Josh works in the executive building of his company. It is a teal windowed building with a runway for a drive way and an air traffic control tower as a guard gate. His office in the teal windowed building over looks one of the hangers where they bring clients to look at planes that are finished or almost finished so they have a more tangible idea of what they are purchasing. For 27 million dollars, I would want to know what I am purchasing too. Anyway, the building is at the back of the campus/airport, and honestly, about 3/4 of a mile to a mile away from the rest of the plant and everything else they have on their property like the employee gym and auditorium.
When Josh has to meet with the engineers or a lot of people who will be working on the design of a plane, they meet in one of the larger areas across campus from his office. The company is wonderful about taxiing the staff in 15 passenger vans from one end of campus to the other. It is cool because it allows everyone to be on time for the meetings and no one has to walk in the extreme heat or extreme cold. Josh recently had one of these meetings and the van came to pick he and his colleagues up from their office and shuttle them to their meeting. It was a success, from one end to the other safely.
The meeting came and went and it was time to head back to the office. Well, Josh and one of his colleagues waited and waited for the van to pick them up and no one came. They waited at the pick up point for about half an hour before they decided to hoof it across campus to their "home." They began walking and came to the first runway. They were obviously taught well by their mothers because they looked both ways before crossing the street. All clear, they crossed. As they stepped off the other side of the runway, the Hawker Beechcraft police came speeding up in their oh so pimp golf cart. "Gentlemen, you need to come with us." Josh and his colleague thought "sweet, a free ride, it is flippin' hot out here." That was not the case. They were brought back to the security office near the meeting place they just left, placed in separate "interrogation rooms," and lectured then questioned. "Sir, did you know it is a federal offense to walk across and active runway?" the security guard asked. "Did you know you could face up to ten years in jail and fines," he asked. Josh told him no and got a little worried. The security guard questioned him a little more and then let them go, only after finding out who their bosses were, and why they were walking across the runway. When they got back to their offices the immediately found their bosses and let them know the story. They laughed.
The next morning Josh goes to work and is called down to the security office for more questioning. They began asking questions like "What did you have for breakfast yesterday morning? What did you have for lunch? Are you on any medication? Are you suicidal? Why did you walk across an active runway? Josh answered, "cereal and yogurt; chicken, carrots, and fig newtons; no, just the fiber I take daily; no; and the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line, the runway was in the straight line. He was sent back to his office and the next day given his punishment...a half day. His boss told him not to tell anyone because then everyone will walk across and active runway!
The moral of the story is, do not walk across an active runway. Apparently it is a federal offense and you will be taken down my the big bad rent-a-cops. If you do happen to walk across an active runway, do not only look right and left, look up!
Footnote:
The van did not make the pick up because it was in an accident!
