Flights and randomness
Jan. 11th, 2004 01:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eruthrosThe Las Vegas airport is creepy. Not that I didn't notice this the LAST time I flew through Las Vegas, but last time I was in a gigantic hurry and didn't notice the designated smoking area. There is in fact a tiny little glassed-in Designated Smoking Area with man slot machines. Basically it's slot machines, two chairs, and a lot of smoke. However, there's what I might call a small design flaw: the glass doesn't reach the ceiling. And there's no door. So when they say "designated smoking area," what they really mean is "this is the designated smoker area, but the smoke is permitted everywhere." So my eyes sting and my lungs hurt when I wait at my gate, as it's a mere 30 yards from the designated smoking area. Bleh. Also, I am still creeped out by the slots-in-airport thing they have going. So, so wrong.
But I really scored. I grabbed the exit row window seat that has no chair in front of it on both legs of my flight. Meaning lots and lots of legroom, plus the handy fold-out tray that lets you have only a half-tray unfolded for your drink. You can't sit in an exit row without talking to the check-in agent, and I was lucky enough to have an non-harassed person who had the time to change my seat assignments. And I have a down comforter in my carry-on. I may sleep the best I ever have on a red-eye. *happy sigh*
And I downloaded new vids to investigate and evaluate before I came to the airport. Life is good.
I've had five-six vids in my "recently downloaded/evaluate" playlist for three months. Somehow I think the fact that I still haven't decided whether or not I like them or want to keep them means I probably don't. But OTOH, I just a little while ago found Lithium Doll's Firefly vid to "Running For Home" (Matthew Good) and it rocks a lot. (At bonicus amicus alter idem est.)
***
The woman I was sitting next to on the second half of my flight was what I might politely call a total idiot. At first she was seated in the row in front of me. She insisted that her seat was an aisle seat and someone was sitting in her seat despite the fact that she had her boarding pass and it indicated that she was sitting in the middle. Then she didn't want to cramp her leg room, so she tried to put her carry-on in the aisle. (Oddly, the flight attendant was all "um, no.") Then she switched with someone to sit next to someone she knew and ended up sitting next to me in an exit row. She promptly put her bag right in the middle of the floorspace so she could put her feet up on it and then reclined her chair to prepare for takeoff. (Same flight attendant came by and politely told her that the floorspace needed to be free in case anyone needed to, you know, exit in an emergency, and also that she needed to put her seat upright. She said that she wanted to recline. The flight attendant told her that when the safety video said "seat in an upright and locked position during taxiing and takeoff" they meant it to apply to everyone, only much more politely than I indicate here.) Then she got up to go to the bathroom later, and went to the bathroom in the first-class cabin (again, despite the PA broadcast saying "don't do that"). Then she started to go back to her seat, but got in the way of the beverage cart. She just stood there. They said "we need to get to the front of the plane." She said "okay" and backed up into the first-class cabin (again, where there aren't supposed to be people just standing around). They turned around and were all "um, you aren't sitting in one of these front rows" (the ones just behind the first-class area." "Nope!" she said cheerfully. "I'm just waiting for you to get out of the way so I can sit down!" "Um," they said. "We can't move the beverage cart out of the aisle." So then they had to move the beverage cart back so she could sit down again. And she did it again later. Some people.
Still, here I am in Philadelphia, where the outside temp is 25*F. And I got all my stuff here without breaking the ceramic jar my aunt made for me and without losing anything on the plane. Well, permanently, anyway. I was tired and left my book on the plane because I'm an idiot and had put it in the thingy on the back of the chair next to me. But then I went "wait, where's my book?" And got it back.
But I really scored. I grabbed the exit row window seat that has no chair in front of it on both legs of my flight. Meaning lots and lots of legroom, plus the handy fold-out tray that lets you have only a half-tray unfolded for your drink. You can't sit in an exit row without talking to the check-in agent, and I was lucky enough to have an non-harassed person who had the time to change my seat assignments. And I have a down comforter in my carry-on. I may sleep the best I ever have on a red-eye. *happy sigh*
And I downloaded new vids to investigate and evaluate before I came to the airport. Life is good.
I've had five-six vids in my "recently downloaded/evaluate" playlist for three months. Somehow I think the fact that I still haven't decided whether or not I like them or want to keep them means I probably don't. But OTOH, I just a little while ago found Lithium Doll's Firefly vid to "Running For Home" (Matthew Good) and it rocks a lot. (At bonicus amicus alter idem est.)
***
The woman I was sitting next to on the second half of my flight was what I might politely call a total idiot. At first she was seated in the row in front of me. She insisted that her seat was an aisle seat and someone was sitting in her seat despite the fact that she had her boarding pass and it indicated that she was sitting in the middle. Then she didn't want to cramp her leg room, so she tried to put her carry-on in the aisle. (Oddly, the flight attendant was all "um, no.") Then she switched with someone to sit next to someone she knew and ended up sitting next to me in an exit row. She promptly put her bag right in the middle of the floorspace so she could put her feet up on it and then reclined her chair to prepare for takeoff. (Same flight attendant came by and politely told her that the floorspace needed to be free in case anyone needed to, you know, exit in an emergency, and also that she needed to put her seat upright. She said that she wanted to recline. The flight attendant told her that when the safety video said "seat in an upright and locked position during taxiing and takeoff" they meant it to apply to everyone, only much more politely than I indicate here.) Then she got up to go to the bathroom later, and went to the bathroom in the first-class cabin (again, despite the PA broadcast saying "don't do that"). Then she started to go back to her seat, but got in the way of the beverage cart. She just stood there. They said "we need to get to the front of the plane." She said "okay" and backed up into the first-class cabin (again, where there aren't supposed to be people just standing around). They turned around and were all "um, you aren't sitting in one of these front rows" (the ones just behind the first-class area." "Nope!" she said cheerfully. "I'm just waiting for you to get out of the way so I can sit down!" "Um," they said. "We can't move the beverage cart out of the aisle." So then they had to move the beverage cart back so she could sit down again. And she did it again later. Some people.
Still, here I am in Philadelphia, where the outside temp is 25*F. And I got all my stuff here without breaking the ceramic jar my aunt made for me and without losing anything on the plane. Well, permanently, anyway. I was tired and left my book on the plane because I'm an idiot and had put it in the thingy on the back of the chair next to me. But then I went "wait, where's my book?" And got it back.
