I just got back from J.F.Kennedy International Airport. Between the airport entrance and the plane, I believe I walked over 5 miles. I don't think there's one chamber of Terminal 9 that I haven't seen.

This is a perfect place to put Airport Novels!!!!!!!!

This is a horizontal trail of words printed in large writing on the walls, that you read as you walk. As you walk, you read the story.

Here's the cool part. Depending on which way you walk and which gate you're going to, the story branches into different possible outcomes (like a Choose Your Own Adventure book). This means that if you're at a different gate next time you go to J.F.K. airport, you will receive a different ending to the novel. Each airline can have its own story, and sometimes two stories will merge into the same ending.
-- phundug, May 09 2006

Bermashave signs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma-Shave
I always wondered if they ever did one with two endings depending on what street you took. [James Newton, Sep 12 2006]

Brilliant but *bonk* *clatter* *oh, excuse me* dangerous.
-- jutta, May 09 2006


Genius! This is a superb idea.

But frequent flyers might suffer from 'the same old bloody story'.

On a side note, the bank HSBC have their ads all along the walkways at a London airport (is it Gatwick?) and although they don't tell a story, the legend is continuous and thematic.
-- Jinbish, May 09 2006


Frabjous! Big croissants.

Presumably Arabs will get to read theirs after disembarking and each would have a different beginning but the same ending, which is, on a long enough time line, like life.
-- calum, May 09 2006


...umm, sorry I missed my flight, I wanted to find out how the story ended.

Bun for Fun!
-- xandram, May 09 2006


If you think JFK has miles of corridors - try Heathrow - enough space there for War and Peace in twenty languages +
-- xenzag, May 09 2006


I like it! But parts of the story should be changed out weekly. So that the story on 1 April slowly develops into a completly different story by 1 November.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 09 2006


We could employ typesetters.
-- normzone, May 09 2006


[+] Tasty notion, this.
-- kuupuuluu, May 10 2006


One could slip the porter a bill to get a preview, then cut into the airport lounge. Who'll know the difference?
-- reensure, May 10 2006


Brilliant.

"The butler did it", "No, it was the chef", "I assure you it was the porter". *Cue large fight in departure lounge*
-- Mr Phase, May 10 2006


The stories of the book should diverge towards the usual destinations the gates serve.
-- RayfordSteele, May 10 2006


"I don't want to fight the big ogre but I have to go to terminal C34 to catch my flight to Atlanta."

or you could have someone say...

"I see you're at B12...wimp."

+
-- sartep, May 13 2006


quite clever indeed, i think it woudl be very entertaing, and take my attention away from all the weird looking people that i usuly run into in the air port. +

P.S. yeah, Heathrow would be epic
-- Curiosity, May 14 2006


Make it a spy thriller and include characters that fit the description of common airport visitors like hari krisnas (sp?) and the scary looking dude with the "golf club bag" that really contains a sniper rifle. Sort of bring the airport and everyone in it into the story.

Also include choices that would lead you into the unused men's in the far corner of the airport with continuing choices on the bathroom walls leading further into the spy thriller. You may get so wrapped up, you'll think you really are a spy.

You'll feel like you're really, like, a part of it, man.
-- NotTheSharpestSpoon, May 14 2006


A version of "Gone With The Wind" perhaps?
-- zigness, May 15 2006


...and when your walking back from the gate to baggage claim, you read the story in reverse.

Paul is dead. Paul is dead. Paul is dead.......
-- energy guy, May 15 2006


If it was in chinese, you'd have to walk backwards.

Nice.
-- skinflaps, May 15 2006


thats clever
-- shinobi, May 16 2006


If your journey ends in the executive lounge, your story gets a better ending.
-- hippo, May 16 2006


You could even ask for input from passengers as to how they would like to see the stories evolve. They could write their ideas on the back of their boarding passes. This is a truly wonderful idea.
-- (mans)laughter, May 16 2006


Reminds me of these:

A peach

looks good

with lots of fuzz

but man's no peach

and never was...

Burma-Shave
-- James Newton, Sep 12 2006


[James Newton: sp: Burma Shave, not Bermashave, in your link's title.]
-- jutta, Sep 12 2006


Great idea. Expand it to those long elevator rides in a scrolling format. Where is everbody looking anyway?
-- ZedLez, Sep 13 2006


I got stuck in a never-ending loop with one of those "choose your ending" books.
-- quantum_flux, Dec 30 2007



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