Re: [85attendees] Initial Atlanta experiences

[Mark Townsley <[e-mail]>]

I have to say, to my surprise I just had one of my fastest airplane to taxi experiences of my life.  The security check on exit was absent, no significant lines at immigration, customs, or taxi stand. 

- Mark

On Nov 3, 2012, at 18:32, "Romascanu, Dan (Dan)" <[e-mail]> wrote:

> It depends I guess where your airplane parked relative to the
> immigration hall. It's a big terminal, but not unique in its dimensions.
> 
> 
> Dan
> 
> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: [e-mail]
> [mailto:[e-mail]]
>> On Behalf Of Ersue, Mehmet (NSN - DE/Munich)
>> Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2012 12:31 AM
>> To: ext Howard, Lee; Jari Arkko; [e-mail]
>> Subject: Re: [85attendees] Initial Atlanta experiences
>> 
>> I actually found the immigration pretty smooth and quick.
>> However, I am wondering whether I'm the only person who is complaining
>> on this, but I found the walk between the gate and the final Atlanta
>> immigration area very very long.
>> I heard myself asking more than once: "Which ingenious person designed
>> this terminal?"
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> Mehmet
>> 
>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: [e-mail]
>> [mailto:[e-mail]] On
>>> Behalf Of ext Howard, Lee
>>> Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2012 12:12 AM
>>> To: Jari Arkko; [e-mail]
>>> Subject: Re: [85attendees] Initial Atlanta experiences
>>> 
>>> I suppose I can't actually speak on behalf of the entire United
> States
>> of America, but
>>> as a citizen, I can say that I am sorry our immigration process is
> so
>> bad.  I hope that
>>> others will have a better experience.
>>> 
>>> Visit www.ietf85.com for a list of restaurants.  There are several
>> within two blocks; I
>>> had a good experience at White Oak, whiteoakkitchen.com
>>> 
>>> The taxi line is inefficient when there are many people (six cabs
> pull
>> up, fill up, then
>>> leave before the next six can arrive).  But service is reasonable.
>> MARTA (subway)
>>> delivers you about two blocks from the hotel, but I prefer taxi.
>>> 
>>> There is a gym at the Hilton.  I haven't actually used it, but the
> web
>> site claims it's
>>> excellent.
>>> 
>>> Lee
>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: [e-mail]
>> [mailto:[e-mail]] On
>>> Behalf Of
>>>> Jari Arkko
>>>> Sent: Friday, November 02, 2012 4:59 PM
>>>> To: [e-mail]
>>>> Subject: [85attendees] Initial Atlanta experiences
>>>> 
>>>> I arrived yesterday. Some initial experiences:
>>>> 
>>>> Airport -- The airport itself was efficient and worked well, but
>> immigrations was a
>>> bad
>>>> experience. We arrived a bit later than predicted, and by the time
>> the planeload of
>>> people
>>>> entered the immigrations hall, there was an announcement that the
>> agents are free
>>> to go
>>>> home. They did. Several hundred people waited in line for that one
>> poor one
>>> remaining agent
>>>> (who is in good spirits, all things considered). At some point
>> during the wait there
>>> was
>>>> another announcement that apologized they are experiencing
>> "technical difficulties".
>>> It turns
>>>> out that they have been experiencing computer problems for some
>> time, nationwide,
>>> but to us
>>>> in the queue this seemed ... wrong. I waited maybe one hour and
>> fifteen minutes,
>>> but I was
>>>> lucky in how the queues got split up at some point, so others
>> probably waited longer.
>>> They
>>>> increased the number of agents in the end, before that I was
> afraid
>> we'd be there
>>> all night. In
>>>> any case, it was a long wait late in the evening, after a 10-hour
>> flight sitting next to
>>> the
>>>> singing golf buddies at the back of the aircraft :-)
>>>> 
>>>> Taxis -- Good availability, short ride, reasonable price, my fare
>> was 33$.
>>>> 
>>>> Hotel -- Pretty familiar Hilton experience, but exceptionally
>> friendly staff. No hotel
>>> wireless
>>>> at 25th floor (in the Hilton), but wired Internet. None of the few
>> dozen other visible
>>>> networks seem to be open or working, so it is either your own
>> connectivity or the
>>> wired
>>>> network. In the 27th floor there is an executive lounge for Hilton
>> regulars, open for
>>> breakfast
>>>> and snacks during the day. The breakfast is quite limited compared
>> to usual Hilton
>>> lounge
>>>> standards, but was sufficient for me. (Youghurt, pastries, bread,
>> fruit, coffee, soft
>>> drinks, etc
>>>> but no meats or warm items.) The Marriott is connected by a bridge
>> to the Hilton.
>>> For the
>>>> budget-minded, there's a Motel 6 next to the hotel as well.
>>>> 
>>>> Other hotel services -- there's an outdoors pool, access from
> level
>> 3.
>>>> 
>>>> Food -- There is a nearby foodcourt in the Peachtree Center
>> building. Recommended
>>> for
>>>> quick lunches, good variety of food options. I liked the Yami-Yami
>> Sushi in particular
>>> :-)
>>>> Access the center via the the Marriott which is connected to the
>> center via a bridge.
>>> But
>>>> walking on the streets may be faster. There's a coffee shop in the
>> hotel lobby with
>>> some
>>>> sandwiches and similar.
>>>> 
>>>> Network -- Hotel network has transitioned to the IETF. IPv6
> routing
>> doesn't seem to
>>> be up
>>>> yet, at least not from my room. Otherwise the IETF network works
>> great, as
>>> always! I wish
>>>> the hotel wireless would extend to my room so that I could use my
>> computer's wired
>>>> interface for the testing that I need to do, but my requirements
> are
>> probably
>>> special. (Update:
>>>> IPv6 now seems to work when I test again after composing this
>> e-mail. But I've also
>>> seen a
>>>> network outage.)
>>>> 
>>>> Mobile networks -- I have found that it is economical to carry
>> around two devices,
>>> one with
>>>> my regular SIM where I can be reached on my usual phone number,
> and
>> another
>>> one with a
>>>> local SIM that provides inexpensive network access as a portable
>> access point. For
>>> instance,
>>>> T-Mobile SIM card with unlimited access (limited MBytes for 4G
>> though) costs $50
>>> per
>>>> month whereas my roaming costs in the US are 8$/MB on my regular
>> provider at
>>> home.
>>>> 
>>>> Still looking for: Restaurants. To be honest I have not seen one
>> yet. I guess there
>>> are some,
>>>> somewhere :-) And I'm hoping there's a gym in the hotel. I'd also
>> love to drop by
>>> some
>>>> climbing wall in the city, but have not yet had time to search for
>> one. It might of
>>> course also
>>>> be that I run out of time to go there. I'll try though.
>>>> 
>>>> Jari
>>>> 
>>>> 
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