England - London - Airport greeter looks for Chinese passenger at Heathrow Airport

A greeting driver attempts to identify one of his passengers from a group of non-English-speaking young people who have just arrived off a flight from Beijing. In the hectic international arrivals concourse of Heathrow's Terminal 5, the man hold up a name board to attract the attention of those Chinese nationals who are new students at a Bournemouth language college called Education First (EF), based on England's south coast. With the help of a chaperone, the man points to a young girl in the hope she might be on his list. Neither speak each other's mother tongue and the language barrier is difficult to overcome. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).

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Filename: heathrow_airport424-13-07-2009.jpg
Copyright: © Richard Baker. No copying, screen grabbing, transmission or publication without permission.
Image Size: 5315x3543 / 2.3MB; www.photoshelter.com/support/license; https://www.bakerpictures.com/contact; Heathrow airport GB British English Europe EU Great Britain England UK London aviation BAA terminal 5 five T5 arrivals air travel greeting greet names cards pick-up drivers meeting meet identify showing fares ride onward collecting collect arranged expected waiting company Chinese Mandarin language schedule transportation transport confusion translation languages international foreign point you asking ask question xenophobia ignorant nationalities travel people LHR chaperone speech
Contained in galleries: A Week at the Airport (unpublished)

A greeting driver attempts to identify one of his passengers from a group of non-English-speaking young people who have just arrived off a flight from Beijing. In the hectic international arrivals concourse of Heathrow's Terminal 5, the man hold up a name board to attract the attention of those Chinese nationals who are new students at a Bournemouth language college called Education First (EF), based on England's south coast. With the help of a chaperone, the man points to a young girl in the hope she might be on his list. Neither speak each other's mother tongue and the language barrier is difficult to overcome. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).