I’m on the plane to Dallas today and once again I’m certain they’ve taken another 6 inches out of the seat spacing. Even short people are cramped. On what used to be a relatively relaxing 3 hour flight, I need a chiropractor to realign my spine and vertebrae. I also believe I’m forming a deep vein thrombosis in both legs due to the minimal blood flow to my lower extremities. I can’t even begin to describe my adventure in the lavatory with a ceiling that’s 5 feet high. But those of you who know me realize I’m 6’4″ tall. Let your imagination run wild. Just let me say that the contortionists in Cirque du Soliel have nothing on me especially when it comes to water acrobatics.
I always try and upgrade to first class but on this particular flight there’s only 4 seats available for the privileged few. My attempts to obtain an exit row seat which has 2 extra inches of leg room was also in vain due to the friendly and customer oriented USAir flight crew commuting to Dallas gobbling up the choice seats. And we all know about the in – air eating experience. I broke down and purchased a 6 oz can of Almonds for $5. They do have chicken salad for $7. Forget the peanuts/pretzel freebees. Or like the guy sitting in the seat next to me who weights 275 lbs chowing down on his Colonel Sanders KFC bucket of thighs and legs, I should have brought my own.
I suspect that some airlines are flying these miniature aircraft to save on fuel and of course leave a lighter “carbon footprint.” Somehow that becomes somewhat irritating when I think about Al Gore (high priest of mother earth and all that is green) jetting the globe in his private jet. Oh well, I suppose I should be grateful just to land safely and with both pilots wide awake. Oh, wait, that looks like the Rio Grande down there! Should have known.
A personal account of Al Gore:
My father works in China and makes somewhere between four and six flights between the States and Guangzhou a year. On two separate occasions has sat next to Al Gore in coach.
My dad isn’t much of an Al Gore fan and has made many a joke on the fact that Gore likes to wear his paints an inch above his belly button.
I’m not trying to stick up for the bleeding nose liberals (as my republican father likes to call me ever since I moved to New York) maybe Gore uses private jets more often domestically, and maybe his carbon footprint has Sasquatch proportions——all I’m saying is that he could have sat in business class but he didn’t.
Now back to your entry: what are we going to do about this inhospitality? At least it isn’t getting as bad as Ryanair that wants to charge its guests to use the bathroom so that more people will relieve themselves before boarding lowering the average weight of passengers thus lowering fuel costs. But then again, they are pumping less pollution into the atmosphere, not that I believe in “global warming” or anything….
Thanks for your first hand experience. I like the different perspective.
RC
Nothing worse than USAir. They make a habit of torturing their customers. I wish Southwest flew everywhere.
Now I like Jasmin even more. That Gal thinks for herself.”Very smart” comment.
Dear Mr. Ovid Creasy –
You should post on Rick’s blog more often! 😉
Hope you are well.
To all:
I’m glad you gave the “devil”
(Al Gore) his due, but believe me when I tell you, it was only to further his long gone political career and line his rich pockets. He is totally a “fake” and in my younger years of insanity, I voted for him in the Presidential primary here in Nashville.
It was such a crushing blow to my young, naive thinking that he would make a good prez. Then he sold out to the Clintons by being VP thinking he would be next. Well, need I say more?
And he is not the only rich, out of touch with real people on this planet. Look at our Congress!!!
God help us all.