May 23, 2004
Charles de Gaulle revisited
Remember, back in November, when we bitched and complained about Charles de Gaulle airport?
I had to go through CdG again only two weeks ago -- the fare was just so much cheaper than flying through Frankfurt. It hadn't improved one bit and I nearly missed my connection because of the endless bus rides they make you take between terminals. The terminals I used were B and E. Little did I know that I was actually lucky not to have the roof falling down on me.
We'll probably just not use this airport ever again.
Posted by claudia at May 23, 2004 02:01 PMDear Claudia and Doug:
It is beginning to look like they might have to now tear down the whole damned terminal. What a shocker, and 900m Euros gone to waste.
(Let me also add, as I do from time to time, how very much I enjoy what the two of you write and post here...on whatever subject moves your hearts and fingers to type).
Thanks, and Best Wishes,
Traveller
Posted by: Traveller at May 24, 2004 11:02 PMThe preliminary assessment seems to be "maybe the design was a little too innovative".
I'd be looking for cut corners in the construction, myself. I know this is completely subjective, but CDG /looks/ like an attractor for cost overruns and shoddy work.
Oh, and: in our review of CDG, we noted that there was no place to change a diaper, anywhere.
It seems we were wrong. There is. However...
[Long quote follows]
"There is no place to sit and feed an infant. There is no place to change a diaper. ( Yes, I know.....one of the largest international airports in the world, but they've never heard of a diaper changing station.) It may sound unbelievable, and it was. Surely there had to be a place to change a diaper in such a huge airport. I searched for an hour before finally asking someone at a help desk. I was informed quite rudely that there was no specific place to change my child, but I was free to do so wherever I chose...
"After convincing myself there had to be a decent option in changing my baby, I found a sign that said 'Children's Play Area'. Surely if there was one place to change a diaper, it had to be located there. The Children's Area is located upstairs, and visible from all parts of the airport. From down below it looked like an oasis in the desert... a beautiful place with slides and swings.... if only you can find how to get up there.
"After searching for 45 minutes trying to figure out how to access the second level, I found it. Yep, you guessed it... the perfect place for kids was up 3 flights of stairs. Nobody on the design team for this airport stopped and considered that people traveling with small children would be using strollers. No elevator was ever placed to access the area. I had to take my infant from his stroller in one arm, and drag the stroller up the stairs with the other.
"To my horror, there were no children in the play zone. The beautiful area I had pictured in my mind had become the hideous reality that it truly was. It was a place adults went to sleep on the children's equipment, and a place where people could use drugs without being bothered. There were about 15 people sleeping on the play equipment...
"But then... a ray of hope...
"THE BATHROOM HAD THE UNIVERSAL SIGN FOR "DIAPER STATION"!!! You know the one.. the little stick figure woman bending over to change the diaper on her stick figure infant... at last!!!! I quickly entered the room, only to see a toilet, a sink, and a small space next to the sink where you could change your child.
"I set the diaper bag by the sink, only to discover the cruelest thing I'd seen yet. As soon as I set the diaper bag down, I was startled by a large blowing sound. That's right... some moron decided to place a sensor-activated hand dryer directly over the place where you are expected to change your baby. If anyone attempts to lay their infant on the table, the dryer will activate, scalding the baby's face with high-pressure heated air in the process.
"Finally, I sat on the disgusting floor, and changed my son in my lap. Vowing that as soon as I had the chance, I'd let the world know how screwed up Charles De Gaulle airport is, and give my travel agent a piece of my mind."
From epinions.
So, there is one. But there's only one, and you have to climb two flights of stairs, and sidle past a crowd of the sorts of people who sleep on children's play equipment, and then... it's unusable.
Yeah, that goes beyond simple incompetence.
Doug M.