The rudest bitch

[Belari]

I do want to try travelling across Europe by train sometime. I've worked out relatively tolerable ways to fly the distance, but it's still not ideal. According to the timetables, I can get to Northern England in nder 48 hours by train and ferry...

We live in Germany now. Rome is 12 hours' drive from here. Paris is 4. London is, I believe, 6ish.

From southern Germany, you can get to all of Europe within one day's drive (assuming your trading driving shifts with someone). We never fly ANYWHERE unless we're headed back to the States on a visit.

[smileyeagle1021]

We live in Germany now. Rome is 12 hours' drive from here. Paris is 4. London is, I believe, 6ish.

for me the nearest small city is Logan at 2 hours... next closest small city is Elko at 4 hours, nearest city of decent size is either Reno or Vegas either is 8 hours (in near opposite directions BTW)... oh yeah... Denver is also about 8 hours...

I would love for half the planet to be within a day of me

[Belari]

for me the nearest small city is Logan at 2 hours... next closest small city is Elko at 4 hours, nearest city of decent size is either Reno or Vegas either is 8 hours (in near opposite directions BTW)... oh yeah... Denver is also about 8 hours...

I would love for half the planet to be within a day of me

I grew up in a little podunk town in the middle of Oregon. There was NOTHING nearby. This is definitely a nice change. Too bad next spring we'll probably be sent back to the states

[mattm04]

I was on a flight where one SC refused to shut off their phone. They actually just kept talking and when the flight attendant tapped them on the shoulder the sc starts talking really llund "yeah, this bitch of a FA is trying to make me get of fthe f***ing phone....."

The Police were called as the SC was removed, not before we lost our window ad had to wait 15 minutes on the tarmac.

[CaroPhoenix]

I have an deep seated fear of flying. (I pull out my rosary and keep it clasped in my hands the entire time of the flight). I also refuse to have a window seat - I don't want to see what we could possibly crash into.

And the 2 major airports near me are Dulles International and BWI (Baltimore/Washington International). I think their security checklists change every 15 minutes (but don't quote me on that! )

[depechemodefan]

I've seen a lot of rude people on flights.

One was a guy leaned his seat all the way back, but he was hunched over his laptop, which was on the tray.

Another meathead got on the plane and sat by the window. window seat is "a", next seat is "b", aisle seat if "c". (it could have been the other way, I forgot now). passenger for seat "a" shows up and says that the window seat is his. Meathead says, "I have seat c. Everyone knows seat "a" is a window seat." the other guy says "right, I have seat "a"." Meathead says, "I meant "c"."
Anyway, the meathead was such a dick that the other guy just didn't think it was worth it. And the meathead started to act like he was right, that the other guy was wrong. And the meathead did other annoying things, though nothing to get a flight attendant for.

[rerant]

Your seatback being reclined will affect your ability to BRACE if we have an emergency landing. If will also affect the person behind you escape from the plane by up to 15 seconds, in an evacution every second counts. (Say it loud enough for the person behind them to hear)

If I don't collect your cup in it may injure you and others around in an evacuation.

Your mobile phone may interfere with the flight deck systems. Pilots have told me they can hear over the radio if phones are on, you know that crackling sound you can hear if you have your phone by your computer and a text or call is about to come in? This can interfere with their ability to hear air traffic control.

Having your bag on your lap may impede your escape from the plane. Same with the tray table only it may lead to internal injury if we crash.

Having your headphones on will mean you can't hear my shouted commands if we need to brace or evacuate.

Umm... yeah... I officially never want to go near an airplane now. EVER!
If I ever heard someone talking that much about evacuations I'd be charging the door.

[AirHostess]

Umm... yeah... I officially never want to go near an airplane now. EVER!
If I ever heard someone talking that much about evacuations I'd be charging the door.

That's why I only do it if they refuse to do as I ask for their safety. The captain has command of the aircraft and basically, people have to follow his lawful commands...which then filters down to me. Telling these idiot passengers what could happen is often the quickest and easiest way to get them to do what I say!

[Stryker One]

At 6' 2" and 290 pounds, any flight over 2 hours will get VERY uncomfortable for me. And since the US is an empire in decline, I doubt we'll be seeing any high speed trains here anytime soon. Yeah, plane nowadays are just basically airborne busses.

[smileyeagle1021]

And since the US is an empire in decline, I doubt we'll be seeing any high speed trains here anytime soon. .

actually we may see high speed trains soon... California voters did approve a measure to fund a high speed train network going up and down the coast between San Fran and LA (at least initially, it may eventually be expanded). And with the big 3 airports in New York threatening to cut back landing slots and air travel becomes prohibitively expensive in and out of New York you bet there'll be more high speed rail on the eastern seaboard to compensate.

[greensinestro]

Maybe that Bloody Mary was way too strong for her?

[One-Fang]

Try living in New Zealand. You wanna see another country? You gots a few choices.

Ship travel. Weeks to get anywhere and hideously epensive. A lovely holiday, but not an effective transportation means.

Fly.

That's it. You gotta fly. And unless you want the eastern side of Australia, you gotta fly for at least a day.

Last time I flew, the meathead in front of me had his seat back as far as it would go every time it wasn't required to have it forward. Oh he put it forward when told, but then after the meal - bang, straight back. The whole freaking flight.

[kiwiwinelover]

Amen to that OneFang!

[Bandit]

At 6' 2" and 290 pounds, any flight over 2 hours will get VERY uncomfortable for me.

AMEN! I'm 6'3 and know the feeling well. Last time I few, the first leg was a little Embraer jet, and I swear the FA followed me down the isle with a giant shoehorn to get me into the seat.

The flight back though, I got lucky on the last leg - and older 737 and I got an exit isle. Since it was an older plane, the way they had made the exit isle was to remove the row of seats in front.

It was the only time I have ever been both able to stretch my legs and be comfortable on a plane.

B

[wolfie]

All the flights I've been on have been fairly nice. Once, though, on a small plane, I was assigned the window seat 14A. When I boarded, someone else was there. She greeted me, and I figured she had 14B and just wanted the window, so, since I didn't care, I took 14B on the aisle. A few more people got on, and suddenly I found myself being sworn at for stealing some other woman's seat. Turns out the woman next to me in 14A was actually assigned to 13A.

I can top that - one one business trip (a couple careers ago), my boarding pass had me assigned to seat 32B on an American Airlines flight. They must have switched planes after my checkin, because the A/B rows ended at row 28 to make room for the galley . Naturally, I asked the flight attendant where I'm supposed to sit, and she found an empty seat - my introduction to exit rows. For the remainder of that career, I'd always try to book a seat in the second of the 2 overwing exit rows (more legroom because it's an exit row, seat reclines because it's not in front of an exit row, seat in front of me doesn't recline).

With all the post-911 clampdown, flying doesn't appeal to me. On vacations, for short (I'd include Toronto to Vancouver) trips, I drive. On business (remember, a different career) I always drive - of course, the fact that airlines won't accept a 53 foot trailer as checked baggag pretty much dictates that.