Tag: Airlines

  • ODDS and ENDS: Trains, Planes, and Roadtrips

    (Into this house we’re born…)

    I like the train. See, the kid’s soccer team has started practicing not too far way from the Metro North tracks on Park Ave. The team mets up in the early evening, so all the trains going by are for the rush hour heading out of the City. I’m not saying that I want to commute out the City everyday, but I do miss riding the train for work purposes. A long time ago, I would occasionally take the Long Island Railroad (L I Double R) out to the college I used to work for. On those days, I would be heading in the opposite direction of everyone else; They were coming into the City, and I was heading out. The train was sparsely filled with people, and I got a bit of reading done, or journaling. Other days I would just enjoy watching the City unfurl around me, and give way to Nassau County. It wasn’t the happiest time of my life when I was riding the LIRR, but it was a time that allowed me to be introspective.

    I hate airlines. Flying sucks, and it is not enjoyable. No matter which airline it is, they all blow. Flying today is worse than being on a crowed bus at rush hour. When we make vacation plans, the flying portion of the trip is equal to a hammer being dropped on my foot for three to four hours. The seats suck, the boarding sucks, the nickel and diming sucks, and the other passengers also suck. It’s amazing how the airline industry took something as fun and exciting as flying, and made it uncomfortable as a root canal.

    I love driving across America. And if I have a choice, I will always choose driving over flying. I like highways, and interstates, and roadside attractions. Dinners that are open late, and gas stations that have amazing local restaurants in the back. I like the sound of 18-wheelers passing you on the other side of the highway. I like naps in the backseat, and wondering what is around the bend. I love seeing America, who we are, and how we do things. I love yelling “moo” out the window at cows, and singing in the car. I love moving and discovering.

  • Airline Passengers Suck

    I flew out of LaGuardia the other morning. I had read all the news stories about how under staffed and overwhelming the airlines were, so I planned accordingly. Got to the airport two hours early, and checked in online, and I had my ID and everything ready to go. I just needed to check one bag. So, I got in line.

    And this is where I have to say I don’t think all the delays are the airline’s fault. I know that I was at LaGuardia, which is a major hub, so I’m not at all surprised that this would be a location that was fully staffed – which it was. All the the counters had someone working, and there were even staff walking up and down the lines seeing if there were questions they could answer for people. What I saw was that the airlines were really trying. Making an effort, you know.

    What I also saw was how shitty airline passengers are. Yes, most of them truly do suck. In my line alone, we had a guy who over slept and missed his flight, which the airline was willing to rebook him same day, but he refused to accept their options. I watched a couple try to check in three bags that were all over weight. I saw three guys hold up the line because their seats weren’t together, even thought they all admitted they had booked their seats independently. And I could go on and on…

    Look, I get it is easy to blame big corporations for doing shady things to their customers, and airlines do deserve to be shit on, if nothing else, for the lack of leg room on the planes. But, I think we should also keep in mind that some of these delays and issues are being caused by some rather crappy human beings.

    That is all.

    Happy Travels.

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