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Free Air

By Ophelia Chong
November 11, 2008
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YYZ - DTW - LAX

The flight from Toronto to Detroit was nondescript, a quick lift up, level off and then a forty minute flight. Landing in Detroit. I sit down to wait for my next flight and I turn on my iTouch.

The WiFi is not free, unlike most countries, the WiFi in the States is free in some airports (Portland) and pay per hour in others (LAX and Detroit). I refused to pay $9.95, if I am sitting in an airport for over an hour, the least they could do is offer me free air waves. I am already paying for drinks and "snack boxes" on my flights, what next? A quarter to use the lavatory? I can picture that little coin box on the door already.

As I sat in Detroit waiting for my flight back to Los Angeles, I wondered why I was being asked to pay for WiFi. It's already set up, it's not like they have to put in terminals that you have to physically plug into. It's just air. I am being charged for air.

In that airport waiting lounge, I am part of a nomadic tribe; we set up tent briefly and move on, we cross paths for a short time and then move into a web that stretches across the world. I want to be part of a community, no matter how temporary it is, let me join the world by letting me access that web of air. If I cannot communicate with the person next to me, let me communicate with the person on the other side of the world. Let me breath the air for free.

Image: Ophelia Chong

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