I've ranted before about it, but nothing's changed.

How can America claim to be in the first world, when they don't even have internet at their biggest airports? JFK? Nope. Charlotte? Nah. Atlanta? Definitely not.

I get off the plane in Gatwick and it's like I'm back in civilisation. Next to payphones are internet booths. Further along, an internet cafe.

The easy everything on 42nd st. in NYC is quite simply the worst internet cafe in the world. I've had to readjust to liking Easy everything now I'm back in Bonnie Britain.

So... why is this? Why this propensity to ignoring the current state of world communications?

[ 03-13-2004, 06:33 AM: Message edited by: Yorick ]

Internet cafe?

Well for me, when I'm out I tend to want to interact with people not a computer. When I think of spending time at a cafe I think of live entertainment, poetry or music.

When I'm travelling (at the airport), and need internet access I use my laptop, there are phones with data lines or more often I use my cell.

Never had any interest in internet cafe's, perhaps I'm not alone? If that's the case then they aren't around because of lack of market.

These airports are private enterprises, they can install internet access systems into their communications block at their liesure. Really, their main problem has always been hijackings. Cargo moving around the airport and out has always been the target of gangsters ever since Idlewild Golf Course became Idlewild Airport (later Kennedy) and so, I doubt building a 20-50 grand internet access center would be such a good thing, especially with the fiber-optic cables that need to be layed down. The crooks will come and just rip the damn cable out of the wall and sell it back to them, and just pick up the computers and walk away with them. They've already got the guys in the security offices to doctor up the tapes or whatever, so the cameras are useless. It's simple, the guy watching through the Eye in the Sky is either indebted to the 'jackers, in business, or doesn't want to get himself killed for getting in the way. If you're not on the take, someone else is, and these people do talk to one another.

Good Golly! Never visit Kentucky while in the United States, Yorick! You'd die, it's so primative! We don't have public water or sewage systems here...and...dare I say it...most of us still use dial up here in eastern Kentucky! AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Come on, now...we're not sooo uncivilized! And, remember, stuff like that takes demand, and as many people as there are in the US JUST discovering the internet, the demand is not there in large enough percentages (what the corp types generally look at) to genuinely care!

Who's paranoid here!?

What I think is sad, is that people have such a dependance on internet they require it at an airport, but thats just my opinion

I think Yorick had his tongue placed somewhat precariously close to his cheek when he started this thread. Still, I know what he means, it can be frustrating when you are travelling via long-haul air flights and want to keep up to date with your friends, family and business associates via email, but can't due to a lack of equipment at airports. Widespread internet access is pretty standard in most technologically advanced cities in the world. So I feel Yorick's pain when he expects to be able to drop a quick email between flights, but finds that there isn't a net-connected public computer in sight.

However, maybe we're just spoiled. I know that instant telecommunications have become a huge part of my life over the last 8 years or so, to the point where I have built my lifestyle on the assumption that I will have access to them whenever I want. If I were to permanently lose my net access and cellphone I would have to totally restructure my daily life in order to cope with the loss of communication convenience. But that's just the way technology works. You can depend upon so much that it becomes an extension of your own body, but when that is the case, if it craps out, you can end up feeling like you've lost a large chunk of yourself. Best to keep grounded and not rely TOO much on your tools.

More than usefull for people to get in touch with you when on buisness. They dont know your hotel phone number but they can still leave messages for you. A great tool is the internet for traveling. And where Yahoo or Hotmail really come into play. And I'm guessing here that Yorick is spending some time on work rather than just the pub (could be wrong though) [img]tongue.gif[/img]


LOL :D

[ 03-14-2004, 02:41 AM: Message edited by: wellard ]

I like to white cranberry juice mixed with my stolichnya and a squirt of rasberry liqueor.

Rasberry Sour is my first world hammer time.

Having internet access at an airport is immensely useful! I've used it at Gatwick (where there is really good internet access) when flights have been delayed, to let people meeting me know I was going to be late - saves them going to the airport and waiting around.

Also airports are incredibly boring places to spend a couple of hours - using the internet there, it's not a question of wasting time while you could be doing something better with your life - it's a case of looked round all the duty free shops and still got 1 and 3/4 hours to kill - it's either sit and watch the departure screens or log on to the internet - I know which I'd prefer!

Could there be dangers associated with free internet at the airport? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

Regardless, Ilander, I commend your post, and Yorick, how fast exactly do you expect full integrated online to happen? Did you happen to go to a phone booth (with an internet hookup, I note) in the airport, and try to dial in? This worked for me before.

Damn Euros. So accustomed to socialism they want free shit everywhere. In this country, we pay for it, you know. Try jacking into a phone booth. No money? Tough titty, buddy. That's the American way. Don't like it. Go home, where the socialist gummint provides everything and taxes 17% on goods to pay for it.

[ 03-15-2004, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

<font color=deepskyblue> Strewth Timber, I agree that USA government is socialist to a small degree but which Euro govt is so socialist that it has free internet? ;) IIRC they are pay per hour cafe's. And just so you can put things into perspective Yorick, Kingsford Smith airport in ol' Sydney town did not have one last time I checked [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img] </font>

Yeah, to back Wellard up, no one said anything about free internet, just access to it. I'm more than willing to pay $1 per half-hour for internet access, and have done on many occasion when I'm out-of-town.

[ 03-15-2004, 04:36 AM: Message edited by: The Hierophant ]

Well not to go T.O.T. and the non-existant free internet aside, how is being slightly less socialist somehow make us *so* much better? Sheesh an American bitching about Euro socialism- it's like the 1.75 quart kettle calling the 2 quart pot black.

At the least the Euros (in a general sense & afaik) seem to keep their government cheese in the realm of the secular, rather than funding religious endeavors, not to mention U.S. government funded moralistic puritanical nanny-ism.

Anyway, I think the Atlanta airport has a net-kiosks.

[ 03-15-2004, 04:38 AM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

You must mean another Europe as we pay for our shit over here. :D

17.5% actually!

Hm... Yorick, for the record, though JFK might not have Internet kiosks, Newark, New Jersey does, if memory serves.
Just thought I'd throw it out there.

Okay, guys, back off. I wasn't aiming at seriousness there. Obviously I missed the mark -- blame the bourbon.

I will note that in Chicago I've found that most of the downtown McD's and Starbucks have no internet access ports -- because they have active free wireless systems. Take your laptop in there and turn it on, and it says, "Network Located." Erm... or so I hear. I don't visit either store that much.

If I want to check my email while travelling I just consult my Blackberry. [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img]

Have you seen Stelios's newest venture - it's called "easymusic" and will provide cheap music downloands from the net

Easymusic

:D

[ 03-15-2004, 11:26 AM: Message edited by: Donut ]

My tongue certainly was in my cheek, but many a true word is said in jest. ;)

The fact is there IS a HUGE market for internet cafes, as the abundance of them throughout Europe, Australia and even Asia attests.

I am in one now.

But that point is missed by America. The 42nd street easy everything is the only one in the world that isn't 24 hours, and the service staff are quite plainly rude and insulting.

As to airports, they've become necessity due to communications now. Thanksfully Gatwick had one, and I was able to check a mail that had been sent while I was in the air, that had vital adresses and phone numbers. I rented a phone, and sent an email with the phone number to relevent persons, one of whom called me within 2 minutes of the email, with directions and an offer of a coat - due to Delta losing my luggage.

At any American airport this would have been impossible. No rented phone, no internet, no way around the situation.

Additionally, the double charging US phone companies do is criminal. They charge for INCOMING CALLS would you believe?

How many other countries charge for incomings? Most I've been in only charge for outgoings.

And Oblivion you're way off the mark, as usual [img]tongue.gif[/img] As I said, they're all throughout the world. Terrorism targetry simply isn't an issue re. internet availability.

So anyway... we have to take these opportunities when they arise. It's not all the time we can point out when America is BEHIND the world.

Although I could point out metric/imperial etc but that would be mean. :D :D :D

Sorry you lost your luggage, Yorick.

From several airports in the US, I have always been able to find a phone that had a jack for my phone line. I carry my laptop and a phone cord with it -- just plug in and dial my nearest AOL number. Never been a limiting factor for me from any US Airport, incl. Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Ft. Laud., Midway, O'Hare, Manchester, St. Louis -- erm... the list goes on of course.

But losing luggage SUCKS! Best of luck getting it back. I lost mine last time I went to FL.

Here's a rule for you guys -- if your bag is too big to fit in the overhead (or if for any other reason) and they offer to "check" it for you there on the jetway -- it AIN'T making it to the belly of the plane. No way, no how. Every time this has happened to me, the luggage showed up the next morning. Be forewarned.

Can somebody direct me to the second and fourth worlds, by the way?

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#00FF00">Try like $5, if you want to use these services you need to pay for them.</font>

[ 03-16-2004, 11:27 AM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

No doubt. I spent like £4 switching a flight to Spain while I was at a youth hostel in London. Talk about pricy. [img]smile.gif[/img]

How about any given American ghetto for the second, and the last vestiges of tribal societies for the fourth?

These expressions were coined during the Cold War, obviously by someone in the West, and are as followed:

</font>

• 1st World: US and it's allies; NATO basically.</font>
• 2nd World: The Soviet Union, Cuba, The Warsaw Pact etc.</font>
• 3rd World: Countries not allied with either of the 'orlds' mentioned above. Interresting enough, my own country, Sweden, was technically a 3rd orld country. The more modern interpretation of 3rd world is the one we know it as; impoverized countries.</font>
• 4th World: People without a nation to call their own. Often native population in several countries.</font>

THanks for the info, Stratos

How about any given American ghetto for the second, and the last vestiges of tribal societies for the fourth? </font>[/QUOTE]I have lived in an American ghetto called the Bronx. It was still first world as it had running water, electricity and other things many in the first world take for granted.

South Bronx to be more precise. Heard the odd gunshot ring out.