Flyin'

I don't fly very often, only when my job requires it. I really don't like flying--on commercial airlines that is. I have a couple of friends that own small airplanes and I enjoy flying with them, but that's different...mainly because I don't have to deal with other passengers.

Last week I had to fly to Houston for a 3-day conference. Southwest Airlines flies from Tulsa to Houston non-stop, which made it nice not having to switch planes, etc which would have been required flying with the other airlines. I just wanted to get on the plane and get there. Another thing about Southwest is they don't have assigned seating. You just board and pick a seat; at least that way you don't have to sit by someone that looks creepy.

Besides the creepy looking passengers, I also like to avoid the ones that look "chatty." I don't know what it is about being on an airplane, but I really don't want to be bothered when I'm flying. I don't like the close quarters, and I particularly don't care for the smell of onions belching from the breath of the person next to me as they let me--and all the other passengers--know they are on their way to [fill in city] to watch her son/daughter/niece/nephew/grandchild compete in the "America Has Only Three Talented People" competition "and my [relative] is currently in the lead! They're gonna win!!! All the other competitors suck!"

I like to find someone that is ALREADY reading a book or sleeping OR has the most disgusted look on their face that says: "Don't speak to me" and I plop down beside them. Mumbling a quick "hello," I stow my carry-on, insert the earbuds, turn on my iPod, and turn to the bookmarked page of the novel I've brought along for this very purpose. It makes flying tolerable and it seems to work out pretty well.

Now if we could just figure out how to deal with passengers that think the plane seat is a Lazy-Boy-RECLINER!!! I seem to always get stuck behind that clod."