<p>I’m not totally sure what Spanx is, but it sounds kind of dirty (like DTW). Is that the spandex stuff?</p>
<p>People putting their bags in the front overhead bins when they are sitting further back seems so rude to me. Can anybody explain why they do it? Seems to me that I’d want my bag near me, and I can get it down right when I stand up instead of having to hold people up when I get to where I put my bag.</p>
<p>I just generally get annoyed when people purposely refuse to follow the rules and inconvenience people. When it says “take off shoes”, then for gosh sakes, do it. Don’t hope that they won’t notice and let you through. There are clear signs posted and they even have pictures in case you can’t read. My sister once held up an entire line in back of her trying to convince the gate people to let her on with two carry on bags plus a personal item. Why does she think she’s more special than anyone else?</p>
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<p>The Golden Rule isn’t going to satisfy everyone here. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” it says. But I don’t care if someone in front of me reclines all the way-- how can I object to them doing what I want to do? So I will recline all the way if I want to.</p>
<p>"People putting their bags in the front overhead bins when they are sitting further back seems so rude to me. Can anybody explain why they do it? "</p>
<p>You know exactly why they do it. They don’t want to get back there and find no bag space, so they grab the first bag space they can find. That way, when they leave, they know they don’t have to backtrack to get the bag - they can walk forward and grab the bag. I’m not condoning it, but it’s pretty darn obvious <em>why</em> people do this. </p>
<p>I guess none of you travel by bus. There are the same issues.`To some extent, the express bus companies do a better job because your ticket is A,B or C. As get to board first. Being an A usually involves opening a free account on-line and being one of the first X # of people with such an account to buy your ticket. </p>
<p>Inevitably, there’s someone with a B or C ticket who will try to board with the A group, hoping the driver or dispatcher won’t notice the letter on their ticket. They do not care that the 5 minute argument they are having will delay everyone’s departure. </p>
<p>I almost always have an A ticket. I’m fairly small. I prefer to sit on the aisle. If I have my laptop, I search for one of the seats with a plug because my battery life is short. About half the time, when the B and C and then standby passengers get on, one will demand that I move over to the window side because (s)he needs the aisle space and I don’t --based on the fact that (s)he is bigger or taller-- and/or someone will try to force me to move so (s)he can get access to the plug. </p>
<p>Usually people are nice about moving so two passengers who board later can sit together, but sometimes there are legitimate reasons to refuse–like one seat having an electrical outlet and the other one being without. </p>
<p>There are the same issues about reclining seats and overhead space.</p>
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<p>At times when they used to board planes from the back, I’d see people do this. They were the first on, so they KNEW there was space in the back, but putting their stuff in the front means they don’t have to lug their stuff as long a distance while getting off the plane. It’s easier for THEM and they don’t give a flip if they are inconveniencing others. The rationale above, while still pretty self serving, is not quite as blatantly douchey.</p>
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I take an MTA express bus and it is often hellacious. No tickets, just a Metrocard and much misery. But you’re right it is very much like flying in some respects. I wish express buses had the arms in the middle of the seats, but they don’t so men seek out small women to spread out all over.</p>
<p>The only bus I take is from Portland, Maine to Logan Airport - it pulls right up to the terminal. It’s never too crowded and a very pleasant ride.</p>
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That is such an interesting visual! </p>
<p>Lots of problems with flying: inconsiderate recliners, overhead bin issues, armrest issues, poor hygiene, belchers/farters/sniffers, overweight “spreaders,” and babies/young kids. I’m sure I’m missing some!</p>
<p>Ew, CTTC!</p>
<p>My worst flight ever had a triad of indignities.</p>
<p>First was the couple across the aisle seemingly coughing up their lungs–I honestly thought they might have TB.</p>
<p>Second was the creepy guy next to me (spreading into my seat) openly trying to read my magazine with me. It was something trashy, like Us, and I was just waiting for him to weigh in on “Who wore it better?”</p>
<p>Third was the overwhelming stench of dead fish that gradually took over the plane. As we were getting off, four guys who had been traveling together started joking about looking forward to their first showers after two weeks up at a fly-in fish camp in Canada. </p>
<p>It was awful.</p>
<p>^^^ people who insist they get up out of their seat to retrieve something or go to the bathroom when either the flight attendant or pilot have already announced that everyone must remain in their seat - ESPECIALLY if you’re still on the tarmac.</p>
<p>I’ve actually been on a runway, a few planes from taking off, when a man (who’d been at the bar drinking before the flight) would not obey the rules and return to his seat, so we had to return to the gate. It was a late night flight that had already been delayed because of an air traffic control computer issues, so by the time we got back to the gate, and they escorted this man off, we did not have enough time to get back to the runway, take off and get to Midway before the airport closed for the night. So the flight was cancelled. </p>
<p>While it was not Southwest Airlines’ fault - either the computer issue, or the man who got up, forcing the pilot to return to the gate - they issued free round-trip tickets to everyone who was on the flight… totally unsolicited. Ours arrived in the mail about three weeks later. </p>
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<p>You missed the inconsiderate anti-recliners.</p>
<p>Sally and teriwtt, I winced just reading those stories. Must have been horrible to go through that. </p>
<p>My worst flight was when I realized we were circling the airport and I looked out the window and saw black smoke coming out of the engine. We circled for an hour or so (busdriver - burning off fuel?). 5 or 6 fire engines and a bunch of ambulances drove onto the runway and lined up on the side. By this time I could see a flame actually coming out of the engine. Then they foamed down the runway with thick white foamy stuff. We got into the crash position (head over your knees, hands laced on top of your head) and went in. No one was injured, thank God. But I add that to my list of interesting experiences. </p>
<p>Whenever a crew member gets short or rude, I remind myself of what their real job is and it gives me some perspective. Never excuses rudeness though!</p>
<p>But flying is just getting more uncomfortable all around. When I have an average flight where we leave within 15 minutes of scheduled time, the kid next to me doesn’t throw up, and no one yells at a FA, I count it a successful flight. </p>
<p>I was fortunate to fly Jet Blue the last few times where everyone had the same class of seat and they were surprisingly spacious with a fair amount of legroom. A relief considering the flights were 5+ hours each way. </p>
<p>And I say this as someone who’s a smidgen under 6’. Sorry to hear of and glad to have missed some of the horrid flying experiences being posted on this thread. </p>
<p>Hey @hayden, don’t you blame your worst flight ever on me! On my plane, if we lose an engine or it catches on fire, we land ASAP, heavyweight or not. Never flew an airplane where you wouldn’t land quickly in that situation. Scary.</p>
<p>I have another pet peeve: people wearing backpacks on planes who turn around while standing in the aisle and whack you in the head. They always seem oblivious.</p>
<p>“I take an MTA express bus and it is often hellacious. No tickets, just a Metrocard and much misery. But you’re right it is very much like flying in some respects. I wish express buses had the arms in the middle of the seats, but they don’t so men seek out small women to spread out all over.”</p>
<p>Zoos, here is what I do. I go for the window seat and put my heavy tote on the floor, making a physical boundary line. This way, a “spreader” who plops next to me has to keep his feet confined to the space allocated for his seat and therefore has no way of sticking his knees into “my” space. 
And to pre-empt the obvious question, the bag is fully on my side of the floor space. As for germs, it has a waterproof bottom that I wipe with a chlorox cloth periodically. </p>
<p>On my worst flight, I got stuck with a middle seat. The woman on the aisle insisted on taking the entire arm rest and then some. As I mentioned, I have wide shoulders, and there was literally no room for my arms. I ended up tenaciously taking half the arm rest, pushing my arm so that I wouldn’t give a millimeter. I felt tense, and angry at the woman next to me.</p>
<p>Then all of a sudden the oxygen masks dropped, and the pilot said to put them on. We put them on. After a minute or so, we started losing altitude quickly. The pilot (or someone, the pilot was probably busy) announced that we had lost cabin pressure. We flew very very low and quickly landed at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, although we were supposed to be flying to Newark.</p>
<p>They put us all another plane, seating everyone in the same seat numbers as the other plane. I forgot all about any stupid squabble I had with my seatmate.</p>
<p>I flew today. Two incidents. </p>
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<li><p>Elderly lady in the bulk head seat right behind first class (had a cane, needed wheelchair), had a glass of water spilled on her during takeoff by the guy in first class. Her shoes, pants, bag and floor were soaked. The flight attendant was very attentive helping her dry up. She told the lady that the man was very apologetic. She offered to move the lady to an empty seat about 5 rows back. Lady asked if she could switch with the repentant guy in first class. Ha! He wasn’t that apologetic. </p></li>
<li><p>Elderly man in wheelchair is seated, until someone with his seat appears. Turns out they wheeled him onto the wrong plane. Oops. The flight he was booked on had already left. Oops. </p></li>
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<p>Other than that, both my flights arrived early. Score. </p>
<p>As for pink or green tagged bags, that’s been happening for awhile, more often since the airlines started flying smaller planes whenever possible. They have a specific size for a carry on, but those Barbie planes can’t accommodate that size in the overhead. They are supposed to gate check only carry on size bags. </p>
<p>Speaking of chlorox bleach… Dunno how people can wear short skirts or short-shorts on a plane. Apart from the scenario of having to evacuate a burning plane, how could u want that expanse of skin against those yucky airplane seats?</p>