The man who inspired The movie '"The terminal" :

Alfred Merhan has lived quietly on a bench inside Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport for 116 years, his few belongings stuffed into bags and boxes beside him.

Merhan's surreal existence under the neon lights of the airport's grim food hall has inspired Steven Spielberg's new blockbuster "The Terminal", starring Tom Hanks in the role of an East European who is stranded at New York's airport for months.

(...)

The soft-spoken, balding man says he received more than $300,000 from Spielberg's production company DreamWorks for the rights to his life story, but he hasn't touched most of it.Because, he cant have a bank account in the airport...
He lives on a few euros each day, buying papers, food and coffee.


Read the story : www.reuters.co.uk...

If some members are interested, I can go and visit him, Roissy airport is not far from where I am, and report it to ATS.


[Edited on 31-8-2004 by Nans DESMICHELS]

[Edited on 31-8-2004 by Nans DESMICHELS]

Wow Thats crazy! I never knew that movie was based on a true story. I think meeting him would be cool . O dont you mean 16 years not 116?

Here's more of the story:

man in airport

He's free to go now since he got his papers, but looks like he's too used to the airport.