It’s been so hot inside the Cyril E. King airport’s waiting room that the candy bars are melting.
The federal baggage scanners are talking about walking out because it’s so hot.
At least one airline is asking the VI Port Authority for a rent rebate because the facility is so uncomfortable.
The airport’s a. c. has been out of order for several days, with the Virgin Islands Daily News quoting a Port Authority spokesperson saying he is unsure when it will be repaired. "The staff and management … apologized for the inconvenience," the Authority said in a statement, the News added. Read the Daily News story here.
Now, try and find that news release on the Authority’s Web site, http://www.viport.com/. Not there. In fact, no news announcements have been posted this year! And when you click on a link to the Authority’s "Newsletter," it takes you to a September, 2005 document – apparently the first and only newsletter. (Wanna guess whether the Port Authority’s budget has an allocation for ‘Newsletter’? Wanna guess what’s happened to the money?)
Are these people on the ball? Think they’ll be in a rush to fix the air conditioning in a public building dedicated to the island’s only industry, tourism?
Meanwhile, back at the airport, it’s still hot, hot, hot. On the first floor, with its open air ticket counters, inside in the Customs clearance area, and even more so back in the holding pens (where travelers wait – and where it’s usually so cold you wish you’d put your long pants on).
The airport staffers are blaming the Water and Power Authority for power surges which caused the a.c. chillers to shut down; WAPA says, "Uh, uh, it wasn’t us."
The Daily News says the Authority estimates it could be eight weeks before the air conditioning is working again.
That airport just plain ol’ sucks. Besides the AC issues, they need to have another place to get food. We waited in line for close to an hour just to get some nasty crud to eat. And, don’t even get me started on subject of the female bartender with the attitude. That place is a real downer at the end of an otherwise wonderful vacation.
You’d think that someone in charge would realize that and make some changes.
Must be the same contractor who will take 2 years to build the roundabout:)