Admittedly it took me two hours to paint the ceiling plus I had to make a Home Depot run when I discovered I was out of paint rollers but not a big struggle.
Hell, I was done in time to watch most of today's baseball game.
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So all of a sudden, people are crawling out of the woodwork and telling the media about the terrible experience they've had on United. If you listen to the news, it's almost as if United enjoys pissing off it's customers. I picture the CEO sitting in his office behind a massive mahogany desk, rubbing his fingertips together and saying, "Excellent Smithers!" on a regular basis.
Here's the thing....
We all sign the contract of carriage. We all give up our rights when we enter a public-use mode of transportation. The only difference between the captain of a plane and the captain of a ship is that the ship moves on the water and the plane moves in the air.
When you enter a plane, you are under the command & control of the flight crew. If they give you an order, even if it's given like a suggestion, you are under an obligation to follow that order. Period. End of discussion.
I have been flying on civil aviation for more than 50 years. Back in the 90s and early 2000's, I flew across the continent on a weekly basis for work and I have never once felt put out by the airlines. Yes, I've felt like they could have been a little more forthcoming with information during delays but that's about it.
I can tell you that the only bad experiences I've ever had on an aircraft were caused by arrogant, self-centered, idiotic passengers. People who think it's all about them and screw everyone else.
You know the people I'm talking about. They come in various flavors.
- The "Arrive two hours before the scheduled departure time is just a suggestion" people who panic and then fly into a rage because they are about to miss their flight.
The "My carry-on bag is twice as big as allowed but I need it with me" people who smack you in the shoulder trying to get their 3x4 suitcase into a compartment designed to hold a 2x3 carry-on.
The "Turn off all electronic devices announcement doesn't apply to me" people who continue talking to Aunt Bernice about how rude the stewardess is.
The "I had seven vodka & sodas in the airport bar before the flight" people who are obnoxious drunks and really need to take a leak even though the plane is about to pull away from the gate.
The "You're just a stewardess who is here to wait on me" people who constantly demand things from a member of the crew who is trying their best to get the aircraft ready to fly.
The "Get out of my way, I need to get off the plane first" people even though they are in row 27 of a 30 row plane.
I have never been bumped because of an overbooking.
- I have been delayed because of weather
I have been transferred from one airline to another due to a blizzard at a hub airport.
I have changed my preferred seat to accommodate a family who wanted to sit together.
I once put on my best "cop voice" and told some idiot who was giving the flight attendant a hard time that unless he sat his ass down in his assigned seat, put his seat belt on and shut the hell up, none of us was going anywhere and that, my friend, will piss all of us off.
I have never even come close to having a bad experience because of any airline policy. You know why? Because I follow their rules. They are simple rules, clearly stated, that help everyone get to where they want to go with as little risk as possible.
Flying is a dangerous thing and not just because of terrorists. It is dangerous because of gravity. Airlines work very hard to see to it that their aircraft continue to overcome gravity by doing things in a highly regimented, repeatable manner.
So while I think the guy who got his face slammed into an armrest and was then dragged out of the plane like a ragdoll did not deserve his injuries, he should have followed the rules. Yea, it sucked to be him but when he was given legal instructions by the flight crew to leave the aircraft, he should have followed them. Once he was off the plane, he could have taken his fight with United to whatever level he felt was appropriate.
If he had done that, he'd probably still have his teeth.
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The Red Sox played baseball at 11:00 this morning and Wright managed to make up for his awful performance the last time he pitched. The Red Sox won the game and take 3 of the 4 games in the series.
I like it when they win series.
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These links are here for the clicking:
- Key phrase that makes me a little nervous: "We're going to abandon the failed policy of strategic patience."
- Here's a shock: Two Kenyans won the Boston Marathon.
- Pffftttt.... Rednecks....
- It's all fun and games until someone gets kicked in the balls by a giraffe.
(Keep your sound on) - We call that a "happy ending"...
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