In about 50 hours from Tuesday morning (Oct 19) to Thursday evening, I got to observe travellers at airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.
Everywhere, people were busy eating, drinking and playing digital games than anything else. Burgers and French fries were hot favourites across these airports and I did not find anyone eating idlis or puris. At the Bangalore airport an outlet selling different beer brands at Rs 230-400 per glass was overflowing with customers.
And what of those who were not chewing or sipping? Most of them were busy with their laptops and mobile phones, some listening to music, some clicking snaps, others checking mail and yet others playing mobile games. I guess many were tweeting or updating their Facebook profiles.
Almost unnoticed at these aiports were the newspaper stands where staff dutifully stacked India's best newspaper brands, though not many seemed enthused to give up their gadgets or burgers to pick them up.
Towards the end of the whirlwind tour, I came across a passenger reading not one, but two books, and the bulge in his hand baggage suggested more books inside. Whew! What a relief to know that there are those odd balls who still relish a page full of words than a screen full of images or a plate full of French fries.
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