This is from 2015
So you’re flying from Brisbane, Australia, to Dubai on the Persian Gulf, like halfway around the world, and you’ve gotta sit next to this fat guy who’s not only fat, but has a bad cough and fluid oozing from his mouth… ( http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/11772741/Air-passenger-suing-for-a-back-injury-caused-by-sitting-next-to-obese-man.html )
Gee, this is getting gross. Sorry about that. But that’s the argument of this passenger’s lawsuit against an Australian airline. He says the experience gave him a back injury.
Yeah, I know: the world is falling apart, and I’m writing about having to sit next to some fat guy on an airplane. Well, it can’t be baby parts for sale all the time, can it? Remember when airline travel was, well… classy? People dressed for it. Just to be on the plane gave you prestige.
I am told it ain’t that way anymore. I haven’t been aboard an airliner since 1976, so what do I know? Back then, I didn’t see anybody barefoot in the cabin, or changing a baby’s diaper on one of those food trays, or any of those other sights I hear about.
Consider the fat guy on the airplane a cultural marker, spilling over into the adjacent seats, noisily coughing–a kind of sign-post on the road to cultural collapse. You shouldn’t even board the plane if you’ve got a bad cough and a contagious disease–but who cares about that stuff anymore? Like the supermarket checkout clerk who comes to work sick and coughs in everybody’s faces.
How that translates into a back injury, I don’t know.
I haven’t flown in a long time, which is somewhat notable, considering that I’m licensed to bot fly and to fix the blamed things, but flying on the airlines has definitely changed, over the decades. When I was an airline employee, I was required to dress presentably when using my “non rev” (non revenue) flight privileges. We were to mind our Ps and Qs and we were encouraged not to regale other passengers with tales of how we could fly anywhere in the US for a Ten Spot.
Mostly, I kept to myself, and having access to the reservation system, I usually could pick a secluded place to sit. On at least one occasion, someone thought that I was an FAA Airworthiness Inspector, because why else would I be dressed nicely and keep to myself.
But the passengers are the ones calling the shots, and dressing down for an airline flight seems to be a fact of modern life. Morbidly obese passengers have become a major issue, with some airlines now charging extra for someone who cant be wedged into a standard seat.
All of these are reasons I prefer to stay ground-bound, these days.
I flew only once, but it was back in the day when people dressed up to fly. I have a fear of flying, so it’s not for me. Patty
I don’t fear flying, in and of itself, but the Air Traffic Control system is strained and I hold serious concerns about the risks of an overtaxed system. The recent midair collision in Washington, DC was tragic, but I can’t say that I was surprised that it happened. There have been a series of controller issues and near misses in recent years, which could easily have become disasters.
I was in high school in Elizabeth, NJ when there were 3 plane crashes in a short number of weeks. One was right across from my high school. We saw the flames, and heard the woman who lived there screaming in the street that her baby was still up there (in their apartment). Newark Airport was shut down for a number of weeks. It was a very strange time. I may go into more detail in a post sometime.
Patty
Statistically, Part 121 aviation (Scheduled Airlines) is very safe, but recently, there have been some terrible accidents, from the DC midair, to Jeju in So. Korea and Air India 171. Still, the numbers highly favor safety on scheduled flights.
Part 91 General Aviation, non-commercial is statistically considerably more dangerous. IIRC, it’s more dangerous per mile than riding a motorcycle. There are Private Pilot’s who are very safe, but it’s easy for a pilot to become complacent and go lax on the planning. As soon as a pilot lets down their guard, things can go badly, in a hurry. One of the main reasons I no longer fly is that remaining in currency requires that you fly frequently, and it gets very expensive. If I wanted to get back into currency, I would expect to spend a lot of money, and a lot of time, making it happen.
I do understand that commercial flying is really safe, its just not an intellectual thing, more emotional. Patty
I don’t blame you. I have sort of the opposite problem when I’m a passenger in a plane, I’m always trying to land it, from my seat in the back. It’s like a reflex, but I find myself going through the motions of pressing the rudder pedals, almost subconsciously.
Back-seat driving an airplane. LOL Patty
… from 100’ behind the pilots. 🙂
That’s an interesting visual-one flight attendant to another “what;s wrong with that guy?”
It probably did look funny. It was more instinctive, than deliberate, but I wanted to see ahead (difficult from a passenger seat) and my legs were trying to press rudder pedals that didn’t exist.
When an airline employee flies non-revenue, there is a degree of scrutiny. If we were even a minor inconvenience to the cabin crew, there could be consequences. Usually, I just ate my peanuts and kept quiet. 🙂
I like that line “eat your peanuts and be quiet.”
That’s the key to getting along with flight attendants. 🙂
My wife and I flew to Arizona last Christmas, and the cabin was so warm my wife couldn’t relax. On the way home the plane was too cold, even with a blanket, and she was sick for a week. I guess I should have sued them. 🙂
That sounds like my apartment! Patty
“Nearly everyone is anxious before and during their first time on an airplane. My first experience took place after I booked a five-day trip to Hawaii with my daughter and son. Rachel had the window seat, Ben, the aisle, and I was sandwiched between them. As we taxied down the runway for takeoff, my fearless daughter gestured excitedly and exclaimed, “Look, Dad!” while pointing out the window.
“I don’t want to see anything,” I stated as I stared straight ahead, my hands mercilessly squeezing the armrests. I was never too fond of heights, and now of all things, I was heading skyward, toward the summit of all heights. It took an hour before I worked up enough courage to look out the window. During our descent, getting closer to the ground with each passing second, my thoughts repeated over and over, if we crash now, we are closer to the ground, and maybe we will survive. The sound of the landing gear extending and locking in place was reassuring; the jolt when the tires hit the tarmac, so comforting, but when I gazed out the window once more, why did we seem to be going so much faster after we touched down? Were we taking off again?”
From my soon to be published book- “7,000 Miles of Life Perspectives A Memoir”
Flying is not for everyone. Lol. Patty