With the Terminal man at Charles de Gaulle

I was recently sitting in Terminal 2 at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, reading The Terminal Man, the tale about Merhan Karimi Nasseri who has been living in Terminal 1 of CDG for 16 years. That’s right. Terminal 1, the horrible concrete saucer.

Waiting for the night to fall over CDG.

The tale of the Terminal man is a rather sad story. I feel bad for anyone who happens to arrive at CDG airport. I’ve been to that airport a dozen times, one of the worst in Europe. Even though there are different terminals, the Terminal 1 feels like a dirty gray bunker with very limited food options available.

We even tried to look for food on the other side of the building, but was promptly stopped by the guards. I pity the poor souls who have to work there, but to imagine someone spending 16 years in Terminal 1 is horrifying.

Welcome to Charles de Gaulle Terminal one. You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave.

It was a long night. Perhaps I should have talked to the Terminal man for some advice?

Update: Nasseri left the airport in 2006.