The Grays (well two of them) have landed

Sunday 23rd / Monday 24th June

We set out for the airport at 05.00 UK time. I’m not going to go through all the details of flights etc. as that would be boring though they were all on time which was a bonus.

The way our travel agent had found flights to suit Tom and I meant we went via Atlanta. A glance at a map will show you that Atlanta is several hundred miles south of Charlotte NC (our final destination airport.) So it was quite depressing to see on the plane’s flight tracker screen that we flew over Charlotte only to fly back to it later.

Atlanta is a major “hub” airport. To get from the international terminal to the relevant internal flight terminal means getting on an underground railway that connects the terminals. But despite its size it was very efficient. From getting off the plane, clearing Homeland security to collecting our bags took about 20 minutes. Clearing security is quite scary (or maybe I just have a guilty conscience!)

In the words of the stewardess on the plane “They don’t have a sense of humour so don’t make jokes” and she was right. The officer I dealt with was efficient in a Herr Flick kind of way. (Come to think of it he looked like Herr Flick – but I wasn’t going to point that out.) “Where are you going after Atlanta?" (Despite the customs card giving an address.) “When did you last visit the USA?” (Despite my passport showing a date stamp.) “What is the purpose of your visit?” “Are you working here?” (I truthfully answered ‘No’ as I don’t work!) I was starting to get twitchy. But then when he took my finger prints and a photograph I knew I was in.

Unlike say Heathrow, there are plenty of airport staff on hand to explain which terminal to go to next, how to check in bags once again and so on. All were friendly and courteous and everyone was African American. In fact many of the customer service staff in the airport shops, bars and cafes were African American. In the McDonalds we used (yes I know, but I promise that is the first and last time) all the staff (at least a dozen) were all African American.

In contrast, the vast majority of airline staff I saw (and I think the terminal we were in was exclusively for Delta airlines) were white whether pilots (queuing at McDonalds – so given the choice pilots refuse airline food too) or cabin crew or check in desk staff.

According to http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/1304000.html in 2012 the population of Atlanta as estimated at 443,775. With 54% of these being “Black persons” (the term used by the US Census.)

I couldn’t help but feel that there is still a divide in society in Atlanta (at least in the airport) where the great majority of those in the service industry were black and the great majority of professionals were white.

Now this may not be a statistically valid sample and in fact may well be a distortion. But that is my perception. And this is my blog so there!

Thanks to jet lag having gone to bed at around 8pm I then woke at 4.30am. So today has been a bit fuzzy round the edges. But it was good to meet many of the staff at Fairview today and see the impressive set up. I’ll have plenty to interest me I’m sure.

Finally having pulled into a petrol station / come grocery store this afternoon for some supplies (beer if truth be told) I was surprised to see that the store operated a “Challenge 40” policy. In other words if they thought you were under 40 they’d ask for ID. The guy behind the cash desk said to me “Would you like me to ask you for some ID?” which was a polite way of saying “You look well past 40 pal.” But nevertheless I said “Yes please and produced my British photo ID driving licence. He was confused by the date format but eventually figured out I’m almost 50.

“So you guys are British right? Do you like Top Gear?”