Friday, November 21, 2008

The Terminal 2? Japanese man makes airport home



Source: Southern Ledger

Hiroshi Nohara is on a layover at the Mexico City airport. It has lasted almost three months, and he has no plans to leave.

For reasons he can't explain, the Japanese man has been in Terminal 1 of the Benito Juarez International Airport since Sept. 2, surviving off donations from fast-food restaurants and passengers and sleeping in a chair.

At first, he frightened passengers, and airport authorities asked the Japanese Embassy to investigate why the foul-smelling man refused to leave. Now, he's somewhat of a celebrity, capturing Mexico's collective imagination with nearly daily television news reports on his life at the food court.

Tourists stop to pose with him for photographs or get an autograph.

How does this happen? A man who just lives in the airport? And is embraced by the public? I know it's a sentimental story but doesn't he have anywhere to go? And isn't the airport public property? People can't just stay there can they? If I went to the airport right now in Calgary and loitered around, I'd be arrested.

Or tasered! OUCH!

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