Arthur’s Air Travel Tips #1
I started jotting down some thoughts on air travel when I went to Andrew & Mariah’s wedding over a month ago. Now seems as good a time as ever to start these posts, which I think will make a fine littler series. Would love your thoughts and comments along the way…
Air Travel Tip #1 – Be Quiet
Maybe you are really excited to be traveling to/from another country. Maybe you are nervous. Maybe you are just American. Whatever the case, you don’t have to be so loud. Everyone else in line or on the plane doesn’t need to hear your life story or travel plans. If they do, they can ask you. So, no need to broadcast to everyone where you flew from, that this is your first time to Africa, or what you ate for lunch. Further, there are probably some people who are a little anxious about flying, have just left loved ones, or are on their way to business responsibilities. Do you need to make them more nervous by making such a racket? Flying should be a pleasant experience. So, keep your voice down, sit back, and relax.
Oh yeah, when you have your headphones on because you are watching a movie, don’t talk to someone… you are yelling. Take the headphones off first so you realize what a normal speaking volume sounds like.
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Case in point: Extract from my journal 4-Aug-1995, boarding flight from Moscow to New York:
We got to the airport about 9:00 am. It was a busy time with long queues. I first went through customs, and the woman at the desk wanted my original declaration. When I told her I didn’t have one she just waved me through. Then there was the airline check in and
passport control. I wandered around the duty-free area till the flight was called. Prices of booze were much higher than they were in the flea-market stalls in Moscow. There was a loud-voiced American telling everyone about his visit to Siberia, and the kinds of food they had, and how sick he was of Russian cooking, so they had flown in a French chef from Moscow for him – Moss-kau, he called it. He said it was the longest two weeks of his life, but people had made him very welcome – species Americanus Bullshittens-
us. There was a delay in boarding the plane, and we had to wait about 20 minutes at the gate, and finally took off about 11:30…