ASH MONDAY
The numbers are a big part of the story.
63,000.
That's the number of flights cancelled in or into or out of Europe since Thursday.
3
That's the one day percentage drop in airline shares on Friday.
$1 Billion
That's the estimated loss in airline revenue.
Can you say, "Eyjafjallajokull Volcano, boys and girls?"
Me neither.
More importantly, this modest visit from Ma Nature is threatening the whole tender economy of the EU.
Air shipments of fresh fruit and exotic vegetables from the Mediterranean, flowers from North Africa, grain from Asia and transplant organs from across Europe have been suspended for five days, leading to shortages and some reports of panic buying.
Schools are closed, exams are postponed. Somewhere in Brussels, a girl has found Jesus because the volcano was sent to give her more time to prepare for that geography test she'd been avoiding.
Tourism has been especially hit and thousands of people are basically living in airports.
Imagine that fun.
Like visiting the lovely washrooms.
You're in Vancouver.
Sans earthquakes; sans volcanic debris.
So far.
The sun is almost out.
Count your blessings.
4 comments:
What will these folks do when the fossil fuels start to run dry? I just can't see electric planes getting off the ground, so to speak.
I have spent quite a few days, and a even a few nights, in Airports.
It is actually quite enjoyable most of the time, especially after the crowds disperse - essentially a clean, well-lighted place.
One of my favourite stays was an overnighter in Vienna waiting for a next morning connection to Frankfurt after arriving on a late evening bumble-bee ride over the mountains from Innsbruck.
The latter isactually a very interesting place; more than just a ski resort, it has a great old town and a gaggle of very good universities. As a result of all the different types that are attracted to the place, from the most well-heeled to the most excitable student rabble-rouser there is a tremendous, and well-variegated, coffee-house scene where people actually sit around and talk rather than text.
Imagine that!
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An unprecedented and amazing event. So what should Canada do for stranded Canadians? When the last Israel/ Palestine war broke out we chartered a cruise ship to rescue the Canadians caught up in a known danger zone. War in that part of the world is nearly clockwork, people can hardly call war between Israelis and Palestinians a surprise.
Canadians rescued fellow Canadians, even the ones who live full time in the Mid-East and hold our passport for convenience. So, what are we doing for Canadians in trouble in Western Europe? Surely European-Canadians deserve the same security Middle Eastern-Canadians have been given in the past.
diverdarren--
'Canadians in trouble in Western Europe...."
You're just joshing us, right?
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