Document text
Passengers pass the time At Medford's airport, those waiting to fly and those waiting to taxi them into town are getting used to the new reality By MELISSA MARTIN Wesley Reed flies twice a week repairing equipment at Oregon hospitals and has found smaller airports like Medford's hit hardest by the fallout of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Curbside service comes with high cost It would take more than a half-dozen armed soldiers to restore curbside passenger service in Medford, said Bern Case, airport manager. It would take more people to make sure drivers don't leave cars unattended and more security to inspect unoccupied cars, he said. New Federal Aviation Administration rules require a tow truck parked and waiting to immediately remove unattended vehicles, a regulation that would cost the Medford airport $890 a day. "That's more than we budget for towing in a 10-year period," Case said. And at least one tow company indicated it wouldn't want the job if it involved bomb squad duties. Curbside passenger service has been restored at the Eugene Airport, said office manager Diana Bell. "We have curb enforcement people that work the curb," Bell said. Pendleton Airport has not restored curbside pickup for lack of enforcement, said manager Larry Dalrymple. The small airport in Eastern Oregon gained back its parking lot after spending $500 to build a concrete blast wall. The nation's airports halted curbside service when the FAA banned vehicle traffic within 300 feet of airport terminals. New regulations have allowed airports to add curb service back. Seattle and Portland have also restored curbside service, said Jackson Travel agent Kelly Rasmussen, who traveled the West Coast this week. But Medford is moving cautiously, Case said. "We want the conveniences back as soon as we can, but we want to do it in a way that doesn't jeopardize us and that meets regulations," Case said. "I appreciate the community's continued support. We're moving forward deliberately and making sure we get it right." "You do have to take a bit of a hike to the terminal here," said Reed, a field service engineer for Johnson and Johnson controls. He was among dozens of travelers negotiating flights at the Medford airport Tuesday morning, three weeks after hijacked jetliners crashed into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center killing 5,000 people. "It's inconvenient and I hope it doesn't stay this way very long, but as a veteran, I understand the heightened security," Reed said. "For now, I can bear it." For the most part, travelers understand the need for the new regulations and are dealing with them as best they can. Archie and Natalie Cruzen of Upland, Calif., brought a good book and tried to stay cheerful when they were frisked or screened with a wand at security check points on their journey. "I'd rather have this than being hijacked," Natalie Cruzen said. Other than a two-hour delay and re-routing to Portland, everything was back to normal for passenger Ole K. Olson, of Grants Pass, waiting with his daughter in the Medford terminal. He was scheduled to fly to Denver and Sioux Falls, S.D., to help relatives with the soybean and corn harvest. "I think air travel is safer now," the 90-year-old retired logger said. "I think the airlines are bending over backwards to make your flight more enjoyable." He said he's not afraid to fly and he refuses to "live scared." His daughter, Laura Humphrey, who flew in July with her father to Norway, added, "They're not going to scare me. If the Lord wants me, he's going to take me whether I'm flying, driving a car or lying in bed. If it's my time to go, I'll go." Business travel also appeared to be getting back to normal. Portland architect Leroy Landers said Tuesday he didn't encounter many inconveniences in his first of many trips he plans to make to Medford. "There have been fewer people and no long lines," said Landers, carrying a briefcase and oversized box of blueprints. "I didn't mind the walk (from the parking lot to the terminal) because I don't mind walking." But business has been light for the Yellow Cab company, which usually assigns three drivers to deliver and pick up passengers at the Medford airport. Tuesday morning, there were only two. "As time goes by, we are picking up a few more passengers," said driver Craig Hollinsworth. "We can just hope that little by little, passengers will increase." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.