Yang for their yin (Jack Bog's Blog)

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on May 22, 2008 9:51 AM. The previous post in this blog was "Clean money" jig may be up. The next post in this blog is Another problem with biofuels. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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« "Clean money" jig may be up | Main | Another problem with biofuels »

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Yang for their yin

They pull out all the bells and whistles when the Portland Airport wins some prize or another. Ratings like these get a much quieter reception.

Posted at 9:51 AM | Permalink

Comments (8)

"Portland International scored at the bottom of categories of overall airport satisfaction, airport accessibility, terminal facilities and food and retail services."

Ok it's all subjective but low on accessibility? Accessibility? Can someone tell me how PDX can get more accessible? Walk out of the Hilton and it's right there? A freeway that goes directly from downtown Portland right to the airport? With no other exits in between? I have never been to Midway but how "accessible" can an airport in the Middle of Chicago be?

Greg C

Posted by Greg C | May 22, 2008 12:40 PM

Those airport users don't know what they're talking about. Conde Nast got it right. They make their own reality. All seriousness aside, as a regular user of SJC and OAK, I would rate both of them far, far worse than PDX for terminal facilities, food and such. Where PDX falls down worst is the time it takes to deliver checked baggage. Not much excuse for that. I just wonder what it's like now that we have two wide-body arrivals from Europe scheduled in the space of 10-15 minutes.

Posted by Allan L. | May 22, 2008 12:41 PM

Allen,
I have to agree. San Jose is one of the worst airports I've flown out of in the US. Little choice of food service, insanely crowded terminals, and lines out to the parking lot for security screening.

Where Portland is worse than San Jose is the attitude of the "security" screeners; I've never seen a group of nastier, more incompetent people than the TSA personnel at PDX. They once took my handbag behind a partition to "screen" it, and when I objected, asking them to screen it in my presence, they threatened me with arrest. I've had other run-ins with them as well, and personally know some people who have had stuff stolen by PDX screeners...and others whose credit cards were mysteriously "found" under the screening machine after somehow escaping from the owner's wallet as it went through the xray machine. Bunch of thuggish thieves they have there.

Posted by al | May 22, 2008 1:18 PM

I love PDX. I'm not a super frequent flyer, but in the past year I've been in OAK, ONT, MFR, SLC, JFK, LGA, DTW, CLT, RDU, IAH, ATL, BWI, BOS, GSP, and SAN. PDX has better food at more reasonable prices than all the rest, and it's the only one with free Wi-Fi. None of them have views like Mt. Hood just past the end of the wing.

Posted by Bill Holmer | May 22, 2008 1:48 PM

That's a pretty silly assessment. PDX itself is great and easy to use. The retail is price controlled and thus reasonable. The terminals are new and bright. PDX's biggest problem is that it serves a small city. As such, it has fewer direct flights and less frequent flights to hubs than larger airports.

Posted by tb | May 22, 2008 2:09 PM

I don't have a ton of experience with the airports on that list, but the two I use most frequently are PDX and SAN (San Diego). It is an absolute JOKE that San Diego is rated higher, as it is outdated, uncomfortable, inconvenient, not to mention one of the most dangerous places to land in America (they conveniently built a parking garage directly in the flight path). Seriously, I cannot believe anyone could rank SAN ahead of PDX. I'm no PDX homer, but that's just absurd.

Posted by Dave J. | May 22, 2008 3:19 PM

They don't get much press because surveys like this are crap. Much like the viewer polls on the evening news. Seriously, the posts above are dead on.

Posted by huck | May 22, 2008 7:56 PM

As a Portlander, I'm happy with PDX. I don't support raising my taxes or airport fees to make people stopping in for 15 or 30 minutes 'happier' with their experience here.

Posted by MarkDaMan | May 22, 2008 9:28 PM

In Vino Veritas

Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
Cameron, Chardonnay
B.R. Cohn, Cabernet, Silver Label 2006
Graffigna, Cabernet 2005
Palo Alto, Reserve Red 2008
Menguante, Garnacha 2008
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Felsina Berardenga, Vin Santo 1997
Anne Amie, Pinot Gris 2009
McKinley Springs, Bombing Ramge Red 2007
Vieux Papes Red
Dionysius Chardonnay 2009
Haden Fig, Pinot Noir 2009
Vega Montan, Mencia 2008
Chateau la Vernede, Coteaux du Languedoc 2007
Mount Defiance, Hellfire (White) 2008
Root: 1, Cabernet 2008
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Pinot Grigio 2009
Columbia Crest, Two Vines, Vineyard 10 White, 2008
Columbia Crest, Two Vines, Vineyard 10 Rose, 2007
Abacela, Grenache Rose 2009
Avia Cabernet 2004
Lemelson Pinot Noir, Thea's Selection 2007
Chateau de la Roulerie, Rose d'Anjou 2009
Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde Rose
La Ferme Julien, Rose 2008
Cana's Feast, Bricco Red, 2006
Hogue, Genesis Merlot, 2008
Owen Roe, Sharecropper's Cabernet, 2008
Kim Crawford, Unoaked Chardonnay 2008
J. Scott, Pinot Noir 2008
Edmunds St. John, White, Heart of Gold 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2006
Stevenot, Cabernet, Sierra Foothills, "Stanford" 2000
Portuga, Vinho Rose 2009
Taylor Fladgate, First Estate Reserve Porto
Franciscan, Cabernet, Napa 2006
Chaparral de Vega Sindoa, Garnacha 2008
Quinta da Aveleda, Vinho Verde 2008
St. Francis, Chardonnay Sonoma 2008
E. Guigal, Cotes du Rhone Blanc, 2007
Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Noir 2008
St. Innocent, Pinot Noir 2006
Jigsaw, Pinot Noir 2007
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot, Indian Wells 2007
Charles Shaw, Chardonnay 2008
Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Rosé 2009
Cameron, Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Il Valore, Sangiovese, Giovane, Puglia 2008
Duck Pond, Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope 2007
Kim Crawford, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008
Domaine du Pesquier, Cotes du Rhone 2005
Cantina Zaccagnini, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2006
Domaine Matrot, Chardonnay, Bourgogne 2007
David Hill, Oregon Sparkling Wine, Brut
Chandler Reach, Monte Regalo 2006
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2008
Kirkland, Columbia Valley Merlot 2008
D'Aragon, Old Vine Garnacha 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2005
Pavin & Riley, Merlot 2006
David Hill, Estate Pinot Noir, Barrel Select 2006
Castle Rock, Paso Robles Cabernet 2006
Magnificent, Cabernet, Steak House 2008
Conundrum 2008
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1998
Saint Cosme, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
La Granja, Tempranillo 360, 2008
Santa Rita, Mendalla Real Cabernet 2006
Columbia Crest, Grand Estates Merlot 2006
Andezon, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
Collegiata, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Troon, Druid's Fluid 2008
La Granja, Tempranillo 2008
Monte Antico, Toscana 2006
Vieux Papes, Blanc de Blancs

The Occasional Book

Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 54
At this date last year: 50
Total run in 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269