TROUBLESOME TRAVELLERS

As a senior and well-seasoned traveller, I can no longer keep track of the number of times I have travelled by air feeling flustered and unhappy with the boarding process. Quite frankly it has gone beyond believable.

Passengers generally arrive at the airport at the recommended time and that’s impressive. Those are the folks I am writing about today because the others, the ones that arrive at five minutes before boarding and needing attention or arriving as boarding is appearing to be complete, are a whole other kettle of fish.

Imagine what I see as I patiently wait a very long time at the boarding gate: travellers with oversized carry-on; passengers without their boarding pass and ID in hand; passengers unable to follow the pace of boarding when called; boarding passengers who don’t check their seat assignment until after they have passed their row; passengers who pack their reading glasses or iPods or water bottle or food  in the bag they’ve just put in the overhead bin. All of those types are the biggest reason planes are leaving late; they are the biggest reason why they get dirty looks; they are the most frustrating to all the rest of us who know better and who know they can do better too.

Even though their sometimes remorseful attitude is something like “sorry give me a sec”, their “sec” isn’t a second. They hold back the flow of traffic outside the plane, inside the jetway, and on board. They infuriate staff who are doing their best to clue people in about their oversized luggage, having their ID inhand, checking their zone number, checking their row and seat allocation, and staying out of the aisle when fussing around. Boarding time is also not the right time to need to use the washroom.

I sit back and watch all of this and see it as a comedy show of grown adults without a care in the world about how their lack of due diligence makes them look like fools. My mind cannot help but wonder who those people are, where they were brought up, how they were brought up and how they have made it this far in their lives.

At the same time, all of this makes me think of the classic sixties television show called Bewitched where Samantha wiggles her nose back and forth to rid the scene of anything and anyone problematic. I imagine myself being Samantha and the plane departing on time or early, but only 60 percent full.

Despite imagining enjoying having a full row of seats all to myself, I do look forward to the day I travel relaxed and happy, on a full plane, because ALL passengers were finally in tune with contributing to efficient and effective boarding practices.

Come on folks: boarding a plane is a group activity — leave your troubles behind and bring with you logical thinking and a state of preparedness we all hope for and deserve. Just saying!