Can't Plug in Your Laptop in This Airport, Sir

I've written before of most airports' weird disinterest in providing the power outlets that would let business travelers plug in their notebooks so they could more freely spend money on airport Wi-Fi. Now Alec Saunders is reporting that the Montreal airport caps off outlets, thereby actively preventing folks from using ones that are there. (Link via BoingBoing, where Cory Doctorow has more to say on the subject.)

An airport that wants you to pay for Wi-Fi access but doesn't offer a decent number of power outlets at the gate is like a restaurant that expects you to buy food but doesn't provide plates. (Er, that sounds like McDonalds. Scratch that metaphor!)

Comments

i agree. they should provide power. while laptops are built to operate on a battery, they operate better when plugged in. BOYCOTT THE Fing Airport! and screw macdonalds too!

Anonymous

February 28, 2006

8:37 AM PT

I second all this, and also need to state that any international flight should also provide plugs in all the rows, if not all the seats. Not everone on a flight is going to sleep for the 6+ hours, especially when the entertainment system is abominable.

Anonymous

February 28, 2006

2:33 PM PT

wow, i would just remove the cap over the plug....
TAKE THAT AIRPORT MANAGER!

Annonymouse

March 01, 2006

4:37 PM PT

I think the DFW Airport has the perfect solution in the making. It comprises of a combination of free and pay-per-use power outlets.

If you look around you the DFW airport has some pretty decent availability of Power Sockets in the gate areas and they have rooms and areas where passengers can plug in and use free power outlets.

However, in about 6 gates, the DFW airport has started a pilot project with a kiosk company called AdComp Systems / TELeasy Corp which is headquartered in Dallas.

The service is called ?PUMP? which stands for ?Power-Up My Portable?.

mansurp

December 31, 2006

5:36 PM PT