Airport Toys

air port, originally uploaded by podso.

Sitting around in airports again this week, it came to my attention that most people occupy themselves pretty well at an airport. The bottom line, if there is nothing else, is people-watching. That’s actually my favorite airport pastime. But I find most people busy with tangible toys. If they don’t have a laptop open (and if you happen to walk behind and see the screen, you find eight times out of ten, they are playing a game), they are messing with a cell phone (either talking on it or playing with it), an iPod, a blackberry, or, rarely, reading a paperback. A few sleep or eat, but very few aren’t doing something.

On today’s trip home there was a particularly interesting older European couple pushing the system. When they were checking in with a good deal of panache, I noticed they had a pair of wrist-cuffed crutches with them. I wondered what they were for. When it came time for early boarding, we headed for the door with my mother and they hobbled up, each using one of those crutches like a cane. Saw them later at our destination, walking at a good pace, “crutches” tucked under their arms. Toys or a true crutch (no pun intended)?