. Last night I went to Lot B. Nope, you couldn’t pick soneone off at the shuttle depot. You had to park. Of course, no one would tell you that and there were no signs.
I drove to the airport, about 20 minutes away, when I received the call that from my friend saying that she has deplaned. I found Lot B and parked. My friend called to say that she was still waiting on a bus to take her to the parking area. A little while later I called her back and she said all of the busses indicated they were going to Lot C, a mile or to away. So I went to Lot C. But first I had to get out of Lot B. Right turn only. Have to make a U-turn. But the left turns were all marked “No U-turn”. I made one anyway. (How do you make a U-turn? Well, first you stick her hind legs in your boots… Ewe turn? Ah, well, no one ever laughs at that one…) Got to Lot C and found the depot. A fugue started playing on my cell phone. Guess where my friend is? Lot B, of course!
Back to Lot B. She was waiting by the middle of the lot, so it was easy to find her. Got out of the lot and made another illegal U-turn to go north.
Let’s hope the NSA (which is instructing the FAA to impliment and maintain these “security” procedures) comes to its senses and allows things to return to normal.
Right now, the passenger pickup process is a Charlie-Foxtrot.