Citizens of the Airport #24 – Reality Check

I like to think of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as a village, inhabited by millions of people for not more then a few hours per day max. But who are the people that pass through? What makes them tick? I’m on a quest to meet the Citizens of the Airport!

“What am I doing? Nothing… finally! I’ve already fixed nine breakdowns since 7:00 this morning. I’m a technician responsible for fixing electric doors at Schiphol. I’ve always been good with my hands and it’s varied work.”

I spent three years in the army

“Before doing this I spent three years in the army. I enjoyed it – the hard work, the discipline – but I was never deployed. I stopped just in time, when I heard that two of my friends had been killed in Afghanistan. One of them was my roommate for a long time. That was a really painful reality check.”

We’re not planning to get married

“My hope for this year is to get a permanent position, when my current contract ends. That would give me and my girlfriend a bit more security. Not that we’re planning to get married or anything; we don’t see the point of spending all that money for what is basically just a bit of paper. I would rather go on a big trip with her.”