I made sure to take extra precautions for travel today. I made sure to carry on my luggage to avoid the monstrous security line.... I checked in online and printed out my boarding pass ahead of time so that I wouldn't have to wait in any lines once I got here. I even left extra early to make sure that the ensuing holiday traffic wouldn't hold me back. Well... not only did I get to the airport in about 10 minutes (and unheard of record from my apartment to LGA) but the only people in front of me in line at security was a nice old couple going to visit their grandchildren in Virginia. So much for that awful congestion....
I love people watching. Besides television, I think people are my 2nd favorite thing to watch. The airport terminal is suspiciously warm. Aren't public spaces like move theaters and malls normally extra cold, as to accommodate the people who carry their own natural insulation aka fatties?
There seems to be 2 types of people here at the terminal at the moment. Business people who are frequent fliers and people going to visit family for the holiday. The frequent fliers are poised and ready. They know all the ins and outs of airline travel and aren't afraid to squash those infrequent fliers to get the best placement in the terminal. They know which gate agents are the fastest, the quickest route to getting a coveted seat at the gate (heaven forbid you'd have to sit in a chair directly next to a stranger! *gags*) and they know where to go when it's actually time to board. A smart traveler will watch the frequent flier and follow their lead.
The family travelers are the ones that everyone else wishes were dead. As a matter of fact, about 10 feet away from me is a dad with 2 small boys. They are probably about 4 or 5. Clearly the dad has become sick of entertaining the kids and has bought them each a small firetruck toy from the gift shop. The firetrucks each make this horrible screeching/beeping sound for about 30 seconds when activated. The other passengers will not stand for this. They are trying to silence to toys with their hateful glares. I think it's working.
Now, I like to think that I'm somewhere between the two classes. I don't really have to travel for business like the frequent fliers, but I also travel enough to know proper airport etiquette and behavior.
I just realized that my bag was open and everyone can see my Hanes underwear... You're welcome, travelers.
Just took a picture on my new computer so you can see how fun the airport is. This bearded man behind me was looking at what I was doing on the computer. Busted. He should mind his own business and stop lurking me.A giant throng of humanity just stampeded towards gate 15 on their way to New Orleans. Apparently, a ton of them weren't paying attention to the gate agents when the gate was moved. It was fun to watch the mad dash of travelers run like the McAllister family on Home Alone. Remember that? One of the best movies ever! I hope they didn't forget any of the children because chances are that they won't be able to foil a burglary attempt like Kevin. They will probably just get shot/stabbed.
Some jerk just slammed into my chair. I hate him.
If you're bored like me, you should watch my On This Day video that I produce for iVillage.com. A lot of cool stuff happened on November 21st, so check it out! Did you know today was "World Hello Day?" I didn't, because I'm not speaking to anyone.
Crying baby alert... 2 o'clock. Dear Jesus, please don't let this kid be on my flight...
Holy crap! I'm boarding already! Gotta cut this short!!! Wish me a safe flight!
UPDATE- I am currently typing this from my blackberry on the runway. This is what's so unfair about air travel. They actually loaded us on to the plane early and gave us a major false sense of hope. Now we are number 16 or something in line for take off. So infair! The good news is that I somehow got upgraded to first class! It must have been my dashing good looks. So I guess while I sit in my extra large seat and eat my bag of white popcorn I can't really complain. Also- if the alcohol is complimentary, is it ok to drink it before noon? Discuss.