Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Where in the world am I? (14)

Or, rather, where in the world was I?

I have just returned from 'the other place' - the second city of the country in which I now live, and the source of a bitter sibling rivalry with my home city.

They like to think that they are a richer, cleaner, more modern, more 'international' city than we are - and, in most respects, they are quite correct.

However, they do have probably The Worst Taxi Queue In The World at the airport. There is but a single 'snake' polished chrome queueing barrier, which doubles back on itself a good 5 or 6 times, and each stretch of which is around 100 yards long; and this seemingly interminable line creeps agonisingly slowly towards just a few pick-up points. And even this enormous 'snake' cannot contain the vast influx of passengers from domestic and overseas flights - often the line stretches in a disordered mass for hundreds of yards further down the front of the airport. It can take upwards of an hour to get a cab.

Not very efficient. Not very 'modern' or 'international'. Don't get me started.

I'm not a great fan of 'the other place' - it's so far up its own arse, it hasn't seen daylight for years.

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