Sunday, May 16, 2010

Will you be checking luggage?


I love to fly. If I had more money-and time-I'd take flying lessons.

A recent trip to Florida confirmed my preference of flying over driving. I can't imagine the mind-numbing monotony of driving over 1200 miles.

Having said that, there's a part of flying that has become very annoying. It's the size of the bags people are carrying on the plane. I understand the reasoning. Who wants to risk lost luggage, stolen articles, time retrieving the bag, etc, but the carryon situation has gotten out of hand (no pun intended).

On our recent trip I witnessed countless people carrying on what is under any measure a 'checkable' suitcase. Once the person is aboard, he/she holds up everyone while they struggle to get this thing in the storage bin. If it's a lady, and frankly it often is, she almost always requires the assistance of some poor slob next to her hefting this thing into the storage place overhead.

As people approach the final gate to board the plane, there's a box that you're supposed to use to determine if your carryon is too big. No one uses it. Why don't airline personnel intercept these people and make them check their bags?

I was grumbling about this to my wife on our return flight and the lady in front of me heard me. She turned to apologize and asked if I thought her bag was too big. It wasn't and I assured her that my cranky remarks were not directed at her. We then went on to discuss the issue and she agreed with me-either that or she thought I was a nut job and she was afraid to disagree! That's entirely possible.

In any case I have a suggestion for the airlines. Instead of charging passengers the same fee for all carryons, they should charge-a lot-for the size and weight of their carryons. End of problem. Guaranteed!

1 comment:

gael lynch said...

The whole thing's a mess. We've been to Florida and Colorado in the past month. I paid to stow my bags...with the wheelchair it was just too much for me.
BUT! Tom noticed that the attendants would take the rollees from people while they were boarding for free! He then had that scheme in mind!! I told him the $20 to get rid of the darn thing was worth it to me. Can you imagine me pushing the wheel chair down the gateway and dragging the bag?! Conclusion-someone needs to invent a way for us to twitch our noses and just get ourselves there, bag and all--Bewitched style!