Tuesday 27 May 2014

Hello UK



Travelling to and from Bodrum is so easy these days, especially now the eponymous orange liveried jets fly in and out so regularly.  It wasn't always so.  Our only route used to be via the military airport North of Izmir with TKH,  (Turkish Cyprus Airlines).  Seasoned travellers would always make a point of visiting the loo a couple of times at Heathrow knowing that the facilities at the other end were only for dire emergencies or for those equipped with a peg for the nose and rubber overshoes for the feet.  Very strong bladder control was needed for these trips; a 4 hour flight and then 5 or 6 hours on the road. Before I put everyone off visiting Turkey, I should point out that things have changed.  Bodrum airport's toilets are immaculate, worthy of a 5 star hotel if a little too high tech for me.  The machine that delivers the paper towels is motion operated so I find myself doing a lot of waving under, beside and in front of the machine. My hands are pretty much dry by the time a towel whirs out.  
Thirty odd years on, the tables seem to have turned.  After a long wait at passport control at Gatwick, I decided a trip to the ladies would be opportune before collecting my suitcase as I had a long train journey ahead. I wish I hadn't.  Long queues, cubicles that hadn't seen disinfectant for a long while, no loo paper.  I felt embarrassed that this was a visitor's first impression of Great Britain.  Come on Gatwick airport - surely you can do better than this. 

15 comments:

  1. How very interesting, B to B. Really, even since we've come to Turkey (6 years), it seems as though toilet technology is miles ahead of what it used to be. One can even get a sit down toilet most of the time which for a senior dog is important. Seems as though on this one, the all mighty EU might be a bit behind.

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  2. . . privatisation and austerity - a very smelly combination!

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  3. Hello,

    Well, this is very tempting news.......not the loos at Gatwick which, sadly, we know rather too intimately.......but the fact that Turkey is now easily accessed by the wonderful Sleazy Jet. One day.....

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  4. It's some years since I was last at Gatwick and I'm sorry to hear the facilities have deteriorated. You're right - things like this give such a bad impression. Mind you, automated loo equipment sounds a bit terrifying too....

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  5. You should try Stansted. Yuk! I hear BA are going to fly the flag to Bodrum. Is this true?

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  6. I've noticed a vast improvement in toilet facilities in Turkey too recently, not just the airport. In fact we stopped at a petrol ofis a few months ago somewhere near Mugla and the toilets were positively luxurious...almost too hygienic to use! Have a good trip x

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  7. That's encouraging. I haven't dared try the garage loos since a bad experience in the early 80s while wearing a fashionable boiler suit.

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  8. Welcome Annie, so impressed to hear about Bodrum airport, I shall be checking it all out in Aug, insallah : ) enjoy your visit, Ozlem x

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  9. Uh oh....I'll be at Gatwick in a couple of months. Thanks for the up on the facilities. I'll just hold till I hit my next destination. :-)

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