So... there I was at Houston's Intercontinental Airport this morning (I refuse to go by it's official name), my departure for San Francisco delayed for an hour.
The CNN airport edition was droning on about the London bombings, Bush making statements in front of FBI recruits and some Marines, Hurricane Dennis and fortunately no missing white women, when suddenly lights begin to flash and sirens go off.
What happened next is what gave me some pause.
Over the public address comes a somewhat mechanical voice:
"May I have your attention please. A fire emergency has been detected in the building. Please proceed to the nearest fire exit and await instructions. If there is any indication of a fire, please exit the building immediately."
Sirens again. The strobes haven't stopped. Message repeats four more times.
Now in the interim, various travellers are looking around wondering where to go -- spotting the emergency exits (which happen to be next to the bathrooms)... and dutifully, they begin to gather. Presumably to await instructions from airport personnel...
I then begin to scan the crowds for airline personnel, airport crew members, pilots -- even food vendors -- anyone who might be presumed to have authority in such a situation.
Nada. Zip. Not a soul.
Oops... spoke to soon, there's one of those folks driving a cart.... and there they go, like nothing is happening... how about the ticket counter people... no reaction... no one on the phone asking what's going on... ditto with the pilots going in and out of the pilots lounge.
Not a single airport police officer walks past our end of terminal C (near gate 21)... no one from Continental seems the least bit fazed.
I'm not sure whether to be relieved that whatever happened was so minor -- the sirens just stopped with no announcement to return to normal -- or pissed at the nonchalance.
Do we air travellers feel so safe having taken off our shoes? Does IAH have a working disaster plan?
I guess when sh*t happens at an airport named "Bush", we should all expect the usual "what, me worry?" attitude.
Meanwhile, the sirens and message repeats -- as it does for about 30 minutes... barely interupting the flow from CNN airport: London Bombings -- Dead now number 52. Bush reminds us that we still haven't won the "war on terror". Hurricane Dennis didn't make any pretty white women disappear.
They're calling for boarding now... and I'm so glad that transportation is at level orange. </sarcasm>