Being an advocate for emergency preparedness, fire protection, and living life safely is a role that I take very seriously. It probably started shortly after I graduated from high school, as I became a volunteer fireman in my hometown. During a railroad career spanning 23 years, I witnessed many serious derailments and crossing accidents, and natural disasters of all types.

Inevitably, it seems that people are never prepared for the different types of emergencies that seem to enter our lives so often. I was reminded of this during a major snow and ice storm that hit the Pacific Northwest in mid-January. We all knew it was coming, as the forecasting models promised that the warm rains would override cold air streaming down from the north and would result in unspecified amounts of snow, wind and potential icing.

This was not the first time that snow has been predicted here, as heavy snows usually occur three or four times a decade in this area. Unlike the Midwest and Northeast states that see heavy snow every year, Washington State and its numerous cities on the western side of the Cascade Mountains have very few snowplows or sanding trucks. We do have steep hills that make many streets and highways impassable whenever they become covered with snow or ice.

Despite the warnings, many people were completely unprepared when this year’s series of storms arrived as predicted. There was the usual rush at the grocery stores and hardware outlets as people stocked up on snow shovels, salt, sand, water and last-minute grocery items. Because we have so much rain in this area, most people felt that whatever snow might arrive would be short-lived. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time.

Those of us who are disabled face greater challenges when it comes to being prepared for and remaining safe during the type of weather disasters that occurred here. We need to take special heed of the warnings and inventory our supplies to make sure that we will not be caught short if the situation extends several days or even weeks, as has happened in the past.

Like all good advocates for emergency preparedness, I keep a good supply of water, food and other emergency supplies in the house at all times. This year I went a step further and purchased an emergency generator that would be able to power up my refrigerator/freezer,furnace blower, microwave and television set if the power went out. With any amount of wind, ice and snow, power outages are a sure thing in this area since we are the Evergreen State and surrounded by huge trees in all directions. When their limbs become heavy with snow and ice, these trees lose those limbs or topple over; they block roads, pull down power lines and become a danger to anything beneath them.

My wheelchair van has basic emergency supplies stowed in the back, just in case I should ever be trapped somewhere by ice and snow. Tire chains, portable ramps, a snow shovel, first aid supplies, granola bars and a blanket can come in handy when stranded by any type of storm. As long as my attendants can reach my house to get me up in the morning and put me to bed at night, I am prepared for just about anything. Fortunately my primary attendant has a vehicle with four-wheel drive and tire chains, so I was covered in that area. That turned out to be a good thing, as I was unable to get out of my house, or out of my driveway, for eight days due to the snow and ice.

People in the Pacific Northwest stay glued to their television sets watching round-the-clock coverage of major snow or windstorms much as the people of southern California are transfixed by frequent police chases on Los Angeles freeways. Our local news media dress up in color-coordinated storm jackets and supersede all national programming with their constant updates on traffic conditions, weather radar, flight cancellations and stories about tragedies that have struck individuals or whole communities.



(Photo credit: Spokane's KHQ-TV)

The news stories pointed out the risks to people with disabilities by actually showing a home that was hit by a fallen tree and that was occupied by someone who was quadriplegic. Fortunately no one in the home was injured when the tree blew over. Another news story covered a family that was walking over a mile with gas cans to fuel the generator that was powering the ventilator that was keeping their father with ALS alive. The snow, ice and trees laying across the roads had made them impassable, and made it impossible to get him transported to a nearby hospital or other facility with a reliable power supply. In some communities, power outages made it impossible to pump gasoline, so those who were unprepared faced the prospect of their generators being unable to provide emergency power.

This was, of course, a disaster that impacted everyone--not just people with disabilities. Despite the forewarning, numerous accidents and clogged roadways were caused by people trying to drive without tire chains or four-wheel drive. A few people who left their stranded vehicles to walk for help were struck by other cars, with disastrous results. Side or residential streets were not plowed until days after the initial storm, and at one time about 350,000 homes were without power. For some people, those power outages lasted almost two weeks. In at least one instance, someone ignored the broadcast warnings and brought a barbecue into the house to warm their family. Fortunately those family members ended up hospitalized, but alive.

Don’t get me wrong. This was not a disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina, or even the flurry of tornadoes that ravaged the southern United States last year. Most of the residents of the Pacific Northwest made it out alive, and with a few exceptions our property will be restored to its original condition by next summer. Hopefully those who were unprepared have learned a few lessons from this relatively minor brush with disaster.

This storm had its positive aspects too. There were literally hundreds of people who took in friends and distant family members whose homes were without power or heat. Neighbors who don’t speak throughout the year checked up on or delivered food to those nearby who were elderly or unable to leave their homes for other reasons. Bands of young people armed with snow shovels wandered the sidewalks looking for opportunities to help people who had not been able to shovel their own walkways and driveways. Those who helped others despite their own challenges epitomize the spirit of preparedness, as few of us are able to survive real emergencies without some help from others.

The rains have now washed away the snow, but we should not forget the lessons learned during this snowy January.
Are you and those you love and care for, whether relatives or not, fully prepared for whatever new challenges this year might bring? If not, perhaps you should get prepared so you won’t become a victim when the next disaster strikes—as it surely will.

© 2012 Michael Collins

In my recent blog, Uplifting News, I shared some exciting developments in the form of new Department of Transportation (DOT)  regulations that affect paratransit service, fixed route bus transportation and even the railroads. Several of the new regulations will provide opportunities for people with disabilities who might have previously been unable to use various types of transportation to finally have access to those modes of travel. Read More

When airlines have inclement weather to use as an excuse, it helps them justify everything from flight delays to cancellations, and might even allow them to avoid fines for tarmac delays in excess of three hours. Unfortunately it often appears that there is no one in charge when these events start happening, as hundreds of people are milling around waiting for news or for somebody to make a decision about which flights will be delayed and which ones canceled. Read More

Our friends at the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) have done it!  They have expanded our transportation options while traveling on trains and on paratransit vehicles. The new regulations, which were posted earlier this month, take effect at various times during 2011. Read More

If you read my August blog about airline damage to mobility equipment: Concerned about Wheelchair Damage?, you know that September 13 is the deadline for submitting comments to the Department of Transportation about the importance of tracking airline handling of wheelchairs and other mobility equipment. Read More

Recently I received an email from a mother whose son was taking his first flight in15 years. Since her son and I are both quadriplegic and power chair users, I was able to provide some condensed advice (based on over 100 flights) that should help make their trip a success. Read More

After years of mistreatment by the airlines, those of us who travel with wheelchairs or other mobility equipment may actually have our concerns recognized. Up until now there has been no attempt to capture the accurate number of wheelchairs or other mobility devices transported by the nation's air carriers, or how many incidents of damage occur. Read More

Today was a good day for air travelers who are disabled. The Federal Department of Transportation slapped Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) with a $200,000 fine for a series of violations of the Air Carrier Access Act. Read More

It happened again! Another misguided airline decided to set aside the rights of a passenger who was disabled, rights granted by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), and have him removed from a plane without a valid cause. This was at least the third such incident in the last year and, like the prior cases, involved someone with a mobility impairment who posed no risk to fellow passengers, the flight crew or themselves. Read More

One of the very important lessons I’ve learned in this life is that the best laid plans don't always turn out as intended. As you learned in my last blog (Road Trippin’), plans for my road trip to Hollywood were very thorough and almost complete at the time it was written.

Alas, I am sorry to report that my plans for the road trip have been “recalled,” like a Toyota with a bad set of brakes. Unrest in the Middle East, coupled with rampant speculation on the part of commodities brokers, raised the price of gasoline on the West Coast to a point where it was simply not feasible to take the road trip when a first-class flight was even cheaper.

How could that be possible? First, you need to understand that the cost of a gallon of gas exceeds $4 virtually everywhere in the West. This is especially true along the major freeways, which was my preferred routing for this trip. Downhill, with a tail wind, I am lucky if I get 14 miles per gallon with the “van from hell.” During the four days of driving my contribution to the local economies along my route would have been significant, and my carbon footprint would have been noticed as well.

While driving was more expensive than flying once the gas price increased, I still needed to justify giving up 38 hours of freeway driving in favor of less than seven hours of flight time. It is not possible to see the California wildflowers or the green mountains of southern Oregon when cruising above the clouds at 38,000 feet. I traded that vista for a series of snowcapped mountains towering above the surrounding foothills and often jutting above the clouds. As we neared Los Angeles, the jagged San Andreas Fault paralleled our route on the left and the blue Pacific Ocean formed a backdrop on our right. It was a beautiful beginning which matched the 80° weather which awaited us in Los Angeles.

A similar trade-off occurred in the culinary department, as there would be no fast food purchased next to the gas stations during our periodic stops for refueling. Instead, we were pampered by flight attendants who interrupted our television viewing with several courses of gourmet food that had been prepared in advance by the airline chefs.

During the past 22 years, our nation's airlines have done whatever possible to assure that some kind of glitch occurred on most of my flights. This has provided material for several articles about flying, especially about flying with a power wheelchair. This wasn't one of those trips. We flew on Virgin America Airlines for the first time, and they lived up to their self-proclaimed rating as one of the best.

The check-in process, with three suitcases and a shower chair, took less than five minutes. We virtually walked through the TSA security screening, even though a new employee had to be prompted about what to check next when it came to my wheelchair and me. The plane was in early, so I was loaded long before fellow passengers started jostling me as they walked down the aisle with their carry-ons. Upon arrival at our destination, two strong people showed up with an aisle chair and had me unloaded and into my power chair in the jetway as soon as the last of my fellow passengers had deplaned. For one of the few times in my traveling career, we arrived at the baggage carousel prior to the time our suitcases came down the chute.

The one fly in the ointment was SuperShuttle. I called ahead and made a reservation for a lift-equipped van, yet it took 30 minutes for one to arrive as we waited at curbside. As if that wait wasn't long enough, our driver had to make two complete trips around the airport before the van was filled with passengers to his satisfaction. If he hadn't been able to find five people heading to our destination in Hollywood, I think he might still be driving around that airport.

Los Angeles freeways, especially during rush hour, have earned a reputation for their sluggish pace. Our driver avoided those freeways and instead decided to take surface streets. That decision resulted in a 30-minute drive that took almost 2 hours to complete, due to the heavy traffic. Even with those delays, I was checking into our hotel in Hollywood eight hours after leaving my house in the morning.

While we wandered amongst the stars on the Walk of Fame that evening, I reflected on how easy it had been to arrive at our destination more than a day ahead of what would have been possible if driving. We were able to spend an extra day in the Los Angeles area, and to arrive home a day earlier than planned--for the same cost.

This is definitely not the end of “road tripping,” as there are many enticing destinations that cannot be reached by air. The price of gas will undoubtedly return to Earth again once the economy improves, and I will be waiting to turn the key and head out for another adventure. Until then each trip will be evaluated carefully to assure that the experience justifies the cost.

That might be a good philosophy to apply in all aspects of our life, but what fun would that be?

© 2011 Michael Collins

Spring! It's that time of year again. Daffodils are blooming and the grass is turning green. The passes are clear of snow, although it is piled high in the surrounding mountains. It seems like the perfect time to plan the first road trip of the year.

Unlike many of my fellow drivers on the highways today, it is not possible for me to simply jump into the car with an overnight bag and hit the road. Quadriplegia makes every overnight trip a complicated affair, but careful planning and a positive attitude can also make it a delightful experience.

I am fortunate to have driven over 600,000 miles in my lifetime, and most of it was done without accidents (or tickets) to mar the trips. During that time I've driven through about half of the United States, and eventually would like to see the other half from the ground instead of from the air. My other good fortune is to have a van with driving controls set up to match my needs, which has allowed me to drive for up to 14 hours with only minimal stops.

The impetus for this first road trip will be my attendance at the annual awards gala for my favorite humanitarian organization, UCP Wheels for Humanity, which will be held in Hollywood in early April. The trip from my home in Washington State requires a drive of about 1140 miles in each direction. After adding in the miles for a few side trips to buy gas and food, the roundtrip should be about 2,400 miles. I hope to get 15 mpg and may be able to get by with 160 gallons of gas. Unfortunately, now that the unrest in the Middle East has pushed the price of gasoline almost as high as bottled water, I’m estimating that cost at about $670 for the trip.

Some of you are probably wondering why anyone would drive that distance instead of flying. Airline tickets for the same destination run about $550, plus baggage fees and airport parking. Multiply that times two for the personal care attendant who would travel with me because of the length of the trip. At the other end of the flight it would be necessary to use SuperShuttle or a similar van service to get back and forth between the airport and the hotel, and no transportation would be available for local visits away from the public transit corridors.

Air travel also requires one to arrive at the airport two hours in advance of the flight, and to endure the manhandling that accompanies transfers between wheelchairs and airline seats. Last but not least, there is a concern that my power wheelchair may not arrive at my destination in the same shape it was in when it was turned over to the air carrier to put in the belly of the plane. Besides, coast-to-coast trips don't usually have an option of driving so when a shorter trip is possible it feels good to be able to drive.

Springtime driving in the West includes much green, both in the forests and rolling hills or farmland. There is a chance of timing it right in order to see the wildflowers bloom in the hills of California, with a palette of beautiful hues that fade away in a few brief weeks. It is also an easy drive, with a four lane freeway the entire distance. By contrast, the trip by air usually provides only a view of mountain tops sticking above the clouds, and even less to see from an aisle seat.

Most of the preparations have been completed, with tires rotated and balanced. The van has had its oil changed and is lubricated. Tire chains and a roadside emergency kit, including a small snow shovel, are stored in the back just in case a spring shower of that white stuff is encountered. Hotel reservations have been made for both legs of the trip, based on past experience on the same route. My spare shower chair will be loaded soon, along with a suitcase full of supplies and clothing for the trip. We’ll also pack some bottles of water and a few granola bars, just in case delays are encountered.

This will be the first long trip for the van from hell, as the three times it has traveled cross-country have been on the back of a truck. Much has been invested to make it suitable and safe for me to drive, and I plan to be able to attest to the positive aspects of this trip in a future blog. Wish me luck!

© 2011 Michael Collins

Anyone who has been monitoring the Internet or watching the news today already knows about the $2 million fine against Delta Air Lines for their violations of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). This fine, which the Department of Transportation (DOT) says is the largest ever levied against an airline for violations of this type, follows almost eight years during which Delta operated under a consent order due to similar past violations.

Before I dig into this situation, I should make it clear that I count several members of the Delta Customer Advisory Board on Disabilities as friends. They play the role of providing good advice to Delta, and sometimes help them (the airline) resolve customer complaints that might be more difficult to resolve.

The Advisory Board is not responsible for setting corporate culture, nor are they responsible for the actual provision of customer service to passengers with disabilities who travel on one of the world's largest airlines. Establishing that culture and overseeing customer service is a responsibility that rises to the very top of this huge corporation.

The DOT was right in levying this fine, although it begs the question of why hasn't something similar been done in the past?

Delta isn't alone. I have traveled on over a dozen different airlines, and each of them have taken turns treating me badly. The Federal Aviation Administration has received copies of several of my letters of complaint, and once in a while I have received a discount travel certificate for a future flight that for some reason I have never been able to use. It might be that they are time-limited and sometimes regional in nature, rather than something simple like an automatic upgrade to first class every time I fly.

Like many of my friends who use wheelchairs, I have been stranded on planes for 45 minutes after the rest of the passengers disembarked. My wheelchairs have been damaged, with repairs that have sometime exceeded $2000, and twice they have failed to load my wheelchair on the plane so I arrived at my destination without it.

I repeat: Delta Airlines is not alone in its record of abuse of passengers with disabilities. The recent incidents in which US Airways denied travel to two different passengers who were disabled are just the tip of an iceberg. The fear of what damage might occur, or what problems might be encountered, on any trip have taken the fun out of flying for air travelers with disabilities.

One of these airlines, which is also covered by the Air Carrier Access Act, dropped my friend Kathy's expensive power wheelchair off a baggage belt last summer, and she is still waiting to have it replaced. Worse yet, she has had to hire an attorney since the airline continues to ignore her. Her insurance won't cover the $15,000 price tag to replace her chair, and the cause of the damage is clearly the fault of the airline. Why should she have to experience the stress and expense of this situation?

Do I think that the $2 million fine that Delta will be paying is sufficient? Of course not. They probably make more than that amount each week from the baggage fees that they have been levying since they found out that they did not have to pay taxes on such fees. It is also likely that some of my well-traveled friends have paid more than $2 million in air fares over the life of their travels, yet they still are not recognized as a segment of the traveling public that deserves equal respect and a standard of care that will assure that they arrive at their destination safely.

The co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, which is one of the nation's premier rehabilitation facilities, wrote a strong editorial in defense of Delta and their work with the Center, and with the disability community overall. While such corporate donations deserve our thanks, that doesn't grant any company the authority to continue the actions that resulted in the DOT fines in this case.

About $750,000 of the fine levied against Delta will find its way to DOT. The rest will be used by the airline to make improvements in its tracking of wheelchairs within their terminals and for other improvements that hopefully will result in better handling of their customers with disabilities.

The Federal Aviation Administration, a division of the DOT, has proved that threatening air carriers with stiff fines in the event of violations can bring about change. As an example, the recent establishment of a $27,000 per-passenger fine for excessive tarmac delays had the immediate result of reducing such delays by about 95% during the year after it was established.

Hopefully the DOT will issue a directive to all air carriers, making it clear that the recent fine against Delta marks the start of stepped-up enforcement of the Air Carrier Access Act. Such vigorous enforcement will help to ensure that people with disabilities are (finally) treated respectfully when it comes to our nation’s transportation by air.

© 2011 Michael Collins

If you think it is necessary to spend big bucks for a vacation to remember, think again. Some of the more exciting adventures of your life may be found within a few hours, or minutes, of home. Flying is the key, and it doesn't always involve commercial airlines.

Virtually every major vacation destination features businesses which offer scenic flights, or more challenging activities, in the air. I've viewed the inside of the crater of Mount St. Helens from a helicopter, and circled Mount Rainier in the front seat of an open-cockpit vintage biplane. It takes two or more husky people to wrestle my 200-pound frame into the passenger seats of more exotic aircraft, but it's definitely worth the struggle.

I’ve been in a two-seater glider circling through desert updrafts, and in a float plane over Puget Sound, and the change in perspectives from those aerial viewpoints is amazing (I do regret skipping the scenic helicopter flights during visits to Phoenix and Las Vegas, but business and blackjack kept me busy). There are other options ahead for me soon; it’s possible to para-sail behind a speedboat and get winched back down to the rear deck without getting wet, hot air balloons look like fun, and a nearby airport advertises flights in an authentic WWII warplane. All I will need is someone to help transfer me, and less than $150.

To find out what flight options might be available, there are several methods that work. Check out the local yellow pages for flying services, or call the manager at the nearest private airport or check out Able Flight. Most businesses involved with flying will know if there are scenic flights available locally, or where the owner of a vintage airplane might be found. The Chamber of Commerce is another good source of information, and if you’re on vacation check out the brochure rack in your hotel’s lobby.

Keep in mind that the Air Carrier Access Act doesn't apply to this type of flight, and call ahead to assure that your situation can be accommodated. Be prepared for a little indignity during the loading process, and wear comfortable clothing. For open cockpit flights, be prepared for cooler air and wind at higher altitudes. If you fear flying, don’t forget ferry rides, river rafting, scenic cruises and sternwheeler trips. All of the above can make any day worth remembering, and adventures don’t need to be expensive to be memorable.

© 2011 Michael Collins

by Michael Collins

Newsflash--Airline passenger warns TSA agent: “Don’t touch my junk!”

What’s the big deal?

I have been getting “groped” by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents since they were first assigned to airports. My friends and I, who have a variety of disabilities, have endured hundreds of undignified full-body searches in the interests of keeping air travel safe. As someone who uses a power wheelchair, travel has never been simple and airport security has always been especially problematic. With that in mind, I don’t understand all of the concern now being expressed by those who have simply been able to walk through metal detectors before grabbing their carry-on bags off the scanner belt and heading for their planes with minimal delays in the past.

Despite numerous requests to do so, I have never walked through a metal detector or removed my belt, coat or shoes. I did remove a wool neck scarf once, for a search in Boston, but when I returned to retrieve it a few minutes later it had disappeared. I avoid the disrobing by explaining that my attendant dresses me in bed each morning before transferring me into my wheelchair. After pondering that, no TSA agents have been willing to put my clothes or other items back on me again, so the hands-on search is their preferred choice.

At first the searches were only a quick pass-over with a hand-held metal-detecting wand. Eventually the agents began to do rubdowns with the backs of their hands, avoiding those “intimate areas.” After a few well-publicized breaches of airport security worldwide, the searches got more complicated. There were plenty of disclaimers of course, asking if I had sensitive areas, and explaining over and over that they would only use the backs of their hands to fondle my “junk.” I guess that backhand method makes it okay, but I wouldn't recommend trying that approach on a first date or in other settings.

No matter how much I lobbied for it, I have never been able to get the agents to throw in a quick massage when their hands were roving over my back and shoulders. I also think there is some money to be made by the first person who mixes in a little shoe polish with the explosive-detecting swabs that they rub over my shoes each trip. Nobody seems interested in either of those options—yet.

I will have to admit that it gives me a type of perverse pleasure when the new agents who are usually assigned to frisk me come across the latex tubing that meanders from my private parts down the outside of my leg and hooks up to the dreaded leg bag and beyond that to the electric leg bag emptier. No, I don’t forewarn them, as that wouldn’t be anywhere near as interesting. I have, however, tried to guess whether they would simply ask what this apparatus was that they were feeling rather than retracing the route and trying to figure it out on their own. The two approaches to solving that mystery are about equally divided so far.

Once the security forces are assured that I am not a rolling explosive device of some type, it is usually the practice to get me approved and out of their area as quickly as possible. It is almost as if they have been caught doing something that they shouldn't have been doing.

I’ve picked up a few tips for reducing the stress of the security processes during the past few years. They may not work for everyone, but they work for me:

1. Don’t get uptight. This is important. It’s likely that the security staff are as intent on doing the right thing as you are and, to top it off, their boss might be watching.

2. If you use a mobility device, know how it works. Be prepared to explain what is located under a particular cover, what that switch operates and what type of batteries it uses (if it has any).

3. When you’re done, say thanks and ask if they have any questions. You might be surprised at the responses you get.

Since it takes me about five times as long to get through security as those who are walking through, I predict plenty of long lines and much frustration in airports across the land during the busy travel season ahead as other travelers are introduced to the joys of frisking. In consideration of that, I’m staying home for the holidays.

© 2010 Michael Collins

It happened again! Returning to my home airport from a weeklong business trip, it appears that somebody moved the elevators. “Impossible” you say? That's what I once thought, but it has happened far too often to be a coincidence or a fluke. I'll grant you that it would be difficult to do, but I think that--at the very least--somebody is moving or hiding the elevator signs to make my life more difficult.

Here's what happened. I'm always the last one off the plane, due to the wait for my electric wheelchair to be brought to the door, and last week was no exception. Almost 30 minutes after the rest of my fellow passengers had headed for the main terminal to gather their baggage from the moving belt, I was finally able to start that trip myself. The big difference was that I did not have a crowd to follow, so was completely on my own except for my attendant who followed along behind me lugging our carry-on bags. He wasn't much use in orienteering, as he was simply following my lead.

There was also a complicating factor this time, as our flight took off and landed at one of the outside remote terminals commonly found in large airports. That required the use of a subterranean computer-controlled train to reach the main terminal and potentially two or three elevator rides to find our baggage. Did I mention that the train was computer-controlled, so no real operator was present to answer questions? It also stopped at two other remote terminals besides the main terminal where baggage could be collected, and these destinations were identified with such explanatory terms as ‘north, south, east or west.’ If you have ever tried to figure out a compass direction while traveling in a circle on an underground train without a compass you know how confusing that can be.

I'm good at directions but, looking at the map on the train, it appeared that baggage could be retrieved at two of the train stops. How was that possible? The train announcement was no help, as this international airport required all announcements to be repeated in about eight languages. I'm sure that English was one of them, but I must have missed it. The end result was that I got off at one of the other remote terminals: at least I think I did.

After finding an elevator and getting up to the main floor, there were signs identifying baggage being available in both directions. We headed right, in the same direction as other travelers who looked tired from a long flight. It was the right choice, but a long walk.

While there might be four escalators serving a particular change in elevation, there is likely only one elevator and it is often placed in a hidden location nowhere near the main route of travel used by the rest of the traveling public. The word ELEVATOR is not always present either, as those signs are being replaced with up and down arrows located in an oblong rectangle. These are very similar to the rectangles used on signs identifying restrooms and baggage, so you need to be alert.

Tucked behind corners, hidden in cul-de-sacs or in cubbyholes, there are few alternatives if an elevator breaks down. It is not easy to overcome the difficulties encountered when confronted with a broken elevator in an airport. On an earlier trip, we had to take another train ride—to a separate remote terminal which had an elevator that could get us off the train level.

On this trip, we encountered two nonfunctioning elevators, rode down on another one that unloaded us into the back room of the customs inspection section and rode up on one with a pushbutton that was marked Baggage. When the elevator door opened we could see the baggage carousels through a window, but the only way to get there was to take an escalator to an upper or lower floor.

We finally retrieved our suitcases about an hour after our flight landed. We did encounter one more problem when the escalator to and from the parking garage was broken down, which required people carrying luggage to their cars to carry it up what amounted to a stairway—or to ride the nearby elevator. Every time the elevator arrived, it was already packed full of weary travelers and their luggage; no room for me and mine.

In retrospect, airport designers should be sentenced to a lifelong ban on riding escalators or using stairways in airports. Perhaps then they would plan for multiple elevators located on the most direct routes, and clearly marked.

A later discussion may concern another pet peeve of mine: those architects who think it’s cute to hide or camouflage the locations of power-assisted door pushbuttons.

© 2010 Michael Collins