Pros and Cons of Living Near BWI

When I started planning my move from Washington, DC, to Glen Burnie back in the fall, I was excited about being close to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Though it has one drawback—one of these days I’m going to drive off the road out of fear that an airplane is going to land on my car.

Upon settling in on the first night, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a light moving outside the window. It was a plane! How cool, I thought.

While learning my way around town, I stumbled upon the Thomas A. Dixon Jr. Aircraft Observation Area where the planes seem so close that I feared one would land on my car.

I remember pulling over to take a picture on my phone and posting it to my Facebook profile with the caption, “These planes are going to give me a heart attack.” To which my friend Candy Fontz replied, “Give it another three months and you won’t even notice (or hear) them!”

So when I put out a call for non-food places in Glen Burnie to check out for this column, I jumped at Candy’s suggestion to take a trip over to Dorsey Road and spend some time watching the planes land.

I grabbed a friend and some food and spent a couple hours being amazed by the planes as they came in for a landing at BWI. It was incredible how close the planes seemed as they glided in over the field next to the park where children played and bikers and runners used the BWI Trail.

After two hours at the park people watching and seeing the planes land, I wish I could say I’ve gotten a little more used to the planes overhead. I will admit I hardly hear the planes anymore, though I did turn up the TV as one blew by while writing this column.

As far as getting used to seeing them? It might take a few more months, Candy.