Reflections of a Frustrated Traveler

By: Christina Kostic
Posted In: Opinion

Voices are perpetually rising, attempting to speak over one another in a heated exchange. Heads are shaking, fingers wagging, veins pulsating on sweat-covered foreheads. Bodies and the luggage they carry haphazardly bump into innocent bystanders, focusing on nothing but being the first person to reach the front.

It seems these days that common decency is becoming an extinct art form, especially among airline travelers.

There is no doubt that airline travel has become increasingly problematic over the years. The relationship between passengers and airline employees is more strained than ever before due to factors such as: oversold flights, delays, security hassles and lost luggage, and this makes people cranky.

I fly a lot more than the average college student since my parents live in California, my sister lives in Arizona, my boyfriend is stationed in Florida and I am living here in Newport. Just recently I was flying somewhere and observing the people around me, as people watching is one of my favorite pastimes.

I couldn’t help but to notice rude people everywhere around me. The minute the gate agent announces that the plane will begin boarding soon, every person in the gate area runs over to get in line, cutting in front of people that have been standing there the whole time.

Things continue to get worse inside the plane. People that are too lazy to hold their coats in their laps put them up in the overhead bin, eliminating space that other people need for their bags.

And of course there are the arm rest hogs. If someone is stuck in a middle seat, don’t you think they should at least be allowed an arm rest, rather than the people in the window and the aisle seats using them? Oh, and who could forget the people that always insist on reclining their seat all the way back? I love sitting behind those people, especially when I’m trying to eat.

I understand that traveling can be stressful, and I know that people get frustrated while waiting in security lines and running through terminals to make connecting flights. However, that doesn’t give people the right to treat fellow travelers or airline employees in a disrespectful manner. If everyone used common decency, traveling could be a much more pleasant experience.