Fly the Metadata Skies

Earlier this week I needed to travel from Tennessee back to California.  During the forced inactivity of several hours of air travel, I let my mind wander to LS 566 and the concept of metadata, and I thought it would be interesting to consider the trail of metadata I left as I crossed the country.  What follows is a kind of simplified metadata outline of my journey. Blue text represents data that I generated or that was retrieved or otherwise associated with me; red and purple indicate where the system broke down.  I have highlighted it to show the incredible amount of metadata that we are surrounded with all the time.  Just like a book, or a digital image, or any of the other library-oriented things (tangible or intangible) we will study and categorize and describe and tag in this class, we ourselves have been thoroughly cataloged, described, and tagged, and are tracked through our everyday lives to an incredible extent.

---

Check in with Airline:  Frequent flyer number and password retrieve flight information associated with my identity (flight number, ticket number, seat number, departure/arrival times, gate number, etc.); check in process adds metadata confirming my intention to board; checking a bag creates a new set of metadata (size and number of bags, baggage check number) and associates it with my identity.

Google Voice Search:  "Navigate to xxx airport" Google associates my identity in some way with my location, the nearest airport, the optimal route and several alternate routes, traffic events on each route, and drive time.

Drive to Airport:  Follow Google's instructions, but miss a turn in the rain and heavy traffic. Google notes location, offers new route based on my location, adjusts drive time.

Arrive Airport:  Return rental car Rental company locates my account (name, credit card number, driver's license, loyalty plan member number, rental history, vehicle assigned to me) and adds additional data (time/date of return, condition of car, mileage, fuel level).

TSA Check/Airport Security:  TSA confirms identity (driver's license, full name, name on boarding pass) and checks for (and confirms that none is found) metadata regarding no-fly status, other flags.

Board Airplane:  Airline scans boarding pass (my identity plus my seat number), changes metadata status to "boarded," adds name to passenger list.  Gate check carry-on bag (add claim check number to system).

Send Text Messages:  Alert family members that I didn't miss the flight (message time stamp, cell tower, sender, recipient).

Ride in Airplane:  Airline, air traffic control, and other services track metadata associated with flight (aircraft number, flight status, altitude, speed, and a great deal more).

Get off Airplane/Retrieve Carry-on:  Flight status (landed/arrived, time), baggage removed from flight

Next flight (same metadata as previous flight, no gate check)

Arrive at Destination Airport:  Flight status, etc., changed; checked bag arrival noted.

Pick Up Rental Car:  Reservation data (time/date/car type/pickup and return locations) plus my identity in rental car database; rental company assigns specific car to my identity (car license #, make/model/year, mileage, fuel level, car type); rental company upgrades rental car from mid-size to full-size (presumably another customer in my tiny home rental area has requested the larger car, so my data in the system (return to [small town xxx]) flagged my trip as the delivery mechanism), puts my name and slot number on the member board.  Find car, drive to exit.  Metadata problem!  Unmentioned rule says first time reserving as member, you must present the credit card for inspection.  On 3rd car rental of the trip, someone enforces it.  Metadata missing!  Credit card was left at home.  Have to go to customer service, where they have to cancel reservation, re-enter all data, add the credit card I did have with me (customer service clerk advises, half seriously, "go to a different lane this time").  Return to exit gate, so gatekeeper (a different one) can inspect said credit card, entered into system 5 minutes previously, to see if it matches. Metadata matches!  We drive away quickly.

Google Voice Search:  "Navigate small town xxx" Same as previous navigation.  Begin route home.

METADATA FAILURE!!!  Chosen route is "closed at the county line due to slides."  Google does not know this!  Google insists we keep on this route.  COMMUNICATION FAILURE:  Road closure data not transmitted to services like Google. Worse, it is local-centric.  "Closed at the county line"--which county?  which line?  north or south of me?  is that before or after my connection to the main route north? Even worse:  the detour sign "Road closed X miles ahead, take xxx road" appears several miles PAST the turn-off.  Turn around, return down several miles of highway to (unmarked) turn-off, Google suggesting U-turns and turn-around routes the entire way to, and a few miles into, the detour.

Metadata failure!  Google finally accepts our location as on an alternate route, but warns of an extra hour travel time due to tunnel construction.  Construction is over for the day, rush hour is past, we cruise through it.  Google notes our location and adjusts the travel time down by an hour.

Dinner stop:  Use credit card at restaurant (identity, credit card number, restaurant identity, time/date, amount, etc.)

Arrive at home town:  Return car.  Metadata failure!  The car reservation had to be arranged to/from this specific location because it was the only one open till midnight.  The rental company's metadata listed this location as open until 12AM.  The sign behind the desk said it was open until 12AM.  At 10:15 PM, the desk (servicing at least 3 rental companies) was entirely dark and deserted. Recorded requested metadata on contract envelope (ending mileage, time, fuel level), dropped papers and keys in after-hours return slot, crossed fingers.  (Next day, received email with all recorded metadata duly listed along with full rental data and total cost.)