Here I am, back home in the DC Metro Area. Things change: I tuned in to WAMU but they weren’t playing “All Things Considered” at 4:30pm anymore. I couldn’t find WTOP, late of 1500AM.
Notes from the trip: The woman sitting in the window seat of my row was innocently reading the paper in her meager 3-square-foot space, when the guy in front of her reclined his seat so far back that he was resting his head in her lap. She asked the flight attendant if she could move to another seat — there were multiple free seats in front of us. “Oh, no,” he replied. “Those are Economy Plus seats. That’s an upgrade.” He went on to explain that no, she couldn’t just pay for the upgrade now, it can only be done at the counter. I pointed out to him that we were in flight and those empty seats were no longer going to generate any revenue, that they were now worthless and he should just let her sit there. He was very rude at that point and the case was closed. Or so I thought. No, he then went to the front of the plane and conferred with the Purser, who then got on the PA and announced to the entire plane that we passengers were to stay in our assigned seats and that we were forbidden from changing seats, especially to the Economy Plus seats. Personally, I found this move to be humiliating and repugnant. Boo, United Airlines.
There is still snow in piles here, and when I entered the Comfort Inn in Herndon I noted that the handicapped spaces were nicely cleared. But, as I pointed out to the desk clerk, it doesn’t help to clear the spaces then pile the snow in the wheelchair ramp. She said that they weren’t finished and that the snow would be cleared out of the ramp soon… I went to my room and unpacked, then came out… to see a wheelchair van in the spot and people trying to figure out how to get the wheelchair up on the sidewalk since the ramp was blocked.
Oh, and there are no batteries in the TV remote for this room. I’m just saying.
Meanwhile, just a few hours after I left, there was a small earthquake near my house. And just yesterday I had been joking with neighbors about what to do if there was an earthquake while I was gone…
I’m surprised that upon hearing the announcement no one is allowed to change seats, that half the plane didn’t get up and move to a different seat.
Have we become the very sheep we were always afraid we would become?