Lately I have been toying with the idea of a European vacation, but what makes me hesitate is the unsavory prospect of spending twelve hours cooped in the confines of a jetliner.
I enjoyed flying when the hostesses were perky (coffee, tea or me?), the food decent and the legroom adequate. But with these criteria long gone, I now loathe taking to the air.
The idea of being stacked like a bunch of smoked oysters in a tin can is totally abhorrent to me.
Paradoxically, while planes are getting bigger and more fuel-efficient, the cost of flying is increasing and the breathing space allocated to each passenger is shrinking. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Something seems to be rotten in the state of Denmark!
If at least I could fly in a prone position I would not mind that much, but this a privilege that only the ultra-rich, elected officials (or flesh-baring performers) can afford.
Another depressing sign of rising inequality.
A normal human being, if not asleep, needs to remain in motion. Kids instinctively know that and prove it by constantly carrying on.
Having to remain seated for twelve hours is cruel and unusual punishment and ought to be proscribed by law.
I would like to see activists becoming interested in that idea.
If unable to lie down, passengers ought to have the option of exercising. A unidirectional running track around the plane would be a very innovative idea that farsighted airline executives ought to consider. Every hour, according to a predetermined order, passengers would be allowed to stroll around the plane and restore some blood circulation to their lower limbs.
But sadly enough, it looks like airline executives are only motivated by profit and show very little inclination to alleviate the misery of their cash cows.
I would like to introduce a motion stating that each time an airline executive travels, he should be compelled to fly coach to experience the punishment inflicted upon casual travelers.
Maybe then, and only then, is something going to be done about the inhumanity of air transportation.
In the meantime, I am mulling over the idea of starting a drive to collect enough money to fly at least once in the style of the rich and infamous.
After all these years flying steerage, I think that I deserve a little pampering.
Alain
Don’t piss off a Frog:
I couldn’t agree more. The worst part of our trip to Paris was the flight.