I truly am one of those weird people, who actually likes to travel a lot. I enjoy it for many reasons. When I travel I get to see new places and usually meet new people, which is fun. I love exploring new cities and new restaurants I have never heard of before that day. A huge reason I love to travel for work is that I use the airline miles and hotel points for my own vacations with Michael. Our honeymoon and recent vacation to south Florida were taken with airline miles. My trip last year was also taken on airline miles. So, I definitely take advantage of my time away by taking fun vacations for free.
Now after that note of how much I love traveling and why, let me tell you why I get annoyed with others or in general while traveling. I hate going through security behind those people with the Gallon size ziploc bag of liquids. It has been almost 10 years since they put the 3oz rule into place. The best part of these people, they don't understand what the problem is in taking the liquids and why it will be thrown in the trash unless they would like to check that bag. I am a pretty patient traveler; families with children do not bother me, older people who unload their bags like they have all day do not bother me. Business travelers, who forget to take the metal belt off and then want to argue with the TSA person that the last time that belt did not set off the metal detector, they bother me. Most everything else about security does not bother me, not even the new pat down system, which I have experienced (it really isn't that bad).
Now let’s talk about people on the planes. I recently was flying from Chicago to Northwest Arkansas, thank goodness that it was only 1.5 hour flight. The young man next to me had absolutely no reference for my personal space. He was leaning over the armrest and leaning over half of my body. I pushed him off of me at least three times and almost told him to stay on his side of the armrest. I was reading a book and he was touching the book, which was in the middle of my body. Too close!! Let me just add in this case he was not overweight in anyway. I feel like each time I travel the seat space is smaller. I feel bad for the majority of travelers, because I am small and the seats work perfectly for me. I see many normal size people looking very uncomfortable, especially in the middle seat. So, before anyone complains about the overweight person, think about your own space and just imagine.
First, I have status so I am one of the first to board a flight each time and I also do not pay for bags, so I wanted to say that before my next comments. I sit and watch people board for at least 20 minutes on big planes and some people are just RUDE. I love the people who try to board the flight when they call priority access or first class and their ticket says group 5. I love the AA attendants who tell them to get out of line, but there are plenty of attendants who do not make them get out of line. There is a rhyme and reason for why they board planes to way they do. For those who do not know, group 1 typically is at the very very back of the plane, and they call them first so they cannot block the aisles and others can board. It kills me every time to see a group 1 person placing their carryon bag in the front of the plane and then walking to the back. Here is why people try and board out of group number; since they charge for bags more and more people carryon and the overhead space is limited they want to ensure their bag is on the plane not underneath. So, group 1 people take your stupid suitcase to the back of the plane with you! I also hate the people who put jackets in the overhead space. Every time I fly when it is cold the flight attendants always tell people not to put jackets up until everyone has boarded. Do people listen? NO!!! So disrespectful! By the way, I LOVE the men (or women) who help others lift their heavy bags into the overhead. I hate watching someone struggle with a bag and the people around them, one do not help them and two get annoyed that they are not fast enough. I love the flight attendants who catch people doing any of the above and get on to them. Those people deserve it and the flight attendants that say something rock in my book. Now as I said at the beginning I get free bags, so why do I care…because I sit and watch people do the above and I watch others suffer from the rudeness.
I guess that’s enough of my ranting about traveling. Let me just say that even with all the annoying stuff I still truly enjoy traveling. It is called patience, and thank God I have it.
