Convenience Trumps Freedom

Lessons of a Modern Airport
Naturally - and intuitively - it’s “inconvenience” that trumps freedom, right? Just try flying somewhere and anywhere and the personal freedoms we often take for granted are quickly yanked at the airport where inconvenience is the modus operandi - from searching to pat-downs to full body scans. But how can “convenience” also trump freedom?

“Convenience” - or its variant/adjectival form “convenient” - is one of those words classified by wordsmiths and linguists as an “approbative” or a word that produces a positive effect. During my senior year at Samoa College, my English teacher used the classification “Favorable  Words.” (vs. "Unfavorable"). Convenience is certainly a “favorable” word....or is it?

With the advances in technology of the last several decades - especially in the field of automation - the word “convenient” has become more ubiquitous. It has been used to describe a variety of things - from electronic transactions and communication to gas station stores; and from automobile accessories to strategically and conveniently placed kiosks.

It was at one of the US airports where I was first made aware of convenience trumping freedom.

I went inside the restrooms and after "transacting some business" in one of the stalls, I reached back for the flushing handle - not there. I turned (while still seated) to spot a button or a non-standard device for flushing - zippo ... zilch! Then I stood up, a bit frustrated. But no sooner was I up than the gush and rush of the flush made me ... well, blush!  “What the heck?” I quietly mumbled.

My embarrassed but still analytical mind finally figured out the surprise from my experiences with other similar setups and devices. The word “motion sensor” popped into my head and I needed some confirmation. I immediately sat down on the throne again for a few seconds and then stood up, and sure enough, the flush was activated. I admitted quietly: “How convenient!”

But then my brain starts implementing its own probe. “What if someone wants a second, or third or fourth flush? Apparently the “Simon Says” game needs to be played and repeated. On the other hand, a creative person would try to find where the sensor is and trigger it using some other means. Still I thought that I had been robbed of my freedom to just turn that handle as many times as I want, or needed. Obviously, the choice was still there, only different and a bit more arduous. So I quietly forgave the inventor of the flushing sensor - for at least a minute or two ....

Because when I stepped out of the stall to wash my hands, guess what? I did not see any handles for the taps. “A ha ...gotcha!” I proudly whispered. I walked over and put my hands under the faucet and surely water gushed out. Again “How convenient,” I thought.  But the water was cold and I wanted warm. I kept my hands under the faucet a little longer and the water changed from cold to cool, but not warm. Now I was having an imaginary exchange with the faucet: “I want warm,” I said. “Sorry that’s all you’ll get” was the faucet’s reply and to which I responded: “You’re robbing me of my freedom to choose the temperature that I want.” The faucet then assured me that I had to choose between freedom and convenience. It spewed again: “The temperatures are now preset and that is a huge convenience.” I then replied: “Whose convenience? C’mon, let people decide the warmth of the water for themselves, give them freedom - that’s true convenience; I want my two C and H handles so I can adjust the warmth that I want.”

Then the water stopped. I wiggled my hands - nothing. I moved back a foot or two, then came back and tried again....still nothing. Now I was thinking that this faucet had a mind of its own and it was really mad at me. Just as I was about to move to the next sink, the water starts running again.

Oh, meanwhile, the soap dispenser (also motion sensor-controlled) was going like crazy spewing liquid soap from all the wiggles and jiggles and hula hand lessons in the sink. The rising soap suds started to become an inconvenience.

(Apparently there’s more to this conspiracy disguised as forced convenience. I wonder if it’s all wrapped nicely in what’s called  "profit!" The sensors, I guess, are meant to avoid waste (in case a tap is left running - intentionally or unintentionally), and save money, provided of course the sensors work all the time. Therefore, they also don’t want you to play with the flush handle and waste water in the process - even when flushing more than once is absolutely necessary. Warm or hot water also costs more, so they won’t give you any warmer or hot water.)

The saga continues. I realized that I wanted some cash. I spotted an ATM and again the “how convenient” thought nudged and nagged, only now it comes with a pinch of skepticism. Surely enough, it happened. I wanted $50, but my choices were in increments of 20, so I had to get $60.  With money, I guess I can relinquish my freedom any time for convenience sake - albeit covert and coerced.

Perhaps one of the ironies in all this pseudo convenience is that a traveler from China or Russia expecting to be "free at last", arrives at an airport in the - ahem, ahem - "land of the free", and finds that his first choices in America are conveniently infringed and encroached upon.

So next time you think something is convenient, think also of some personal freedoms and choices that have been compromised.

Bon Voyage!

Feeling hot about the HOT

I understand about paying a toll (fee) at certain bridges or designated roads/highways. But paying for the freeway lane in which you’re driving? Well, change is the only thing that’s constant, says one man from Athens. Here in happy, fit and healthy Utah - among a handful of states - we will now pay to drive in the HOT (High-Occupancy Toll) lane which is slowly changing from “Carpool/HOV” lane to “Express” or HOT lane.

Here’s the deal. The Express lane is still free for carpoolers and high occupancy vehicles (HOVs) like buses. But when a one-person car wants to drive in that lane (since ideally, it’s not as crowded as other lanes) then the driver needs to pay, especially if he’s a frequent user/commuter. Such a driver will need a special transponder affixed to his windshield. (Just what we needed - another distraction to add to cell phones, GPS devices, etc., Who knows, maybe in the next century all cars will be completely instrument-operated.) Anyway, the antennas along the freeway communicate with the transmitter and will help in computing the charges based on the marked zones as well as the amount of traffic at the time. It’s a good source for state revenue.

But as a bus commuter I am worried the Express lane can turn into a “regress” lane since most people will now use it. The general tendency in freeway travel, is that people will try to get to their destinations fast and at almost any cost - monetary, that is.

Oh, by the way, I think the driver should mount the transponder at a spot where it doesn’t hinder her vision. Be forewarned!...LOL!

When I deal, it’s a good deal ....

From time to time, our company offers free health checks on vital signs (basics). Today was one of those times. I went in and my numbers were ideal, according to the guys and gals who administered the checkups. My BP ...haha...not the petroleum company ...but Blood Pressure was 111/73, which according to the guy was ideal.

My pulse was 54. The guy said it was a little low, then he quickly said that it’s typical for athletic people to have their resting pulse lower than 50. And he mentioned Lance Armstrong as an example. Wow, Mr. Armstrong? Now there’s an ideal psychological boost. However, I felt that I still needed a second opinion so I came back and checked for some confirmation of what he said and here’s an exact statement I found on one of the Health sites.

“...resting pulse for an adult is between 60 and 80 to be considered normal, unless that person is extremely athletic, then it may be lower.”

I may be "athletic", but being extremely athletic? ...I don’t know ... I would love to be considered as such, even if based solely on stats....lol.

Oh, and then my BS ...haha...again not the usual interpretation, but Blood Sugar, was 87; again the lady who checked it said it was ideal.

So there’s my somewhat clean and ideal bill of health for now ... oh, and tonight happens to be gym night - work out and play racquetball. Good Deal!

Helpmeet or Helpmate?

Are these men taking a literal and skewed interpretation of helpmeet?  From a Samoan viewpoint, these husbands ought to be sent packing!...lol

UK - Egelani

Poland-Polani

Ireland -Aealani

USA-Amerika

Greece-Eleni

India-Initia

Serbia-Sepaia

And the winner is .....

L.A. - Lalomanu Aleipata

...hahahaa.... One of the morals of the story: E sili lava le kama Hamoa ....hmmm...maybe I should say some, or most kama Hamoa, aua e iai foi isi 'aukuoli e le mafaufau, le popoi ma le faaaloalo...aea?

Apple cores and a stylish killer

Speaking of Summer, one of my routines is taking the bus to work. I enjoy it. Not only I get to have someone else do the driving - especially during rush hours - but it’s economical; the employer pays for my ki'eki'e pasi, so why not?  I also am able to read a book, take a nap, contemplate something or just watch and observe people. Oh and these buses also have free Wi-Fi ...sweeet!

This morning, at one of the stops, a guy boarded the bus munching an apple. Instead of taking a seat, he stood in the aisle holding on to one of the metal supports with one hand and apple in the other. He was in the center of everyone’s forward gaze, especially mine, now that I’m impressed with his healthy demeanor. (I considered him a friend since I had an apple too, but in my backpack.) At the next stop, amazingly, a woman boarded with a protein shake and she too stood in the aisle next to my apple friend; mind you, there were empty seats still. Could standing be considered a healthy habit? Well it must be since sitting - in the sedentary sense - has been reputed as a health risk (re: quotes below). If so, then the two standing passengers must have contributed to Utah’s top ranking as the healthiest/fittest state in a recent national survey.

vi and core (Spondias dulcis)

Now back to my apple friend. The woman did not drink from her shake, meanwhile, I was waiting for the moment the driver was going to remind Johnny Appleseed about the “no eating on the bus” rule - he (driver) did not.  Johnny continued in the usual circular munching pattern until he had only the core left. My interest then shifted to how he would dispose of the core. For a couple of quick seconds, he seemed to have looked for a trash repository, then he did the unthinkable, at least from my perspective as an apple lover and core hater (no pun intended, hahaa).  He took the first bite and then the second and the core was gone. I winced but was not totally repulsed. In fact I quietly convinced myself that there actually are people who eat apple cores. Come to think of it, I would love to give my friend a vi (Spondias dulcis) and see if he would eat the core too; though I have seen kids in Samoa who would chew and reduce the vi core to pulp then spit it out.

And then the researches/studies on the risks of sitting from which these quotes are taken:

“You might be pleased with that cool looking Aeron chair your buns are nestled in —— but it’s nothing but a stylish killer. Recent studies have shown that the amount of time you spend sitting raises your risk of dying. Sit more, die sooner.  An Australian study of 8,800 people over a six year period found that for each hour spent sitting increased the risk of death from heart disease by one-fifth.”

So standing is better?

“Better yet, stand part of the day. Research done by Dr. Mark Benden of Texas A&M University, suggests that standing at least two hours a day improves energy levels, productivity and can even assist in weight control. Standing two hours a day can burn up to 280 calories daily....”

If my bus ride was two hours, I would consider standing, like my two bus mates.  A’o Samoa la, a ka ku, ua ka le mafaufau, fai mai loa le faa-sitoe: “Sole gofo i lalo, o le kagaka e ku e vave a ga palasi” .....Koea’iga fia malosi!...LOL!

Savagery of a noble kind

Summer is here - finally. It’s everyone’s favorite season, except for those avid skiers snowboarders and other winter sports enthusiasts. One of my favorite Summer activities is camping - roughin’ it out. It’s the closest I get to reliving my faipopo and fai ma'umaga days.

Summer gets more appreciated and anticipated in Utah, at least by warm-blooded primates like me, because of the seasons, especially Winter. And Summer equals camping, which equals swimming, jet skiing and other water sports. Camping is one of those activities into which islanders in the States, and elsewhere, need to be assimilated. For me, it took a while to be convinced of spending a few days in the wild and in the mountains. At first I said: “Why? I just came from Samoa where I spent a lot of time in the mountains, let alone the fact that much of my immediate si'osi'omaga consisted of trees, mountains, rivers and the ocean. In essence, I have been camping for the last nineteen years. So what’s there in camping?” ...well, please pardon my impetuosity!  I guess I had to live and immerse myself in the nature-deprived life of modern western society in order to finally get that  “A ha!" moment.

And so after several years of being held captive in the steel and concrete jungles of modern cities and high-rises, the longing and visceral yearning for the placidity and serenity of natural lakes, the awe and grandeur of the mountains, the soothing flow of rivers and streams and all the wonders and splendors of nature, slowly crept back into my being.  Now, whenever I go camping, sleeping under the stars of the sprawling night sky with the night breeze whispering sweet soft lullabies interrupted only by a wail of a nocturnal predator, all of a sudden I feel newfound freedom and it seems my noble savagery is reawakened. I feel not only refreshed and renewed but also returned to some primal glorious existence. The feeling of a certain fresh and invigorating consummation has finally arrived - again.  It’s savagery of a noble kind.  And to that, I say "Chooooo-soo-soo!!" which is the noble celebratory cry of a real savage.