Alasdair goes to Seattle, Page 33

I didn't think much of SEATAC when I arrived, but in the light of day on my way out it seemed quite a bit nicer, especially with the record-setting Rutan aircraft Voyager.

[ AC flight from

Toronto ]

When my aircraft arrived at the gate, I couldn't help but laugh at the bleary-eyed passengers arriving from Toronto after being suckered into taking that early direct flight that I had eschewed earlier.

[ Unloading U.S.

Mail ]

One thing I found interesting was that they immediately started unloading a lot of boxes marked as U.S. Mail. This surprises me because that presumably means that the USPS has its own facility in Toronto where they preprocess mail heading to the U.S. I always just figured that Canada Post stuck it on a flight and left them to deal with it when the plane landed.

Some final thoughts from the trip: Vancouver security was the first place I'd ever had anything confiscated from my luggage, but SEATAC was the first place I'd ever been asked to remove my shoes (and I've flown through the U.S. many times since 9/11).

Also, Seattle has the world's longest traffic light cycle times. You can grow old and die before getting a light to change sometimes. I almost started turning the car off to save gas.

And last but not least, if you ever find yourself driving around the Seattle area looking for something do not follow the signs. If it says, for example, to go right at the next corner to get to Interstate 5, don't listen because they are usually taking you on the scenic route, or the route for big trucks. Follow your nose and save 20 minutes of needless detouring. I suspect that's what the locals do anyway. But then, if you know the way, you don't need the signs. Argh.

And that's pretty much it.

Previous | Start | Next