I just got back from spending a few days in Ohio. As you would imagine, flying back and forth allowed me to notice a few things so I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the experience here...
-What is it about public transportation which makes you feel the need to root against total strangers? I don't know why this is, but I feel like whenever I am at the airport I always find one couple to root against. Leaving Logan it was the couple who were bumped from their flight and were trying to make a new connection. Normally I would have paid them no mind, but as the guy kept rocking against the bench I was on and talking about all the money his co-workers make, I couldn't stop myself from hoping they would get bumped from their next flight as well. Then on the way back it was the guys who came off the plane just to ask if they could change seats to sit together, decided as the plane was taking off they didn't like their new seats and hopped across the aisle to the empty bench, then asked for a cup of nothing but ice and never touched it so that by the time we needed to land it was just a cup of water and since the stewardess wouldn't take they just put it on the empty seat next to them (because holding it would be such a chore). By the time the plane was approaching the runway I could only wish for a hard landing a soaked lap. I guess the only good thing is that there has to be one of these annoying passengers on every flight and if they didn't exist I would be the annoying passenger.
-I was very impressed by how everybody works at the airport pretends to care about everyone's problems. I think one of the biggest flaws exposed during my brief retail career was that I never saw any problem as particularly urgent. Sure, I would do my best to fix any problem I could but I never treated it as if the fate of the world hung on a resolution. Not the people behind the desk for AirTran. I'm sure they forget about you as soon as you step away from the desk, but at least while you are standing in front of them they make you feel like you are important, rather than someone who bought the cheapest flight available, as AirTran passengers usually are. One guy was trying to switch from a Southwest flight to an AirTran flight at the last minute. Unfortunately, even though they are now the same company the workers couldn't make the program accept the changes so the man missed the connection and I was legitimately convinced the woman behind the desk was about to attempt holding the plane until she made it work. (The businessman thanked the woman for her effort by criticizing the computer program, because we all know the people at the desk are the ones in charge of designing that kind of stuff.) Seriously, I don't know who does AirTran's customer service training, but they should really be hired by more companies.
-One of the last things I had to do before arriving at the airport was fill the tank on my rental car. (A Nissan Rogue. Good new, Hertz - I never once considered keeping it.) As I got out at the gas station I notice two shiny nickles on the ground. Not about to turn down free money I picked them up, filled my tank and continued to the airport. Everything was fine until I forgot the change was in my pocket and then tried to go through the metal detectors. The girl working security asked me if I had any metal on me and I told her no. She gave me the stinkiest of stink eyes and replied, "It certainly looks like you do." It was then that I caught a glimpse of my scan on the monitor and notice my right front pocket was glowing red. Apparently, for all the technological advances we have made in the last few years, we still haven't quite figured out how to teach metal detectors to distinguish a couple of loose coins from the components for a blasting cap. I quickly took the coins out of my pocket and tried to explain I had just found them on the ground which is why I had forgotten they were there, but by this point the woman was not listening and just wanding over my pocket to make sure that was everything. She let me go after that, which I was very grateful for, because I would have felt really stupid to miss my flight over 10 cents.
-When I fly I typically try to get the window seat because it allows me to curl up and get (relatively) out of everyone's way. Plus, it allows me to watch the Earth pass below me and I don't care how old I get, I still find that perspective fascinating. That is what made my flight back so disappointing - I was in the second-to-last row and when I opened the window to check out my view I was greeted with a lovely sight of the engine. I couldn't see around it at all and instead had to look out the window of the person in front of me to get a sliver of land. But I have to say the worst part of that seat was being able to hear the engine. It wasn't even the constant whirring noise which disturbed me, it was the few times it changed. I wouldn't classify myself as a nervous flyer, but even I would have to pause for those few seconds when the engine would suddenly sound different. I don't like it when my car makes a strange sound and in that situation I can pull over, so you can imagine why the last thing I would want at 35,000 feet is for an engine to start making noises. Seriously, do all airplane engines sound that unhealthy all the time? If they do the airline industry had really better work on better soundproofing for planes because if everyone could hear just how strained these engines sounds when they are working well it would scare a lot of people into driving to their destinations instead.
-But, overall my latest trip reminded me of just how routine the entire experience of flying has become and how disappointing I think that is. I understand that the initial wonder surrounding every new piece of technology eventually wears off, but when did flying stop being glamorous? If you look at old pictures of flights everyone was really excited and tried to look their best. Even the plane was sparkling. In contrast, the airplane I was on this weekend on had cracked arm rests, stained seats and haggard-looking employees. Hell, on one of my flights the seat still had crumbs when I got to it. It was more like a bus than an airplane, which bummed me out. I know the most important thing is just getting to your destination alive, but would it kill some of these airlines to try and act like flying is still kind of a cool idea? If they did I bet more passengers would fall back in line because it used to be you dressed up to fly. Now you show up half hung-over and wearing pajamas. You know, it feels like no one does anything but complain about air travel. Well, maybe if we all decided to put some more of an effort into the experience it would improve for everyone. It's hard to complain about something when everyone else appears to be having a good time because no one wants to be the turd in the punch bowl. Well, except for the one couple we all hope miss their connection. I don't care how classy we try and make the experience, those guys will always exist.
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