My love for single player games continues; this skillset is particularly fruitful in a real-life Person versus Environment (PvE) situation. This morning I arrive at Gatwick Airport knowing I had just one hour to get to the terminal gate.
Navigating major airport terminals during summer holidays is challenging if you don’t anticipate the delays and have a countermeasure in mind. Also, any Network specialist will tell you that the last ‘hop’ is often the most problematic.
Airport terminal log – target Gate arrival time 11:20
10:30 arrive at Gatwick by train 10:40 arrive at terminal monorail shuttle transfer (Primary service) Delay 1 - (Service failure)Terminal train out of service transferred to slow buses. 10:45 arrive at terminal 10:50 Checked-in luggage (I don’t normally do this) 10:55 Arrive at security check Delay 2 - (Slow Service) Carry-on luggage selected for ‘random’ check 11:05 Cleared to proceed to gateway Delay 3 - Gate allocated at 15 mins walk 11:10 Arrive at Gate sweating and panting 11:30 Actually boarding plane Delay 4 - Sitting on runway waiting for flight slot 12:14 Flight actually takes off
Flight departure scheduled for 11:55 and there no compensation or anything I can do about it except bitch and blog.
Hazards and delays avoided
Heavy or cumbersome hand luggage Travel document misplaced Gadgets misplaced Fast steady pace walk pass all NPCs (In real life - families, groups,tourists, airport staff walking the opposite way and folk who arrived early) Shopping queues No window shopping No phone calls No App checking No SMS or VoIP No other players ...single player runs are definitely faster
Mission accomplished – Side effects
Elevated blood pressure Massive adrenaline surge No time to think No last minute detours Hight chance of verbal conflict
Countermeasure
Arrive 2 hours ahead of time. (Problem: 4 out 5 EasyJet flights delayed)
Chaos can raise its head rapidly. Are you prepared?
Winter version is similar with the added bonus of being able to use your coat to conceal a second carry-on bag avoiding the additional fee….whoops, did I say that out loud.