The airlines sure know how to take the fun out of traveling - myspace blog post

I'm currently sitting in Midway Airport in Chicago, and I must say, the airlines sure know how to take the fun out of traveling. Our Friday night flight into Chicago went well and landed close to on time, but our flight into Boston was delayed by more than 2 hours. Of course, we never received any explanation or apology for this. Why would we; we were stuck there with few to no choices and they just don't care. Eventually, we landed in Boston at midnight and then had to drive another 1.5-2 hours to Northampton. (I really don't remember how long it took. The Garmin, we named her Susan B, was set to avoid toll roads so it took us a while to really get going) Ouch. Needless to say, it was a late night and then an early morning.

Anyway, back to the subject of airlines. So on today's flight from Boston to Chicago, there was a very nice family sitting next to me; husband, wife, and two little kids. Unfortunately, their young son, Ethan, became ill during the flight and threw up all over himself (and his car seat, etc.). From the instant odor, the flight crew had to know that someone was sick. You could also tell that this family was having a hard time managing the situation (who wouldn't really?). Despite this, NO ONE from the staff came to help them. Fortunately, they had diaper wipes or something, and were able to clean up somewhat. The poor mom looked at me (Ethan seemed to like me and we had been chatting earlier), and I just said, "are you guys okay?" And she said, "yeah, I just feel bad for everyone else." I assured her that it was okay, that it happened a lot and that I just wanted to make sure the little guy was okay. Sarah, who was sitting behind me, got up and got them some napkins and a plastic bag for his clothes. Throughout the flight, he continued to be mildly ill (but nothing nearly as bad), but still no one came to help them. The mom eventually got up and went to the bathroom to clean his clothes and herself, and she was able to get some more wet wipes. Still no help from anyone. The family managed to get off the plane and then made their connecting flight to Sarasota (I'm sending them good wishes for easy travel as I write this), but AirTran sure could have made their lives easier with a little help and kindness. Yes, it's true, vomit is not pleasant, but come on people! Get with it.

Now, if airline trouble happened only once in a while, it might not be a big deal. However, it's pretty much my regular experience with flying. Last summer, my Northwest flight home from London was cancelled (after a full day sitting in an extraordinarily hot plane and the gate area), and my reward for that experience was a hotel stay and a $50 Northwest voucher. I could go on and on, but I imagine each of you knows and has experienced the drill. It's frustrating to say the least. I wish there was something we could do about it, but that doesn't seem likely. I will of course continue to fly, as I love to travel (though I LOVE road trips too). It's just too bad that the whole thing can't be easier. I normally don't mind going with the flow, but when the flow is regularly ridiculous, it gets tough.

One more random thought, the new liquid rule (I guess it's not so new anymore, but I haven't flown since it went into effect) seems quite hilarious. At MSP, they didn't even check to see if I had liquids, though I diligently placed all of them into my allotted 1 quart bag. If they are so dangerous, why didn't they check to see if I had them? I don't get it. The security at Logan was much better, but perhaps that's because the 9/11 terrorists came into Logan. Anyway, the check in there was quite amusing. I had to take my shoes off, place my laptop into a separate bin, and then send all the rest of my stuff down the belt as well. I think I used 4 bins alone (I didn't check any luggage since the trip was so short and my bag is small). No wonder it takes a while to get through security. All amusing, and while I get the point, if someone really wanted to do something, they still could. They sell liquids (among other potentially harmful items) in the gate area for pete's sake. Again, I get it, but the whole situation sort of just cracks me up.

In good news, Sarah found a place to live. That's all I will say about that as I imagine she might want to share the good news herself (she's not with me right now because she went to see her brother who was picking up her mom).

Northampton and the surrounding area seem quite similar to Minnesota. At times, I forgot I was in MA. I wonder if that's why I like Boston so much. Out of all the places I've travelled to, Boston is the only other American city I can see myself actually living in. Who knows, maybe it's just a rockin' place. I think part of it might be all the history, and I feel like I just fit there.

Okay, I've rambled on long enough. I need to track down Sarah as I'm hungry and would like to walk around a bit. Talk to everyone soon!

PS: Shout out to my family and friends in Montreal. I hope you are having a fabulous time!