KATUNAYAKE, Sri Lanka -- Here we go again. Buffoonery involving airports and airlines appear to be limitless. To avoid the usual lunacy at check-in counters, I decided to check-in online prior to arriving at the airport named for the Scourge of the Nation. To my utter surprise, customs formalities had been streamlined and one could actually breeze in. However, this was more than adequately confounded by a counter labelled Online Check-in.
Two old bats with non-standard travel documents hogged the proceedings for a good ten minutes. While the bats were placated, the offline check-in counters were seen to be processing passengers faster. So much for online check-in. When I finally got to the counter, the clown in session asked me why I stood in line when I had checked-in online. I proceeded to explain that the so-called online check-in queue was held up. It was then revealed that counter was indeed operating in promiscuous mode. The bats were apparently offline bats. The clown then apologized profusely and checked me in all the way to Cairo. No doubt my baggage will arrive in Cape Town.
Leaving batty check-in processes aside, the airport has been done up nicely since the last time I visited. Otaraville is evident ("Welcome to Otaraville, give us all your money.") Clowns at SLT have set up offices as well. Naturally, attempting to connect wirelessly was found to be too irritating, so I’m currently blogging by the grace of Hans[a] and the Holy GPRS.
It’s almost 0100 hours now and another hour and forty-five minutes will need to be spent in a wait state. The required aircraft does not appear to be present unless it has been camouflaged well. An eight-hour layover in Dubai looms. You only realise how big the planet is when you need to get from continent A to continent B. I think I should just drop everything and invent teleportation. At least then we can get rid of the politicians.
Well that’s about it for now. More will be blogged when I feel like it. Well yeah, I'm the only one who blogs. Anyway, who cares? In the words of Marcus Tullius Cicero, O tempora, O mores!
Monday, April 17, 2006
Confounded in Katunayake
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3 comments:
The blog is still on GMT+6, and not dimwit standard time. I think I'll just leave it like that. Anyway, I've been asked to report to Gate 7. Here we go again.
I am on a leave of absence due to a serious need for piggybacking .. hopefully this wil ne sorted out in a couple of weeks .. also .. why is there a counter for online check in ? Doesn't that negate the point for online check in ?
Yes, knowing your capabilities that will certainly require a leave of absence! ROTFL! You'd be quite exhausted.
As for online check-in, if you travel from Colombo, its as good as offline if old bats are presents. A counter is apparently required because you can't check-in your baggage over the Internet. Yet. But, I'm working on the Baggage over IP (BoIP) architecture as we idle :-p
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