Ramp's Eye View at DIA

Rarely a week goes by that I’m not flying into or out of an airport somewhere in the country.  As I hopscotch around, large airports and small, I never tire of looking at how different airports operate.  Just a couple of days ago, I flew in and out of Denver International Airport.  I hadn’t been in there in some time and happened to have more time than I had planned for, due to a missed connection.   With time on my hands, I wandered around observing the ramp from Terminals B and C.  Granted that’s not the same as actually being on the ramp, but I did get a good overview.  And I have to say, I was quite impressed with what I observed.   What struck me was how organized the ramp area was.  A place for everything and everything in its place seemed to be the operator’s mantra.  The belt loader was parked in its designated spot; the baggage carts were lined up in their specified area; the push back tractor was located well to the front of the aircraft in its clearly demarcated spot, and so on.   It was as if all the equipment was there at the ready, awaiting the aircraft’s arrival (as it should be, of course).  But how many airports are actually so well organized?  Not all that many in my experience.  And, yes, having room to maneuver at DIA is a factor.  (I know how far it is between gates; that's probably why I missed my connection last week!) But clearly someone has taken the time to layout the equipment so that the operation can flow smoothly and efficiently.  Kudos to the operator!