Travel Writing

A piece from my travel writing portfolio. Try not to judge too much... its still needs some work. On the bright side... almost done!

Heathrow Airport

I stared at the ticket machine. It stared back at me just the same. We had a mutual understanding, I believe. There was supposed to be an exchange of sorts. However, I found myself feeling annoyed at having this forced encounter. So we meet again, I thought.

Since my arrival in Heathrow, I had only experienced two brief human interactions.  One had been from the tight-lipped flight attendant who expressed a flat “thank you” as I exited the plane, the other from a man at customs who proceeded to interrogate me about my intentions for traveling to Cambridge. While those encounters wouldn’t typically make anyone happy, I felt the sides of my lips curve up into a smile as I walked away from the indifferent and ill-tempered individuals.

So why did I respond this way? What could possibly possess a person to respond positively to the stressed flight attendant, or the militarily strict customs officer? My answer is simple. Despite their reactions, they remind me that there still can be human interaction in travel.

As I strode through the Heathrow terminal, all I could see were flashing electronic signs, automated messages, escalators, elevators, and signs to trains and tubes. As efficient as technology is, it is replacing a meaningful part of travel: communication. In the 21^st century, technology allows us to travel from point A to B without verbalizing a single word. Our mouths can stay shut, our eyes glued to the floor, and we can pass by without even acknowledging others. In fact, if you do make conversation with a random stranger, you will undoubtedly be met with a quizzical look.

This social decline results from society’s insistence that convenience and efficiency are far more important than social interchange. We lead busy lives; we have no time for trivial small talk. Furthermore, we often cringe at the term “customer service,” associating it with hostile encounters, or even worse, encounters that suck precious minutes out of our hectic schedule. To avoid these unpleasant occurrences, we have simply replaced people with machines. This was never clearer to me than when I arrived in Heathrow.  I was aided by many forms of technology that directed me where to go, but never by a human being.

So, by the time I came to the ticket station to get a ticket for the Heathrow Connect—the train that would take me to my next expedition—I was craving human contact. So much so, that I looked around the terminal, my eyes searching for a station clerk. Instead, I beheld an army of machines, perfectly in line, standing ready at attention. However, the neat regiments and lines did not impress me. Sarcastically, I asked the machine, “How are you doing?” I was met with a hollow silence. The machine did not laugh, did not smile, did not give me a sour look. It simply gave me a ticket once I fed it the money it desired; then allowed me to continue on my way.