Pet Peeves

Airline flying equals lots of repetition. You do the same things over and over again, several times a day, several days a week. This includes going through security at the beginning of the day and walking through a terminal full of the Traveling Public. Behavior that is only mildly annoying when encountered occasionally becomes practically unbearable when faced with it repeatedly, day after day.

Pet Peeve #1: Standing on the Moving Sidewalk
First of all, the original intent of the moving sidewalk was to expedite travel down long corridors such as those found in airports. When one simply stands on the moving sidewalk, it actually slows the pace compared to walking at a decent clip and causes traffic to pile up behind you. Solution: If you must stand due to a physical handicap, laziness, or carrying too much luggage, at least do it to one side. I know most west coasters have never heard the phrase "walk on the left, stand on the right," but I guarantee that if you don't comply in places like Washington, DC, you will be shoved aside, run over, or shot.

Pet Peeve #2: Standing On or Blocking the Escalator
Escalator protocol is similar to that of a moving sidewalk with one notable exception: if you are towing luggage (as is common at airports) you get a pass on walking. This does not, however, mean that you can stand on one side of the escalator with your luggage on the other side. Solution: Put it behind you so others can walk up the escalator on the left side (see above).

Pet Peeve #3: Stopping at the End of the Escalator or Moving Sidewalk
Escalators and moving sidewalks seem to cause a lot of problems; here's the third annoyance related to these modern marvels. The same people who stand with belongings sprawled across the width of these devices tend to step off and stop, looking around bewildered trying to decide where to go next. They seem not to understand that a stream of people is coming off the contraption behind them like a 20-car pile-up with nowhere to go. Solution: Walk at least five feet in any direction to allow traffic to continue moving behind you.

Pet Peeve #4: Blocking the Security Exit
The exits from airport secured areas tend to be narrow as they have to be guarded by a TSA agent to prevent terrorists from entering. And since non-traveling family members can no longer meet arriving parties at the gate, they tend to congregate outside security watching for great-granny to come out. Arriving flights tend to cause a steady throng of passengers exiting to the baggage claim and transportation areas. This leads to a blockade of sorts as the people who aren't being met weave their way around the throngs of greeters who are craning their necks, waving flowers, or jumping up and down screaming at their arriving guest. It gets particularly challenging when a family of five surrounds great-granny in the exit hallway, leaving only single-file room on either side for others to escape. Solution: Some airports (thank you, Vancouver) solve this dilemma with fencing to force the greeters to one side while arriving passengers are directed unobstructed to the exit. The Traveling Public could try to maintain some small awareness that others exist and also need to function within the limited space provided. Let granny get into a more open area before closing in on her, or escort her off to the side before surrounding her.

When I'm finishing a four-day trip exhausted and eager to get home, it seems that all of these things conspire against me to slow my progress to the exit.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

We just got word that 12 of our 96 furloughed pilots are about to be recalled. After hearing the news, I felt that a load had been lifted off my shoulders. Although I haven't personally been affected in a significant way, I still feel the effects in tougher schedules and the inability to get time off or trade trips.

Of the 12 to be recalled, some have been out for almost a year now. Not only are jobs nonexistent in the industry, competition is fierce for those few opportunities outside our field of expertise. These guys have been making a go of it with unemployment benefits, part-time work, and savings if they have any.

A year and a half after the first round of layoffs, morale is at a low point. It feels we've been walking down a road without knowing where the end is, carrying a pack that just keeps getting heavier. At the outset, we remained upbeat with a can-do attitude, but have become weary, dejected, and beaten down. I'm reminded of adventure racing, only this time, instead of a finish line, we are handed another set of maps and told to keep going. We have no idea for how long or what awaits us.

Finally, we have some glimmer of hope, a dim light at the end of the long tunnel.

Favorite Things

I thought I would take time to appreciate a few of the things that make life on the road easier and more enjoyable. Just a couple to start with:

Podcasts
This wonderful little invention allows me to keep up with the news and random things of interest. But my very favorites are yoga podcasts--from Dave Farmar and yogadownload.com in particular--that let me practice yoga on my time in my hotel room.

eBags cooler
My crew cooler from eBags lets me take four days worth of meals with me, saving money and allowing me to eat what I want when I want. I'm no longer dependent on scheduled (or unscheduled) breaks to get a meal.

Feel free to share some of your favorite things!

A new take on biathlon

Last "bid" (five-week schedule period) I flew with a captain who is an avid runner and recently took up golf. On several of our layovers, he would run to a nearby golf course (sometimes as far away as 4 or 5 miles), play a round of golf orhit balls in the driving range, then run back to the hotel. I know he had to move quickly through the golf course at times to avoid getting cold in his running shorts and t-shirt. I half-joked that he just started a new version of the Biathlon (running and shooting) that will soon be an Olympic sport! I always appreciate fellow crew members who get out and explore rather than join the ranks of the "slam-click"-ers.

Life is Precious

Yesterday afternoon, word was going around at work that one of our pilots had passed away while on a layover. Tom was one of the most respected pilots at the company and recently celebrated his 20th anniversary here. I did not know him, but find myself saddened all the same. People who did know him all have incredible things to say about his character, professional demeanor and personality. He apparently suffered a heart attack while running and was found by a passerby. We really just never know when our time is up; a great reminder to live life to the fullest and make the most of each and every day!

Yosemite from FL250

Geocaching in YLW

Today, as I set out on my usual run in Kelowna in Mission Creek Park, I saw our flight attendant Peggy. GPS in hand, she was in search of two geocaches located in the area. I've heard of geochaching, but didn't really know much about it and asked if I could tag along. It took us about 20 minutes to locate the first cache using the GPS and a description from the internet. Partway up a hill, at the base of a tree, under some logs and leaves, was a small ammo box containing a note pad and a few miscellaneous items that the founders of the cache site and other cachers installed. Canada was the theme of the cache; among the items was a mini Canadian flag. Peggy signed the log and left a "travel bug," a key ring with a numbered tag on it that she registered on line. The idea is that someone else takes the bug and leaves it somewhere else. It can be tracked on line to see how far it goes. A fun detour from my scenic run!