Friday Night at The YVR
By Michael Van Der Tol
20 November 2007
A few sleeping bodies remain, but for each it's not a pleasant dream as they lay in contorted positions. There is no food to be found; it is trapped, out of reach, behind the protective steal bars. The only opportunity for nourishment lies deep within the vending monoliths that hum for attention; but rewarding only those that bare the correct change. Garbage litters the floors where just hours before, people trampled, wheeling their personal lives behind them – black, compact, 9" x 15.5" x 21.5". The dim glow of the florescent lights seem even more repugnant now with no one around – leaving those that wait looking even more ghastly than they feel. The sound of the public address system has been replaced by whir of vacuums that can be heard from far, far away. This is Friday Night at the YVR - Vancouver's Airport.
Those of you that have taken a red-eye or traveled internationally will, on occasion, find yourself marooned in an airport. I found myself in that situation recently on my return home to the eastern time-zone from Asia - A lengthy 8 hour layover on Friday night at the YVR. Rather than make any attempt to try to get some sleep on those stiff uncomfortable airport seats I figured I would do a little exploring and see what I could really "see". So off I went with lens - wide-open; ISO - cranked to 1600; and white balance - completely unpredictable.
A few notes:
1. Don't take photographs of security personnel or in the security area
2. Don't take photographs of signs indicating restricted access
3. Don't take photographs while standing in clear view of the security cameras
If you do any of the above don't be surprised if you are detained.
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