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Old Dec 28, 2011, 12:14 pm
  #33  
Kiwi Flyer
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
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Posts: 71,422
NEW YORK transit

It was a brisk -1C (30F) so I hurried up the airbridge into the terminal. I didn't have any warm clothes with me, not even a jumper. I may be mad to travel through the Northern Hemisphere winter without any winter wear, but it was a calculated madness. I had, deliberately, no planned overnight stops in cold places. I have 1 transit in a cold place where I knew I'd have to go outside, namely New York JFK, 2 transits in a cold place where I knew I'd not have to go outside, plus a couple more transits in cold places where I may or may not have to go outside depending on arrival and departure gates/stands. When I was packing just before I started the trip I checked the weather forecast and at that stage there didn't appear to be much chance of weather disruptions. So for the sake of a much lighter load to carry I opted to gamble on no cold weather clothes. At the time of writing I don't yet regret that choice.

I was first to immigration and when we arrived at 0600, it was just opening for US citizens and residents and Canadian citizens, but for the visitors (i.e. everyone else) immigration did not open until 0620. Initially there was no one manning the visitor booths and when they did turn up they all spent ages getting settled in (turning computer on, adjusting their seat, etc). Just as well I did reroute my itinerary as there is no way I'd have made the onward flight I'd originally booked after it was retimed.

Once it was my turn I was quickly through. I must have been tired as I forgot you can't just walk anywhere in USA. I was halfway to the next terminal, enjoying the brisk air by walking quickly, when the footpath ran out in a big road with no footpath on the other side. I thought briefly about crossing the road and continuing on the edge of the roadway to the next terminal, but chickened out and trudged back the way I'd come to use the airtrain.

The airtrain was about to pull out when I arrived so I didn't lose much time with the failed walking attempt.
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