Interviewee: Walter Huang (volunteer served in TSA)

Time: 2011.10.19

Place: TSA

I have served as an airport volunteer here since 1997. I was an executive in a company in 90s. The company had many branches all over the country, so I got the chance to fly very often. Sometime I even took airplane three times a week. Therefore, after I retired, I grabbed the chance to be the volunteer in the airport, because I wanted to be helpful to the passengers just like the ones who used to help in the past.

There are three major areas I offer my service: the hall way, the checking lobby and the baggage claim. I help those who are with luggage and kids or remind the kids not running and touch the baggage turn plate. And of course I also need to guide the “challenger(the disables) to the right counter and help them with the luggage.

I am here not to achieve something, but be helpful. Therefore, I feel happy everyday and do it consistently.

It is very necessary to master many different languages as an airport volunteer. I can speak English, Japanese, Mandarin and Taiwanese so far. It’s a pity I should have known Hakka since my mom is a Hakka. There was a passenger who was very upset until he found someone who can speak Cantonese and solved his problem. Although I can only speak a little English and Japanese, I’m not afraid of speaking to the foreigners. Instead, I help them and also practice my language skills. Besides English,I would suggest the students in school should learn as more languages as they can.

The things I like to do most is“people watching”.I see people and the storybetween them.There was an old grandpa a, a little girl and a young couple. The grandpa took care of the little girl in Penghu while the little girl’s parent—the young couple, had to stay and worked in Taipei. When it was time to say goodbye, the little girl cried and so did the mother. I also met a lot of Japanese who flied home on 12th March, after the 311 earthquake. There was a car salesman who was anxiously going home because no one answered the phone at home. And last week, there was a lady who thanked me because I helped her on 12th March when she was also hurried going home.

However, there are also discouraging things. Some passengers may take my greeting in the wrong way and get very angry. I just apologize and leave right away. I help passengers who are late by telling them which flight they can take and where to sign in the waiting list.

There are some suggestions from the passengers. They wish to have the rain cover just like the Taoyuan airport does, and broaden the car way.

I hope passengers can make sure which terminal they are going, and the signs in the airport can be more helpful. The price of the items that sold in the shop in the airport can be more reasonable and special.