BackingIn.com My thoughts about stuff…

You CAN Go Home Again

On my way back to Florida, I sat next to that guy on the airplane.   You know the guy to whom the rules do not apply?  Yeah, that's the guy.  You sat next to him once, too?

I upgraded to first class for my trip from a windy Newark Liberty International airport.  It only cost me $60!  With the delays caused by the high winds and the extra volume of holiday travelers, I was so glad to be able to get on (and off) the plane first, enjoy a wide seat, and get (as it turns out) really good food and drinks.  As I settled into my 3rd row seat, the flight attendant asked me if I would trade seats with a woman in the first row bulkhead.  There are no seats in front of the seats in the bulkhead row, so the woman in question had to put her case in the overhead.  She had special medical issues, and she needed to be able to access her carry-on during the flight.  Being the good sport that I am, I agreed and traded with her.  I think the whole 'special medical needs' was just a ruse to get away from that guy.

Trying to get situated in the cramped confines of the too small Boeing 737, I had to pass by that guy a number of times on my way to and from my window seat.  I had to put my bag in the overhead, then I forgot something and had to pull it out, etc.  Each time I passed by, that guy shot me the evil eye and took his sweet time moving his penny loafers out of my way.  Don't get me wrong, I hate to be disturbed on a flight as much as anybody, but I was moving so the 'gravely ill' passenger could get her precious under seat storage.  Get over it, dude!

OK, so we're getting ready to take off after about an hour and half delay.  "Turn off your electronic devices...", demanded the flight crew.  I switched off my phone and my mp3 player.  I even shut off my noise canceling headphones.  That guy, who had been texting throughout the boarding process, continued to text away what I'm sure was very important messages to very important people.  Now my blood is boiling.  I guess the rules don't apply to you, I thought.  You're special because you have an un-tucked Polo shirt, designer jeans, and brown loafers with no socks.  Perhaps your special privileges come from the power in your neatly trimmed, pencil thin, facial hair?  Nah, it's probably you're 'my s**t don't stink expression' on your face that makes it OK for you to do whatever you want.

The whole 'no electrics during takeoff and landing' is ridiculous, in my opinion.  In "Episode 49: Cellphones on Planes and Helium Raft," the Discovery Channel show, Mythbusters,  tested the dangers of using cell phones and other electronics on board an aircraft and found no danger using them on modern airliners  To be on the safe side, the FAA still enforces the ban on electronics.  These rules are to be followed by all.  Even if you watch the Golf Channel on the first class LCD for the entire flight and drink Vodka and Diet Sprites all flight long, you still need to follow the rules like the rest of us slobs.  Cellphone, texting, iPod Touching...this guy did it all.  Maybe I should have confronted him or ratted him out to the flight attendants, but I just don't think it causes any real harm.  In retrospect, I should have said something.  It just ticks me off when people feel they are entitled to live above the rules that the rest of us have to obey.  As we exited the plane, that guy was back on his phone texting, completely oblivious to those around him trying to pass.  A more immature man would have intentionally given him a shoulder bump on the way out towards the terminal, but I am much more sophisticated to ever do something like that.

Now home in Florida, it was time to unpack, tidy up, and return to reality.  I collected up some trash and walked over to the compactor.  I opened the door to the trash compactor and was confronted by a masked bandit stealing our garbage.  I thought New York City rats were brazen, but this raccoon didn't move an inch.  I, on the other hand, jumped back and yelped like a little girl.   I'm glad the animal didn't lunge for my throat because the man standing 20 yards from me speaking on his cellphone didn't seem to notice that a small woodland creature had setup home in our garbage, and that a grown man was jumping up and down with a bag of trash in his hand.  I couldn't persuade the little rascal away from his meal of piazza crusts and what appeared to be some sort of bean dip, so I left the bag of trash by the curb, closed the door and went home.  I still would have preferred to sit next to the raccoon on the flight instead of that guy.

Can't believe somebody threw that away...delicious!