Appreciating the SFO Watering Hole

Last week, after dutifully opting out of the TSA’s facial recognition and making it through all the scanners, I reached the only line in any airport that brings me joy: the SFO watering hole (as I now call it since it reminds me of animals gathering around a small pond to drink). It's the first thing you see beyond security in the international terminal: two beautiful and simple water bottle filling areas each in the shape of a three-pointed star. Forget clanking your bottle against a water fountain next to the bathroom entrance hoping for a half-full bottle. Instead, the three-sided structures encourage accidental eye contact and a small chat with the people across from you. Before a single word comes out you already learn about your fellow hydrators. They prefer their water at a different temperature than you do, as each of the three spots has a different temperature: hot, ambient, and chilled. If that’s not enough to get you talking, don’t worry, the contactless sensor on the side…