He said there is no way you could convince him... so why try?

I couldn't speak intelligently about North bases anyway: I've only been to MEM once, and DTW a few times. I was absolutely amazed by DTW. Not awed and impressed. It was more of a "jaw drop" kind of thing. Beautiful facility, though.

As far as "The ATL" goes, a good year for me involves only two visits. Cretainly, you can't order a sandwich without someone scowling at you. But aside from a few kamikaze tug drivers trying to cut you off, and the fact some of wing-walkers seem to be speed-limited, I can't say I ever see operational problems. I dislike the vibe of the place, but I have to respect the throughput. The entire airport is a monstrous, well-oiled machine, designed to, and highly successful at, moving planes and people.

Let me close with another compliment of sorts... Considering the insanely crappy set-up, I think the people on the ramp at JFK are much improved. I can't say I've been waiting for marshallers, or for a tug, in recent memory. I even get the impression some of the kids are trying to make it work. How bizarre.