Worse Than Detroit

Detroit is a city that has been gone through years of economic struggle, a mayor who recently resigned and subsequently convicted on criminal charges, is honored by a Robert Plant song "Worse than Detroit", and was the butt of jokes on more than one Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker movie:

From "Airplane!"

Ted Striker: It was a rough place - the seediest dive on the wharf. Populated with every reject and cutthroat from Bombay to Calcutta. It's worse than Detroit.

From "Kentucky Fried Movie"

Pennington: These are the Hartz Mountains of Asia. A terrain so rugged, so treacherous, no country will claim it.

Asquith: Worse then Detroit?

Pennington: I'm afraid so.

and

Dr. Klahn: The CIA thinks they can infiltrate the Mountain of Dr. Klahn!

CIA Agent: You can't scare me, you slant-eyed yellow bastard.

Dr. Klahn: Take him to Detroit!

CIA Agent: No! No, not Detroit! No! No, please! Anything but that! No! No!

Anyway, people in the Motor City can rejoice not just in the schadenfreude of seeing Toyota struggle with their recall debacle, but residents can also boast of having the best major airport in the United States when it comes to customer satisfaction. Detroit Metropolitan Airport was lauded for "two clean, pleasant and efficient new terminals with fun shops and restaurants." Kudos.

While don't nearly travel as much as I used to in my consulting days, I can certainly appreciate the value of having an airport with clean bathrooms, palatable food, enough waiting space so I don't feel as if my personal space is being invaded along with ample electrical outlets to provide juice to my laptop and other personal electronics.

The last place finisher? Good old Newark Airport, which is my airport of choice given its close proximity. Whatever. I'm not going to drive an extra hour just so I can eat at a California Pizza Kitchen or browse through a Brookstone. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, the best airport is one that gets me out of there as soon as possible.