Blogging from Delta flight 6560

I often find myself wondering while traveling, especially on planes, is this how you act all of the time or do you just become supremely annoying while on vacation? It seems as if there is only a small population of Americans who understand and abide by proper travel etiquette. This behavior, or lack thereof, I find is most evident in airports and while on planes. It all begins in the security line. There are some people who can handle the pressure of this event and some who fail miserably. I never understood the difficulty in it, but a large majority will fumble awkwardly with their belongings while simultaneously trying to remove their shoes forgetting of course to remove their liquids and gels from their oversized, overstuffed carry on. I guess it just takes practice and proper packing both of which I have down, if the security line were an Olympic event, I’d be a gold medalist.


Next in the airport adventure is the gate. When I am patiently waiting at my gate it may look to the untrained eye like I am engrossed in my book and/or magazine, but I am not. I am carefully scanning my fellow passengers identifying who I believe to the best and worst seat mates. Who make the best seat mates? Business travelers and teenagers these two demographics are both apt to demonstrate impeccable in-flight etiquette. For example they generally have some sort of activity to occupy themselves with and they stay out of my personal bubble (and they expect the same courtesy from me). Now sometimes you will get tricked (which is what happened to me right as I type these words). I am on a flight from Boston to Atlanta (where I will catch my connection to Mississippi). I am in seat 11C, one row behind first class and an aisle. A good amount of time and effort with the gate agent went into this carefully selected seat and it is a good one (not an easy fete on a completely full flight). Well I thought I was in seat mate heaven, a business guy on the window a young guy watching his movie in the center. I was mistaken, center seat guy has spent the entire flight hysterically laughing at some unrecognizable movie, every time resulting in the entire row of seats shaking, beyond annoying. Even more annoying than the stinky food guy I sat next to on my flight up here. Now there is some mid-air excitement as the guy in front of me is receiving oxygen from the flight attendant. Time to put the computer away and inconspicuously eavesdrop. Happy travels!