Airline

Tonight I caught an episode of Airline, which is a show that documents the lives of several Southwest employees and various people passing through the airport.

I forgot how much that show annoys me. In terms of things that drive me nuts, it's right up there with people who don't flush the toilet or wash their hands after using the restroom, mothers who don't watch their children in public places, and drivers who don't use blinkers. I find all of those things unsettling for various reasons, but the travelers on Airline are right up there for just being plain, ol' obnoxious.

Coming from a family where several people work for the airlines, I can tell you first hand that airline employees are not there to make your life difficult during travel. In fact, airline employees would love for things to run smoothly so that they don't have to deal with snide remarks from travelers who get the impression that coordinating hundreds of flights, thousands of people and bags, and taking off and landing successfully is somehow easy.

I'm not saying that traveling isn't frustrating, or that it doesn't suck when your bag is lost or your flight is canceled. I am, however, saying that you should just give the people who are helping you a break. They're working the best with what they have, and a shitty attitude from a passenger isn't going to fix the plane or suddenly reroute a bag from mid-air. Just try to remember to bring a good book, some music, an extra pair of underwear, and any important medications with you in your carry-on bag and breathe. Then thank God that it no longer takes days or weeks at sea to get to many of the places we now take for granted.