An unattended bag prompted the partial evacuation of LAX today. The bag, sitting next to a Tom Bradley International Terminal ticketing counter, was emitting an alarm sound. The bomb squad was called and it was later determined the sound was coming from a megaphone. Meanwhile, the police moved 500 people out of the terminal and into the street. It was a total mess and surface transportation ground to a halt.
As a chauffeur this highlights the importance of arriving early. The most important element of an airport arrival is being on location when your client enters baggage claim. The client is tired and hungry and wants to get home as quickly as possible. A security alert is a legitimate excuse, but the client will still hold your tardiness against you. It’s totally unfair, but regular car service clients are extremely jaded and rarely give chauffeurs a second chance. First impressions are everything. In a situation like this, even if you have to park in a different part of the airport and walk over to the correct terminal, it would be worthwhile.
As an operator, this highlights the need for reliable farm-outs. It’s foolish to operate as an island. Your fellow operators may be competitors, but everyone has emergencies. It’s important to get some help and expand your pool of available drivers. Joining your local association is the best way to accomplish this goal.
We presently are a very closed society and feel we need no one. In the old days we had many friends and family to rely on in case of emergencies. Small businesses functioned basically in the same manner. Our present society is very closed and getting worse, and modern day businesses seem to be following suit. They should make it a point to know their business rivals as friends rather than competitors. The time might come when an emergency will arise and they’ll be confident that a fellow competitor will be on hand to give them the needed assistance.