Travelling today; and the one thing I want to avoid is running out of power. Online payments, travel information, electronic tickets, email reservation information. Our lives are progressively dependent on our personal tech. Chargers, cables and back-up battery all ready. Without power, we are SOOL. So I was greatly pleased as I entered the waiting are to see a sea of charging stations in the rows of seats. Literally at least a hundred of them in my terminal. I breathed a silent sign of relief - relief that I will have my device fully charged for travel. Now imaging the fristration and disappointment to find the none of the charging points I tried were operational! Quickly I saw the weakness of USB-A technology: broken or bent "tooth" on the charging port. I tried one; then another. I tried the other side of the hall. No joy. Then noting that the charging stations had USB-C I thought my predicament may be reaolved with newer technology. Guess what?!? Same problem. No power!
I suppose they once worked. Just 7 years ago it was the newest of international terminals at Geneva's airport. Now they are an ironic symbol of failure of being able to maintain the infrastructure that supports the technological lifestyle that we have created for ourselves.
