Monday, April 19, 2010

The best job in the world

We had the pleasure of driving around an almost empty Heathrow area yesterday. We were there to pick up Vicky, my partner's, car from Business parking. She has just concluded a 27 hour train and ferry trip from Madrid under beautiful, blue yet volcano ash stricken sky. We arrived at the gate of the Parking area to be greeted by by a Gentleman who welcomed us and and advised us that the 3 days over stay was free and that we could enter with my car and drive the 500 metres or so to collect the car and both leave for free.

We were, of course, fully expecting to pay for the overstay as companies all over are invoking their 'act of God' clauses to plough back money into their coffers. Business Parking at Heathrow clearly had other ideas and I imagine everyone who arrived that day to collect their cars left happy.

So why the best job in the world? Well the Gentleman who greeted us has one job and one job only all day and that's to make people happy. Yes he has his Saturday blown out, a beautiful sunny day, but hey; everybody was smiling.

The second best job? The guy at the other end writing off the charges and raising the barrier for us to leave.