Throughout my years I have flown countless times. The first trip I can remember was flying with
my dad and grandpa on, what seemed to be short flight in a small twin
prop. I can remember as I got older that
our family rarely flew anywhere. It
seemed to me that flying was for the wealthy.
We were middle class, and flying to any destination was simply a luxury
we couldn't afford. On those rare
occasions when my parents did pay for us to fly somewhere it was a big
event. I can remember my mom dressing
up, my dad wearing a coat and tie, and my brother and I outfitted as if we were
going to church. Flying seemed to be a
big deal for everyone. The flight
attendants were called stewardess back then, because all of them were
women. They did their best during the
flight to cater to each and every passenger, regardless of where you sat or how
fancy you dressed. We were served full
meals during the flight. A full length movie
played in the front of the cabin, and the flight was an adventure all within
itself. I used to get excited about
flying. The thrill and experience I had on
those rare occasions to fly carried over for me into my adulthood. And then, September 11, 2001 happened……….
Overnight everything changed in the airline industry. The Department of Homeland Security was
established and the Transportation Safety Administration, or TSA, was
formed. What used to be an exciting adventure
became a dreadful experience. As the
years have progressed security has tighten, due in large part to continuing
terrorist attempts on public transportation systems, including the airline
industry. Today, in order to board any
flight in the United States you must do the following:
1.
Stand in a security line at the airport and show
a photo ID and your boarding pass to a TSA agent.
2.
Once you've cleared the initial screening, you
must remove everything out of your pockets, remove your jacket, remove your
belt, remove your shoes, remove your jewelry, remove any liquids of 3 oz or
less from your bag, and remove your laptop computer before feeding all of it
through an x-ray machine.
3.
Next, you yourself will walk into another
screening machine that scans you from head to toe, looking for anything you may
try to bring into the boarding area or on the plane. If something shoes up on your image, you will
be patted down by another TSA agent and must be cleared before you can retrieve
your belongings.
4.
At times TSA will randomly select someone, or
their personal belongings, for an additional swab to detect explosive
substances on your luggage or your person.
5.
Once you've made it to your gate you will need
to show your boarding pass one last time before you are allowed on the
plane. On rare occasions TSA may chose
your particular flight to once again check IDs against boarding passes and
random bag checks.
I understand that the bottom line of Homeland Security and
TSA are to achieve greater safety measures for all passengers flying in and out
of the United States, but I must admit that at times common sense was thrown
out the window and the pendulum has swung a full 180 degrees to the opposite
side of how air travel experience used to be.
The airline industry as a whole has shifted too. Gone are the free meals and full length
movies on most flights, unless you’re willing to pay for it. Ticket prices over the years have skyrocketed
(literally). It’s not uncommon for a
couple to spend nearly $2,000 for a round trip ticket across the country. Airline fees have climbed through the roof as
well. As an example, I recently flew
home to Seattle, WA. Here are my
charges:
Round trip
from Midland, TX to Seattle, WA - $1,093
Upgrade to a
seat with more leg room - $69
Luggage cost
for 2 bags - $60
Change fee
to move my flight up to an earlier flight - $75
Snack box
meal on the flight - $9
Wi-Fi while
on the flight - $15
Movie entertainment
player rental during the flight - $16
GRAND TOTAL:
$1,337
Keep in mind,
that’s for one person….
Service isn't
the same either. If you’re sitting in an
exit row and the flight attendant asks you if you are willing and able to
assist other passenger in the event that an evacuation of the plane is
necessary, you must say “Yes” and nothing more.
You can’t nod your head; say “Sure,” or “Ok,” or “Absolutely.” The only acceptable answer is “Yes.” If you refuse to say “Yes” the attendant can
remove you from your seat. If you need
to use the restroom while in flight and you’re seating in coach, you’re not
allowed to use the restroom in the 1st class cabin. You must turn off your phone prior to flight,
put away your laptop, and stow your carryon underneath the seat in front of
you. You cannot get up until the Captain
says it’s safe enough to do so, and you must wear your seatbelt at all
times. Again, I understand all of these
measures are supposed to be for our own safety, but the fun of flying is not
there for me any longer.
So here I
sit, waiting for another flight from one airport to another. I’ve survived the security line and all its
checkpoints, and I pray TSA isn’t waiting at my gate to
check me once again before I board. I
pray that the flight attendants are nice, that I have at least a reasonable amount
of legroom (after all, I paid $69 for that luxury), and that the person sitting
next to me doesn’t decide that they deserve the arm rest between us more than I
do.
I know I’ll
take countless more flights in my life before I’m no longer able, but I simply
ask that common sense once again rule the day and the airline industry decides
that service above profit is more important.
A Common Man
