When I booked my evening, no-stops flight from Chicago to Seattle, I was happy with the cheap fare.
It was my first night flight. I assumed that everyone would be tired and quiet. So, I grabbed a window seat and settled in for a quiet, relaxing flight. The view at take-off was stunning: Chicago and the lake at night, clear skies and a quarter moon. Breathtaking. I looked around the airplane and even though there were several babies and small children on this flight, they were sitting far away. Hooray! This was to be the best part of the flight.
GAINING ALTITUDE
As the plane gained altitude things changed. People were LOUD. Suddenly, it was exactly like an evening cocktail party – chatty, drink orders, lots of food and conversation. Dozing was out for me. And even later, when the general plane chatter quieted down some, things in my corner of the world didn’t improve.
The man in the seat in front of me likely had Tourette’s Syndrome, bless him. I couldn’t use my tray table because he would call out and fling himself backwards, knocking my adjustable tray back and forth. In addition to that, the kid behind me kept kicking the back of my seat, sometimes rapid-fire. I turned around about four times to give his mother my best English teacher glare, but not even that worked.
Luckily, the couple sitting next to me were Chinese, trim and short, allowing me plenty of room to move a bit and not worry about where my elbows landed. But that man had a non-stop, three-hour conversation with his lady friend, in a loud, sing-song voice. She was much quieter, thank goodness. But neither one responded to my glances. There I was, being kicked, pushed, banged, plus listening to Chinese. It was exhausting.
A LESSON IN DEEP BREATHING
I tried deep breathing. I hummed snatches of songs. Did the crossword in the airline magazine. I started to pretend that the couple next to me were really speaking English, and I listened for recognizable words. I started hearing phrases like, “What goes here stays by the green door” and “Look for me and there is a donkey.” But after “She looks up to see the cat plow down,” I gave up on coping that way.
We landed early, and I was the happiest passenger (with the exception of the 2 year-old who was so done with planes). When I stood up, I couldn’t resist a disapproving glare at that annoying kid behind me.
It was the woman’s husband.
Christy Steiger, Writer, Teacher, and Textile Artist – You will find Christy either behind her sewing machine, making lists, editing Dorothy’s books, counseling friends or stirring up conversation in The Aging Abundantly online group. She’s a gem of a human being and a valued member of The Aging Abundantly Community.
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Oh my! What a terrible experience. I have been lucky and usually sleep through any night flights. Sometimes I get the entire row to myself and can spread out. The kid/man kicking your seat is funny, although I’m sure annoying at the time.
I don’t fly very much, but I certainly can imagine the scenario you describe, Christy! I expect it, so I’m surprised that my experience isn’t more unpleasant than it usually is!