Travel in 2024 X 2
I think we all have come to the realization that travel post Covid is not what it used to be! So many personnel in the travel industry from pilots on down, took early retirement and thus, the stress of travel has seemingly multiplied ten fold! Or maybe this is because of my age? In February I flew to a resort just south of the border to meet some girlfriends who were turning 65 to celebrate that momentous occasion for them. (I am the elder in the group at 67 but we all have known each other since our 30’s when we were single in San Francisco in the late 80’s and into the 90’s. Ours is the generation that put off marriage and having kids due to our careers so some of my friends have had quite high powered jobs.) Very fun to spend a week together, except when your bag is the one that goes on a later flight, to be delivered the next day. There is a first time for everything, and this was mine. Thankfully United told me to “go shopping” and did reimburse me completely for my purchases to carry me through the first 24 hours. +1 for United Airlines! After a week of hiking, swimming, Pilates, eating yummy food (not having to cook is such a gift) and catching up, it came time to leave. As I live in a small mountain town, I had 3 flights to get back home. At the airport in San Diego at the gate, there was a gal on her cel phone on speaker talking loudly for a good 45 minutes in front of her children. I was stunned. No one said anything but we tried to give her dirty looks, to no avail. (I was VERY tempted to say something, but couldn’t figure out what it would be so tried valiantly to ignore her intrusion). I also knew, knowing my luck and Murphy being who he is, that she could very easily be my seatmate, so I was relieved that I kept my mouth shut as she got on -and was seated immediately behind me. Fortunately she kept quiet during the flight, plugging her children into their screens for the duration. But I really was stunned at such appallingly un - self aware behavior. It seems that this is happening more and more?! Or is it my aging and losing my tolerance for it? I actually think it is a combo of both.
When my husband and I recently returned from NYC, there was more bad behavior unfortunately. A youngish couple was having a VERY good time in the gate area getting ready for the flight to Las Vegas and were quite loud and boisterous. To be fair, the flight was delayed and the gate was changed…further delays and so when we finally boarded the plane, everyone was pretty anxious to get going, obviously! We were seated and everyone boarded and all was seemingly going fine…. until the flight attendants came stomping up the aisle (when they mean business, they REALLY mean business) and reported to the captain that he needed to go intervene at the back as threats and punches were being throw around. Ay yi yi! The police were called and the aforementioned couple were having words up the aisle ( I got the sense she was VERY annoyed at her boyfriend for messing up their trip) and they were arrested and evidently banned from the airline for life. Ooof!
I have never experienced this before and it (of course) caused us to miss our connection so forced us to spend the night at an airport hotel and get an early flight out the next morning. Thankfully, we made it home, one day late, sick with Covid from the flight out to NY amidst a coughing person in our row. I might be reluctant to fly anytime soon as the effort seems to be getting harder and the actual flying more unpleasant and challenging. (I do so wish the Western US had trains that actually ran on time and were more readily available, like the East Coast and Europe do. Anyone else love train travel?)
It makes me think of my grandmother who used to fly out to see us from NYC and was always sensibly dressed wearing gloves and hose. I do try and get dressed nicely and covered up as much as for warmth as for germ avoidance. I guess this what happens as we get older; we get (hopefully) more sensible.
Signing off for now, post Covid and happy to be home in the mountains, although it snowed 8 inches last night and was 24 degrees this morning. Bring on spring, please!