Sitting at the Information desk at the Tulsa airport is not only very rewarding, it is also fun at times. Wellsir, most of the time. And, if you can get away from your desk, you can go get free coffee. There are people who think I can subsist on coffee but that is not entirely true. OK, close but no cigar.  Anyway, before you interrupted me, one gets to meet many different people from many different places. Those who have problems and ask questions are grateful there is a solution to their problem. Yes, there are those who do not want your help when asked. It must be a “Don’t bother me, I know everything,” syndrome.
It is interesting to wait as people enter the door with multiple bags to see if they have that glazed look on their face. Those who do usually are grateful when asked if they need directions. Let me insert here that the Tulsa airport has undergone extensive remodeling and now, on the outside, all parking and rental car areas are a lottery each day. There are many ways to get confused if you enter thinking it all looks square and normal. When it is finished it probably will be but now, not so much.
As I was saying, I look at people as they come through the door. In most cases it is not hard to spot those who have not been there before. Even some who have been there before find it is not as they expected. Unless someone is going very fast and in a determined manner I ask if they need some help. Just seeing their body language when they relax and (usually) smile and ask their question. It appears that for most Americans it is difficult to ask for help or directions. My partner and I are sitting behind a large, curved desk with INFORMATION in very large letters on the wall above us. We have on black trousers, or skirt, and bright red jackets. One should get a clue from that. Oh, my partner is the one who sometimes wears a skirt, I almost never do.
Last Thursday I had a good “batting average.” I offered help to many people and was turned down only twice. I count one as a failure as he snarled at me that he didn’t need help. He was rushing very fast and obviously had not checked in as yet. The other one thanked me but said something nice and meandered off apparently with plenty of time to spare. But the best ones of the day just “made my day.”
One very young pretty lady with Oriental features tried to speak to me. I had to walk and stand as close as possible, lean forward and point to the hearing-aid in my ear. She then spoke in an almost loud enough voice for me to understand as I was also trying to read her lips. I was able to communicate directions to her and she lit up as though she had received a Christmas present. She could not have felt any better about it than I did.
Later a very well dressed lady, not in typical “tourist clothes” stopped at the end of the desk and made eye contact. I knew this was going to be difficult. She asked me, “Donde?” and tapped her carry-on bag. I know donde is Spanish for where and tapping her bag, to me, meant she wanted her luggage, So, I asked, “Luggage?” and tapped her bad. Nada. So we tried several things. I tried “Que... and made an airplane, I thought. Nada. We were both stressed way more than we should have been. Then, being brilliant, I rubbed both thumbs against my fingers and she looked like “Yes”(or maybe “Si” in this case). She showed me her luggage tags but they had no airline on them. Then she lit up and dug out a paper that was so faded my old eyes couldn’t read it.
Bingo! She found Southwest on the paper and we were successful. Thank Goodness as she was somehow in the farthest end of the airport from Southwest Airlines. My belief is she was looking for the Southwest carrousel and had no one who could help her. Quickly I looked at my screen and found she need to go to the other end and find “cuatro,” which to you is number four. Yes, I held up four fingers. Before she left I tried to have her say “Southwest” but she couldn’t manage it. That one incident was worth me giving up all four hours of my life.
But paybacks are sometimes good. After my volunteer shift Friday, I loaded a heavy item from a cart into my car trunk and had two more in a basket. A young man, who was sitting in a pickup truck, jumped out and asked me if I wanted him to load those heavy items. I told him they didn’t weigh but half of the other one. He loaded them anyway. Sometimes life is just good.
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