ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Culture
NO PINT LEFT BEHIND
Braydon Fenton, 31, sat firmly at Auckland Airport this afternoon, taking his time finishing an overpriced airport beer despite clear and repeated instructions that it was absolutely, definitely time to board his plane.
Fresh off a wedding weekend and technically still “on holiday until the wheels touch Christchurch tarmac,” Fenton reportedly refused to let a calm but firm boarding announcement dictate the final moments of his Auckland experience.
“Passengers travelling to Christchurch may begin boarding now,” echoed across the terminal, a message Braydon acknowledged, with vague awareness and zero intention to act on it.
Fenton briefly glanced at the departure board to see his plane was definitely boarding, then returned his focus to the $17 pint in front of him as he spoke to our reporters.
“I’ve got plenty of time. The plane’s not even moving yet and people are lining up. It won’t leave without me,” Fenton explained, not feeling the pressure of his name possibly being read out loudly for a final boarding call.
While the terminal echoed with increasingly urgent boarding announcements, Fenton remained unflustered as he watched people in his gate area move frantically towards the entry to the plane via the boarding gate.
“They always say ‘final call’. I’ve never once seen consequences. Boarding calls are for people who panic and think the plane will actually leave without them despite them checking in for the flight”
“The loud speaker can yell all it wants, but it’s not going to rush me from finishing this beer which I know I’ve paid too much for.”
More to come.
