That said, I’ll offer a short account of my return to Aeroparque, Buenos Aires’s main domestic airport (though it does have some international flights). My flight from the southern city of Comodoro Rivadavia was late but, given that I had only carry-on luggage, I was hopeful of getting home quickly, but it wasn’t quite that simple.
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| My ticket to Palermo |
I walked quickly to the taxi stands and lined up, but then I spotted a sign telling me I should have a ticket to be in line, and realized that I would have to re-enter the terminal and line up again to get a ticket indicating my destination from a touch-screen machine. This was more difficult than it sounds, as I couldn’t find my reading glasses to decipher the small print in dim light.
Finally succeeding, I lined up again outside and finally grabbed a cab to my Palermo apartment. En route, I spoke to the driver about the absurdity of lining up twice to get a ride and, while he agreed with me on one level, he added that this new system - which began last April - has reduced abuses by the taxi mafias that once controlled Aeroparque access. He once avoided the airport, but now it’s a regular part of his routine, and the passenger knows the fare in advance.
While my first impression was negative, I’ll admit to having had unpleasant experiences in previous Aeroparque visits, and this now seems like a step forward - notwithstanding the need to line up twice.
