Tarmac

Tarmac | Dallas, TX | September 2019

Window Seat #4 | An airport ramper I knew years ago had an easy relationship with extreme weather. “Take shelter inside your clothes,” he said. “And have the right clothes for every situation.” Rampers, who load luggage and de-ice planes (among myriad duties), have gear to combat blizzards, heat waves and everything in-between. On this 98-degree day in Dallas, rampers wore sweat-wicking, long-sleeve shirts to avoid sunburn and heat stroke. Some donned mesh French Foreign Legion-style hats with rear flaps for neck protection. All seemed to know the value of shade and sought the underwing with every lull in their work. “I don’t think of weather as the enemy,” laughed my ramper friend. “It’s my fashion buddy. Everyday it tells me what to wear.”