I am still amazed at how dysfunctional the new Birmingham airport actually is. I waited, anxiously, for the new terminal to open in expectation of a congruent travel experience. You see, when you know the TSA, counter and gate agents by name you know you spend too much time at the airport. I expected to see a fly by lane for frequent travelers. I expected to see the parking problems solved. I expected and I was wrong.
Following the horrific accident which killed a child due to negligence I was even more surprised to hear a sink had fallen out of its basin. (You never heard about this? It was told to me by airport employees.) Really? What if someone had been in its path as it fell? Do we spend over millions of dollars for lack of conscience? Did the contractors not check their work or was the city in such a hurry to open that the little things were overlooked? (Please remember it is always the little things that mean everything.). Which was it?
The city of Birmingham and the airport need to begin being accountable. They can start with the parking. My husband owns a Ford F-150 truck. He travels as much as I do and is a frequent flier and a frequent visitor to the Birmingham airport. Finding parking is near to impossible in the OVERSIZED parking ONLY lot. Why? It is the closest area to the gates and every Prius and other small car is finding their space there. These selfish drivers do not understand that the oversized vehicles cannot find just ANY spot, they NEED to park in these spots. There is a reason they are marked as OVERSIZED VEHICLES ONLY. (Obviously these small car drivers show their ignorance by their inability to read.) Large trucks and SUVs cannot access the parking on higher levels due to the height of their vehicles. On our last trip out there were over 53 small cars in the oversized lot. There were no spaces for the vehicles meant to park there. We have been told it is the Birmingham Police Department’s responsibility to ticket the cars.
This is only a part of my frustration as NO ONE wants to be accountable for the parking fiasco. We have spoken with the parking controllers who have told us it is the responsibility of the Birmingham police. We have spoke with the Birmingham police who have told us it is the airport’s responsibility. We have voiced our concerns, as I am sure many others have, and they have fallen of deaf ears.
Yes, the new facility is nice, but how has it improved the travel experience in Birmingham? It has not. Esthetically it is a gorgeous facility, but let’s be honest–pretty is as pretty does. Until some party can stand up and take accountability for the problems nothing will be solved. I just want to know how and when on both the parking and fly by lanes, then, again, I only expect the finger to be pointed elsewhere, just as it was when a board was not secured to a wall.
Seems to me, no one is willing to step up and take on the responsibility.