Text 27619, 64 rader
Skriven 2015-05-30 07:52:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: back to reality 751
===========================
US3963 PHL LGA 1615 1718 CRJ 8A

The exit row on this aircraft gives at most a couple inches
extra room, a disappointment. My seatmate was an attractive
black woman who insisted on elbowing me when I used the
armrest (this row has two armrests for two seats, none at
the exit door); when I insisted on occupying my half (I
am by custom entitled to the whole one) she just cozied up
to me, which I am not sure whether to interpret as
overenthusiastically assertive or flirtatious. This
continued to happen whether we were chatting, otherwise
ignoring each other, or taking a doze. By the end of the
flight I figured we were about married.

Another bumpy ride.

The end of the flight was way too late, and we had a number
of staff commuting to work, in fact on my next flight (no
availability on any PHL WAS nonstops, and Amtrak is quite
costly); the flight attendants and I speculated about whether
we would make it - we didn't land until boarding time, and
then there was the usual delay before the New Yorkese ground
staff got it together to marshal us in, get the bags, and
allow us off the plane.

US2145 LGA DCA 1800 1923 E90 12A

We all made it, mostly because this flight was delayed -
ended up 40 minutes late.

On boarding, I spied my friend The Second Dodger sitting in
row 2. As everyone was pushing to get on, I told him I'd
visit for a chat during the flight. I went back to my exit
row (very generous room on this aircraft, in fact more than
in first, plus they offer free beer and wine even in coach
on the shuttle flights because the route used to be owned by
Eastern, which offered free beer and wine before it was bought
by Donald Trump, who offered free beer and wine; whether this
is now done by rule or merely by tradition I don't know. So
there's no substantial benefit to sitting in first on these
flights if one can get the exit row.

My seatmate was a grumpy thirty-something consultant who had
had to fly up that morning to handhold a client and was stuck
with a similar delay, and he got grumpier as the time passed
and the incompetencies increased.

The captain went on the horn to report that our cruising
altitude would be 8000 feet, through the middle of the cloud
layer, and as a result the flight attendants would remain
seated during the whole flight, meaning no visit to TSD and
no free drinks besides. We took off at about 1845.

At some point it seemed to be a bit less bumpy, so I went
forward to chat with TSD, whom I don't get to see very often,
as he's a busy fellow. We talked until the flight attendant
(still seated) kicked me out.

We landed around 2000, not great news for several riders who
had 2000 flights.

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