So there was this article on CNN.com today. Which led me to this blog on the subject.
I don't know about you, but I think that blog, and all the commenters thereto are way the fuck off.
If I get on an airplane and someone had thrown their purse on my seat, do I have a right to ask them to move it? I think yes. If someone has stowed their bag under the seat in front of me, can't I tell them that's my underseat storage?
So how is it different if I get on a plane, and when I go to sit down I discover someone's thigh is on my seat?
I think I get treated pretty shabbily when I fly commercially these days. And this is with the understanding that one of my closest friends is a flight attendant.
For example, when I left to go see Inspector on Friday, my flight was about 30 minutes late boarding, and then sat on the taxiway for almost another 30. We were running a full hour behind and I only had a little more than an hour lay-over. When the flight attendants came by to do the drink service, I asked the flight attendant if he'd ask the pilot to call ahead and check on connections.
He said to me, in his most exasperated tone, "We cannot do that. It is our company policy not to do that. There is no way we can do that. When we land, there will be a uniformed, customer service representative who will help you figure out what to do."
Then, maybe ten minutes later, he came back to tell me the same thing, only more aggressively. When I told him that we had taken off an hour late, and that I certainly could not be the only person on this flight concerned about my connection, he repeated the bullshit about the uniformed customer service representative, getting louder and more strident with every syllable. When he walked away, the woman seated next to me turned to me and said "What on earth does he think you did to him?"
Not more than ten minutes after that, however, the pilot came over the loudspeaker and said "We know we are running late, folks, so we've called ahead to BWI to check on your connecting flights. The first connection from this flight is at 8:50 and we are scheduled to be at the gate at 8:35, so you all should be all right."
I think I am entitled to common courtesy when I travel. I also think that I am entitled to the seat that I paid for. And, oh my God, I think I am entitled to not have to touch anyone else when I travel.
So that means that if you are too fat for one seat, I think you should buy two. It means you should be courteous to fellow travelers which includes keeping your bag from smacking me in the face when you board, wearing clothing that will keep your naked skin from touching me, and sitting with your legs closed (dude!) so that your knee isn't in my space. It means lowering the volume on your ipod so I can't hear it, and it means saying excuse me before you climb over me.
It also means that if you work for the airline, I expect you to treat me like a customer and not like a kindergartener or like a nuisance.
Of course, I am also looking forward to traveling less someday hopefully soon. This airport thing is getting to be a drag.
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