Posted on 05/17/2006 12:27:25 PM PDT by SW6906
It really chaps my a$$, and thank you all for letting me vent on that.
What that ignores is the person who travels on business, and is not able to select their airline based on leg room, service, or much of anything else. Yes the airlines are responding to the market, which is distorted somewhat by third party payers, so to speak. If the third party payers had to pay a bit more, they'd probably have their people travel less.
I'm a big guy, and I'm really uncomfortable in coach, and I feel really sorry for the folks who have to sit on either side of me when I'm stuck in a middle seat. I'm compressed from side to side and front to back. I spend much of the flight with my hands on the top of the seat in front of me, because there isn't room for my arms and shoulders otherwise.
And the airlines won't let you have your .45 in the seat pocket in front of you. Whereas, it's easy to get away with having it in your center console, or elsewhere in your vehicle, regardless of the law might actually say. But even abiding by the letter of the law, you can at least have it unloaded in the trunk, which about as useful as having in the baggage compartment of the airplane.
I wish I could do that, but I simply can't. My personal rule is if it's going to take me more than about 5 hours to drive, then I will fly. Sometimes you just don't have the time to drive, and I'm afraid that I'm no longer comfortable driving really long distances (I used to drive nonstop between KC and NY a few times a year, during college.)
Oh, and don't forget Nazi-like TSA luggage and body searches. Won't miss that either.
I've got to say that I'm about ready to start thinking about wearing sweat pants, a tee shirt, and flip-flops for going through the airports. No metal and slip on/off flip flops would make going through security a dream!
Mark
I was flying on Continental Airlines from SFO to EWR a few years ago when a large guy walked down the aisle and stopped at my row. He had the window seat and I had the aisle. He was wearing a homemade tanktop, shorts, and flip-flops on his feet. I could see chunks of caked anti-perspirant barely clinging to his armpit hair and could smell his toes.
I immediately found a flight attendant and asked why a half-naked man was permitted to board the aircraft. I didn't want his sweat, toe cheese, anti-perspirant, or anything else near me for the next five and a half hours. My suggestion was that this matter could be immediately resolved by simply putting me in the first-class section.
They agreed and I remained a happy traveler. As I returned to my seat to get my bag from the overhead compartment I informed the man that his manner of dress was entirely inappropriate for an adult. I worked for an employer in the mid-1990's that mandated both men and women to dress in a business suit whenever traveling because of the possibility of inadvertently meeting clients in the terminal or on a flight! Is there any reasonable reason why airlines can't mandate minimal dress requirements, even if simply for basic health and hygiene?
~ Blue Jays ~
Did it also have one of those early, overhead, "flying saucer" radomes?
Are you a professional writer by any chance? Your opening paragraph is vivid enough to make me retch and I've had some pretty nasty row-mates in my time but this guy has most of them beat.
Even the old, Indian woman on my last, unfortunate coach flight out of Seoul who used her window seat and the unoccupied middle as a couch wasn't that bad. Of course it was a bit gross when she was sleeping and her bare feet slid under the arm rest and poked me in the thigh. I hate international economy class.
Not a professional writer at all, my employment is in the softwear technology arena. I was just describing my memory of the flight because the gooey chunks were literally swinging from his armpit hair like decorations hung on a Christmas tree.
At the very least he should have been instructed to return to the terminal to purchase a new sweatshirt and fresh socks. We ourselves are partially at cause for permitting this slide into boorish behavior and reduced standards because it is permitted to occur. The gate agents should have nipped that one in the bud.
~ Blue Jays ~
Softwear? Geez, it must be getting late for me! That would be software when I have enough caffeine coursing through my system.
~ Blue Jays ~
Flying is easy but uncomfortable. I imagine it is worse since 9/11
Now if that had been worn by a shapely 21-year-old vixen instead of a fat guy, I believe you would not have objected at all to the form of dress. Even if she betrayed a little anti-perspirant and toe cheese.
He probably bought the home, mortgaged to the hilt, as the check from Nigeria will be in any day now.
Nope. And I too respected the heck out of them. Some were friends of mine.
I was with the 31 Tac Ftr. Wing (F4-Es) and they were a unit on base. :-) - Managed to get a ride with em.
Also saw what was left of the one that collapsed while taxiing in Iceland. (I was at Kef. with the 57th for a while as well)
I also flew on an early E3-A. Huge difference between the two aircraft!!
The man with the dangling chunks of anti-perspirant hanging from his armpit hair in my narrative wasn't fat as you've incorrectly mentioned, he was large as I originally described. He towered to perhaps 6'6" in height. There is a huge difference.
Secondly, it wouldn't much matter to me whether it's a man or woman who is inappropriately dressed for the flight. There is a time and place for everything. I don't want the sweat, stink, and anti-perspirant chemicals of a stranger rubbing against my garments while we're flying across country because we have adjoining seats. They should wear normal clothes and the airlines should enforce it.
~ Blue Jays ~
I understand you frustration, however, what is "normal"?
I usually wear black ripstop battle dress pants, black mil jungle boots, black web mil belt, and a black or sage green shirt when I fly.
I also pretty much loose myself in this after we get airborne:
My description of "normal clothes" could have been more descriptive. The outfit you described sounds perfectly fine for flight because your armpits are adequately covered, your footwear is sturdy and safe, and there would be minimal contact with another person's skin under normal conditions. The fact that you bring entertainment means that you're not likely to be a chatterbox, either! ;-)
~ Blue Jays ~
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