Hey Batter, Batter

It's World Series time!
This year's Fall Classic pits the San Francisco Giants against the Texas Rangers, and despite my usually being apathetic towards both teams, I'm pulling for the Giants to get the Series win. I grew increasingly antagonistic towards the Rangers during the ALCS, and not just because they beat (or rather, demolished) my beloved Yankees, but because they seem a little arrogant and...disjointed as a team, if that makes sense. I do love CJ Wilson, though.

On the other hand, the Giants seem to be a team of castoffs (only two of their starters were in the team's Opening Day lineup), which lends itself to a cohesiveness and chemistry that few teams possess. Their fans are so loyal and enthusiastic, too, which seems unsurprising, given the type of city that San Francisco is.

Sports can be such an enjoyable method of relishing a region's social culture. Watch the Journey sing-along at last night's game—that's passion and camaraderie:

Yes, you see things like this in other fields and ballparks, too, but I genuinely feel that some cities and fans connect on a better level than others. Fans in and of Tampa Bay, for example, are either nonexistent or can hardly be bothered to show up.

And I'm lame and I often delight in seeing fans coming together and expressing adoration and excitement over sports—unless it's at Fenway, in which case I growl and roll my eyes.

A slightly less enthusiastic (but only slightly) sing-along from the same game can be found here. It's worth watching, particularly after about the 48 second mark, which is where Steve Perry begins rocking out to his own classic tune. FANTASTIC.

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

I've previously mentioned my love of airports; they sit above rest areas on a list of "Things I Inexplicably Adore." As any traveler (experienced or otherwise) will tell you, the quality of airports can make a huge difference in the overall traveling experience. Traveling by way of LAX, for example, is sure to be stressful, while airports that provide better amenities (even on a basic level) are likely to enable smoother and calmer travel.

In a recent New York Times article, Susan Stellin discusses the ways in which airports can improve, in order to better overall passenger satisfaction.

Stellin mentions that Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is the "highest-ranking large airport in this year's... customer satisfaction survey," and that her own observations of the airport help her to understand why. My brother, too, has been singing the praises of Detroit's airport, ever since he began frequenting it late last year.

The article lists four ways in which airports could improve, as well as some of the airports that seemingly get it right. Moreover, the article offers specific suggestions for betterment; most of them are fantastic, but of course will likely be ignored in favor of little to no change at all.

I particularly like that the article links to several websites that offer a variety of services, such as lists of airports with free Wi-Fi, and tips on the best airports in which to sleep.

I also learned of some pretty interesting offerings at various airports. Vancouver International, for example, has a bar in the baggage claim area. It's perhaps a nice place to kill time if you're waiting to be picked up (though trekking that luggage around would be a huge drag), or even if you're the one doing the picking up—provided that you're safe about it, that is.

Indianapolis' airport offers free Wi-Fi, while the newest terminal in San Jose International has electrical outlets built in to every chair. Pretty fantastic; if only they could combine the two. For foodies like me, San Francisco International hosts branches of local establishments, which helps make the airport a part of the Bay Area community.

Many of the proposed ideas are practical, but I understand that implementation would take time and money, so it's not as easy as it sounds.

Still, it's curious that airports aren't more committed to a higher level of customer service. In particular, one would think that larger airports would be more invested in providing a better environment for travelers, given the high number of passengers that frequent their space.

In the meantime, as I continue to travel (minimally), I'll take note of the ones that I love, and the ones that I would love to makeover.