Rules of the road, Weather and WiFi
The jumper from Denver to Aspen was delayed due to weather, and I couldn’t understand why passengers kept going up to the counter to complain. Imagine that, the Eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, and there were thunderstorms booming done out of the foothills? I’ve traveled around the [North> American Southwest most of my life. Summer weather is unpredictable. Period. Way it is. Get used to it. Astrology is a lot more predictable.
I don’t get it, why folks complain because of delays, you know, it’s the weather. And there’s the safety question, too, the little commuter jet was stuck on the runway because of the threat of lightning, none of the ramp rats were allowed out until the threat passed. Can’t be having fried baggage handlers, that for sure.
The idea of the crews’ safety didn’t translate to the departure lounge. Most of those folk – not me – were more worried about when they could hurry up and get to Aspen.
Couple of guidelines for traveling, especially air travel these days. Show up early. Make allowances for delays at the security check point. You will be searched, \\especially\\ if you’re innocent. Carry reading material. Not just one book, but a lot of stuff. I like pseudo-literary, pompous-sounding magazines that I can abandon along the way, hopefully to impress – or enlighten – other stranded travelers. Those are good for short-attention span situations, like standing in line someplace. But also always carry at least one book. I think – not sure – but I think it’s an FAA mandate to have at least one Clancy novel with you when traveling. Or maybe it’s a Daniel Steele, I can’t recall.
Personally, I’d suggest the Clancy novel as required reading. I’ve avoided that author and genre until a fishing buddy foisted a Clancy novel on me, and you know what? It wasn’t bad. In fact, it was good enough that I was looking for it in paperback, along the airport route. I had started reading one of those 30-pound behemoth hardback copy, and I was certainly not toting that all around the Louisiana Purchase. Travel light, another rule.
First in Austin, then in Denver, I idly experimented with the airport’s 802.11 network. Now that was cool. In Denver, I kept shutting down my laptop only to fire it back up one more time because I had complete, free, wireless, net access. It was so cool. Fast, too. Faster than the access protocol in Austin’s airport. And Denver? Fewer problems. Carrying a notebook with a good battery life is also important, I would guess.
Those road rules, so far:
Weather will be wrong, be prepared.
Reading material. Book, magazines, important stuff, fluff, need a little of all. Make sure you have the FAA mandated book, as well.
Travel light.
Charge the laptop’s battery and the cell phone’s battery before you leave.
Be polite to the folks who work there.