Oh, and look, it's still here. Is anyone still reading?
Summer. Ah, summer. I love the warm weather--it's so short-lived in this part of the world--but truth be told, it's killing me.
The boys and I came home this week after two weeks visiting my mom in Ohio. We had such a great time, and I THINK I did an OK job of balancing fun for the boys and work. And visiting people. And eating Graeter's and Donatos.
Nevermind that it was 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity, nevermind that at all. The benefits of being in that kind of humidity--great curls, my wrinkles aren't so defined, the closet in my old bedroom was so hot it steamed all of the wrinkles out of my clothes after traveling. The drawbacks--puffy ankles, puffy fingers, lotion doesn't rub in, you are sweating immediately after getting out of the shower.
And now, I'm going to comment on airline travel. Because I feel like it. And what the heck is up with the airlines? I don't know if any of you have ever used some of the small, regional airlines in Europe, but they are VERY strict about your carryon luggage. One bag. One bag, I tell you, and it had better fit in their little size thingy that they have at the gate--measurement-wise and weight-wise. While this made it more logistically more challenging to think about flying, I have to say I appreciated it when I was boarding and someone wasn't trying to stuff a gigantic bag in the overhead compartment right above my seat.
So here's my beef. On our way to Ohio, two women carried on bags/suitcases that were technically of the right size per airline standards, but they had clearly packed them so full AND these women were not the most physically fit, that they couldn't lift their own bags into the overhead compartment. Why would you do that? Perhaps it's time to suck it up and check your bag? I understand that none of us likes the baggage fees or to wait in the baggage claim area, but the situation with carryon luggage has gotten completely out of hand. The rest of us checking luggage get our bags weighed. Who is weighing the bags of all the people carrying on? Hmmm?
I carry one bag on--usually a backpack. And I usually put it under my feet. On two of the flights this time I did put it in the overhead bin, just to have the leg room. And I love it when someone asks me if they can move my bag to fit their gigunda bag up there. No, I'm sorry, you cannot move my bag, you overhead bin hog.
Anyway, I feel that there should be a new rule from the FAA: If you bring a bag on so heavy that you cannot lift it unassisted into the overhead bin, you will be left on the tarmac.
I feel better for getting that out of my system.
Life is busy and kind of boring now, but on my agenda for posting in the next week, I am committing to:
-Finally posting pictures from our England/Germany trip (remember that?)
-Posting some pictures from Ohio
-Getting caught up on everyone else's blogs!
We'll see how that works out. Hope everyone (all one of you reading this which probably doesn't even include my mom right now since Erin is there visiting) is having a great summer.
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7 comments:
I totally agree with you. If you cannot lift your bag above your head, then it needs to be checked. The airlines in Europe are much stricter than we are in the US. The one that does get me is that they count my purse as a carryon and I am only allowed one other bag, while the men carry on 3 bags that they put in the overhead. That is my travel gripe. Also hate the totally full planes
Can I blame my inability to lift my carry-on bag on my weak arms? :)
So glad we got to see you, however briefly, when you were here.
And what's with stowing your bag in row 1's overhead when you are seated in row 29? Just so you don't have to carry it all the way back there and you can hold up the line when everyone else wants out. I traveled way too much these past 2 months!
Glad you had a nice trip :)
I'm here, and I'm still reading!! Glad to hear you had a nice trip .... My beef about the over heads is that my own carry on is the right size, and I can lift it myself, but because I am not willing to trample my fellow passengers in my attempt to board the plane FIRSTFIRSTFIRST, normally by the time I get to my seat the overhead bins all around me are already stuffed full. THAT freaking annoys me. I think they should assign the overheads to seats, like they do parking spaces. Then, if your bag doesn't fit in your space, or is too heavy for you to lift, you have to check it. But I do understand the desire for carry on status, considering when I took my kids to the beach earlier this summer, not only had I already paid almost $1500 for the airline tickets, then, THEN, I paid another $80 each way for checked suitcases. I have no idea what kind of profit margin airlines are running on, or if they're losing money thanks to the cost of gasoline ..... but you can bet your sweet bippy that the next time we vacation, we'll be driving. For almost $1700 we can drive, and stay in hotels, and STILL come out ahead, with no one hogging my overhead there and back. :) (wow, I really went off on a rant there, didn't I? .... anyway, welcome home!!!)
I'm with you, I am sick of people stuffing bags too full into the overhead rack. On my last flight, I had my normal sized carry-on in the rack over my head and the "stewardess" asked me if she could move MY normal bag to the rear of the plane so some woman who couldn't carry her bag, much less lift it, could have my space, so she could get off the plane and I could wait to go find mind. I said no and the "stewardess" told me that "fine" I would hold up the plane. Pam had to restrain me!! I did write to the airline and suggested they charge for carry on bags over a certain weight...didn't hear back!
Having "insider information" to the airline industry, I could comment on all of these comments, but I won't. It was great to see you while you were in Hot & Humid OH. Looking forward to seeing the pics of your trips.
I am SO with you on the baggage situation... out.of.hand. When you get on a plane, you just wanna GO. I get myself into such a tizzy watching people drag half of their worldly possessions down the aisle, then try to find enough overhead space for all of it....
Let's not even talk about watching them heave their way-too-big-to-be-a-carry-on carry-on and CRAM it into the overhead bin so that the compartment will close -- well, that's enough to send me over the edge. No chance of stowing ANY type of normal sized carry-on up there... it would be crushed!!!
I'd last about a day (if that) as a flight attendant. The only damn bags I'd allow would be backpack size or smaller. Travel is just painful anymore....
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