The Battle for Luggage Carts

The Battle for Luggage Carts
July 29, 2012
Luis Miguel de la Bahia

HAVANA TIMES — Landing at Havana's Jose Marti Airport after a 10 hour
flight, we found ourselves in a situation that would be unthinkable in
any other airport I've visited: There were hardly any luggage carts.

A line immediately formed to collect the few they did provide, making
people wait 10 to 15 minutes for each newly freed one.

We complained to every official possible, but the responses were all the
same: "Sorry, I don't have anything to do with that." When we finally
did find the person in charge, he said that he couldn't do anything
about it either.

No one conceived of an airport that didn't address such problems and
where the staff couldn't have cared less.

One of them explained that the number of arriving flights was unusual,
and that this explained the congestion.

My next question was: With the money they make from charges for luggage
weight and taxes, wasn't that enough to buy the essentials to make
things operate correctly?

Unlike Cubans 10 years ago, no one was afraid to openly express their
displeasure concerning this issue of the carts, charges for excess
weight or even unjust immigration policy.

But viewed from another angle, what were the customs people, who have to
deal with the public, going to do. The staff was simply doing their work
in accordance with the rules of the airport.

So who do we hold responsible? The airport officials who aren't doing
their jobs? The deranged customs regulations? The National Assembly? The
people for not demanding that their leaders make things work?

In the immediacy of the situation, we were all looking to pin the blame
on the official closest to us, but the truth was — thinking rationally —
I didn't know whose fault this was.

The plane touched down at 4.45 pm and three hours later, finally, I
managed to walk passed the customs barrier. Behind me was almost the
entire flight, and there — outside — empty carts were everywhere.

When I stepped outside the building, I looked up at a huge sign
welcoming me to Cuba.

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