I’ve often complained about the Philadelphia airport. It was designed for air travelers of a different age, and for far fewer of them — maybe a third of the people who use it now. The path that an international traveler must take to get from customs to security, then to the gate, is labyrinthine and poorly ventilated. Lines were long, and the staff tended to be gruff or just glum. You have to pay to use a luggage cart, but can’t take it very far before stairs or an escalator force you to abandon it. Some moving sidewalks exist, but there aren’t enough of them. The free wi-fi cheerfully touted on posters everywhere never actually worked. Many a layover was spent eating the overpriced food at the food court, using one of very few power outlets to charge my laptop, while repeatedly trying and failing to send a single e-mail message. Other passengers, I found, shared my frustration.
A lot has changed in recent years
I’m happy to say that a lot has changed. Since Terminal F was added a few years ago, it’s been used for a lot of connecting flights. Instead of walking from A to F though the whole airport, passengers now get on a shuttle bus. Those of us at the B and C gates finally have enough space once again, and the indoor climate is fine.
Power outlets have been added and are now easy to find. The airport has upgraded its wi-fi, which works very well now. Similar gains are experienced in the customs area — the usual post-9/11 wait of 15–30 minutes has been reduced to about five (for US citizens, at least). But the biggest change is one I’ve noticed at other airports as well.
The fear and suspicion are gone
Despite warnings from the military industrial complex about the terrorist potential of the Islamic State, people are finally putting 9/11 behind them. This started among the customs officers, who a few years ago began to smile again. On my trip last month — a few days on either side of September 11 — the officer granting me entry did his job thoroughly, asking the right questions and looking through the information they had stored on me, but he was laughing and joking as well, and wished me a great stay. I saw from the interactions other customs officers were having with travelers that mine wasn’t the only one in a good mood.
Next is the airline staff, who have, since 9/11, gone through various pay cuts and restructuring and have had to deal with unruly passengers on a daily basis. But do you know what? They’re friendly now, too. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was treated as a person and not as yet another item on their list to be dealt with.
This could be the temporary result of the ongoing merger between US Airways and American Airlines, I thought. The staff may have undergone some training, telling them to be nice to us. But they were friendly and relaxed around each other, too, not looking tired and overworked, as I had come to expect.
Finally a regular person again
The security staff is still strict, and rightly so, but even there, once you’re through the line, putting your shoes back on, they might smile at you and wish you a good day. By default, you are now suspected of being a regular person, not a criminal.
Among the passengers, there has been a noticeable improvement as well. On the planes, people smiled and stepped aside if they were blocking the aisle. They struck up conversations with strangers while waiting to use the lavatory. They respected each other’s personal space, even if there was very little of it.
In summary, things are finally getting back to normal. This is the way I like to see my country operating.
9/11 left the United States with a lot of unpleasant consequences. Our government spies on its citizens. People can be arrested and held indefinitely without a trial. You may be asked to prove you’re a US resident even if you’re well inside the country. Wars can now be started without any evidence whatsoever. The police are militarized, and any danger can be turned into a threat. But in everyday situations, people are tired of the threats and heightened security. They want to live their lives and be treated with respect.
I’ve had various opportunities to speak to groups of college students about history and politics in recent years. There’s one question they ask more than any other: “What really happened on 9/11?” I refer them to my answer here. They were kids at the time. They are learning about it as history. As with any history, we must put it behind us and learn the lessons it has to offer.
