African elephants, during the dry season, will travel hundreds of miles in search of water. In an episode of Planet Earth, I saw them circling through air-borne sand in their desperate search. When they finally get to their destination, the elephants find other elephants, lions, and various species all congregated around the waterhole, suspiciously eying one another. At any moment, the competition may try to displace someone at the waterhole. Ignore a lion too long, and your pride and joy becomes the meal of the pride.
Patrons of the Denver International Airport provide a parallel study in animal behavior. Thirsty, they prowl the waiting areas of the terminals. Hugging their possessions close to them they circle and circle between the rows of blue stereotypical airport seating. Mouths dry. Hungry. And for what? Juice.
I don't mean Welch's, Tropicana, or Motts. I mean precious electricity.
Some how the word got out that this circus tent in the western corner of the Denver-city limits houses more than just blue seats fused together at the arm-rests.
The DIA internet is free and wireless, accessible anywhere in the joint. The only trick is stalking out a good seat within power adapter distance from an outlet, of which there are shockingly few.
A technology-hungry business person takes two outlets, one for his blackberry and another for his laptop. A person employing two outlets becomes stalked by those with their own electrical hunger. As soon as that person moves to unplug one device or the other, the pack pounces. The outlet is taken down quickly, and the strongest of the competitors enjoy the spoils until satiated.
Prowling outlet-seekers routinely hold their laptop close to their chest. Usually it is in a hand, while the empty satchel swings from the other arm. Members of the searching pack do not keep their electronics stowed. They are alert to pounce at any opportunity.
When all of the other seats and outlets are occupied, a prowling lion will sit next to the person with the most lines into nearby outlets. At some point, their iPod will be charged and the lion will make his kill. Yet while it waits patiently, yet eagerly for an opportunity, it gets eyed as a predator getting a little too close to the herd. The power-hoarder knows what you're after, and hovers over his wire herd. If he's traveling solo, there is a twinge of panic in the way he monitors the lion's position. If he's traveling with a pack, he enlists them to keep the lion at bay with suspicious stares. As if you might snatch some of his personal junk. When in fact, all you really want is the outlet.
Animals around the outlet do not converse with one another. Times are tense. There's no room for pleasantries.
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