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Carpet in Airports. WHY?!

Carpet in Airports. WHY?!

Old Feb 22, 2017, 3:12 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by OskiBear
It's interesting how flooring surfaces are different in different parts of the world. The US seems to use a lot of terrazo for hard surfaces or industrial carpet.

I rarely see terrazo elsewhere in the world. It seems common in many places to use tiles of some sort. I find that even more obnoxious than carpet when using wheeled luggage - the constant "thunk, thunk" when going across grout lines magnified by thousands of travelers!
I like terrazzo It's durable, doesn't have the grout lines of traditional tile (I also hate the thunk-thunk of wheels going over grout lines), and you can make endless patterns and designs. Probably easy to clean, also.

My only problem with carpet is when they don't clean it frequently enough. I've been in airports which have suffered leaks or high humidity issues and you can smell the carpets. If the carpets are cleaned regularly and airport conditions well-maintained, generally dont' have an issue with it, although it can look bad when heavily worn.
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 3:48 pm
  #17  
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I like carpet, solely for the noise reduction. I know there are other ways to control noise, but airports don't always employ them. A carpeted airport is generally a quieter one.

It's always industrial carpet. It's not like you're dragging your bag through the 2nd cut of rough at the US Open or anything.

In my house, I prefer hardwood floors with rugs and wall coverings to manage the noise. But in airports...I'll take the carpet any day.
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 3:57 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by pinniped
In my house, I prefer hardwood floors with rugs and wall coverings to manage the noise. But in airports...I'll take the carpet any day.
They could install curtains ...
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 4:03 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by WorldLux
They could install curtains ...
Then we'd need a 1,000-post thread about whether the window-seat occupants control the curtains.
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 4:03 pm
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Carpets are breeding grounds for filth and are rarely cleaned properly.

I despise them.
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 4:04 pm
  #21  
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Cool

Originally Posted by WorldLux
They could install curtains ...
Only if the drapes match the carpet.
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 4:47 pm
  #22  
 
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COPENHAGEN. Nice clean laminate IKEA-type floors. No drag on the luggage.
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 7:48 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by WhatTheMiguel
Okay, this is going to be a (probably ridiculous) rant, so here is the quick version:
Yup.

Originally Posted by WhatTheMiguel
tl;dr - Carpet is not ideal for rolling suitcases. Airports are full of rolling suitcases. Why in the world would you put carpet in Airports?
The phrase that comes to mind here is "operator error". I've had a wide variety of rolling luggage over the past 40+ years and never once have I had trouble with pulling/pushing it across carpet. If you want a rant, let's talk about the hellish pebbled walkways in at YVR and a few other airports.

Originally Posted by WhatTheMiguel
As anyone who travels with a carryon must know, carpet + luggage wheels = UGH! I have never understood why airports insist on using carpet in the airport. It NEVER looks nice (as it only takes about 32 seconds to go from 'freshly installed' to 'the most unsanitary surface known to man'), it must be expensive to maintain, and it absolutely SUCKS for wheeled bags.
I find carpeted airports quieter and less stressful than one with hard surface floors.

Originally Posted by WhatTheMiguel
I know, some of you are going to say 'try a different bag', but I have tried many, and it's the same story every time. Carpet slows you down and makes pulling a bag worse. Of all the things to complain about, this is obviously ridiculous. I get that, but I just can't understand why it even needs to be a thing. Like for real. Why?
Noise. Safety. Visual appeal. General design perception that a carpeted environment is "nicer" than slick, bare floors - think bus terminal versus luxury hotel lobby. Easier on the body if you're standing for a long period of time. Slows down people who shove their way through crowds without regard for others.
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 8:59 pm
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by nmh1204
on the BBC's City in the Sky, they did a piece on the design of airports, and one focus was carpets at ATL i think. The guy said that it helps to differentiate zones, and people feel better with carpet
From that episode, the floor covering was used to control traffic moving through the terminal. Don't let them stop til they reach their gate area, which was carpeted. It was an interesting show, the baggage handling in Dubai was wild.
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Old Feb 22, 2017, 11:13 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by pinniped
Then we'd need a 1,000-post thread about whether the window-seat occupants control the curtains.
Hahahahahahaha! For sure!

Originally Posted by gobluetwo
My only problem with carpet is when they don't clean it frequently enough. I've been in airports which have suffered leaks or high humidity issues and you can smell the carpets. If the carpets are cleaned regularly and airport conditions well-maintained, generally dont' have an issue with it, although it can look bad when heavily worn.
Agree about the lack of cleanliness. Add that to my list of why I hate carpets in airports.

Originally Posted by mapleg
Carpets are breeding grounds for filth and are rarely cleaned properly.

I despise them.
Yup!

Originally Posted by CDTraveler
The phrase that comes to mind here is "operator error". I've had a wide variety of rolling luggage over the past 40+ years and never once have I had trouble with pulling/pushing it across carpet. If you want a rant, let's talk about the hellish pebbled walkways in at YVR and a few other airports.
Like I said, I know this was a ridiculous rant, but I can't imagine I am the only one who has noticed that carpet causes more friction than hard flooring for rolling bags (especially 4 wheeled ones). While you may have no issue pulling a bag on carpet, I hate it (mostly because there is a noticeable difference from hard flooring). Also, as you know, not all carpet is created equally. While some is barely different from hard flooring (yeah!), some is more 'plush' or worn than others making it more burdensome (boo!).

I definitely agree about the hellish pebbled (or tiled with 3D patterns or bumps on them) walkways. One that always baffled me was at MSY. In the terminal, the floors are had and smooth, but in Baggage Claim, for some bizarre reason, they use this textured pattern of raised bubbles on the floors. Drives me insane!

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the feedback!
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Old Feb 23, 2017, 7:26 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by ACYYZ/SD
COPENHAGEN. Nice clean laminate IKEA-type floors. No drag on the luggage.
Yes! I've connected through there a couple times and love the look of that airport. ^

Plus the added bonus: when they need to add a whole new terminal, it just takes 2 guys and an Allen wrench. @:-)
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Old Feb 23, 2017, 12:31 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by AVIATORPJ
Singapore Changi has lovely carpets and even better travellators, (walkways) alongside the carpet.... so you can choose, ...and this does help and explain why Changi standsout.
It really works when an airport like Changi is diligent about cleaning and maintaining the carpet. It doesn't work, I would say, given any typical US airport's level of diligence. In that case it rapidly turns into threadbare ugly bald and discolored patches throughout the concourse.
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Old Feb 23, 2017, 4:00 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by Low Roller
If you want a conspiracy theory, I'd blame the lawyers. They probably pointed out that carpet means less possibility of slip and fall accidents on wet surfaces, less possibility of shattered glass when someone drops something, etc...in general reduced liability.
I always assumed that that was the main reason, and I'm not
all that paranoid.
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Old Feb 23, 2017, 6:45 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by violist
I always assumed that that was the main reason, and I'm not
all that paranoid.
I guess you could frame the same arguments in terms of increased safety, instead of decreased liability, to sound a little less calculating. It's a bit more warm and fuzzy that way (not unlike carpet itself).
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Old Feb 23, 2017, 6:52 pm
  #30  
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If it's a main walkway, carpet is usually annoying. For seating areas, I think it's appropriate and fine.
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