Carry-on Baggage...
Posted: Fri May 02, 2003 10:41 pm
Like most of my posts...this is too long.
But.....
Please help me understand why the concept for carry-on baggage and the realities of carry-on baggage seem so dramatically different.
In practice, we sometimes go places where a small bag with a change of clothes and a few toiletries are all we need to take with us. Short trips. Business trips. Watching the process, I think that's the reason behind allowing carry-on baggage in the first place.
And...we all know that most, if not almost all, baggage claim areas at airports are slow, cumbersome, and a fun place to watch little old ladies nearly get dragged around the conveyor as they reach out with their frail little hands for a piece of luggage as big as they are.
That's the concept.
The reality is...that neat little "practice box" that they have when you check in..you know the one. "Your carry-on baggage must fit in this space or it will need to be checked in at the counter."
Well...the last one of those little measuring spaces I passed was full of candy wrappers and yesterday's newspapers. And, for as far as I can see in the line in front of me, and the line behind me, more than 50% of the bags I see people carrying on to the plane not only won't fit in that "practice box," but can hardly be lifted 2" let alone over the head.
So now we are getting on the plane. The overhead bins are all open and full of 50 lb bags that are squeezed and smashed and forced into every available space. Even the flight attendants can't help you get them up that high. And as those bins fill so quickly, the last half of people seem to have the largest most cumbersome bags of all. They must have inflated them after getting past that "practice box."
You hear the announcement that "The bins are filling fast, so please use any available space you see."
Grandma grabs that huge bag of hers and attempts to lift it over YOUR head toward the bin above. She spreads her legs for better balance and throws that 50 pounder right through the part in your hair! This time she makes it. But not always!
Adding insult to injury is the announcement by the flight attendant that the bins are now full...so you will need to put your carry-on luggage under the seat in front of you.
Like that can happen.
You can't even lean forward to see any space without hitting the back of the seat in front of you. And you already know that your feet had enough trouble finding that tiny space under the seat...so how in the he** are you supposed to put your bag there?
I'm the world's easiest guy to get along with, but those flight attendants then look at you like you are so ignorant for bringing that bag on the plane with you in the first place. Like "Mr., I can't believe you would bring a bag that size on this plane! We have rules!"
Meanwhile back by the gate...someone throws a McDonald's bag in that "practice space" thinking it must be there for something.
I swear sometimes that when the plane does get off the ground it will want to turn upside down with all that weight over our heads. But alas, the trip happens nonetheless.
Finally...the scariest moment of all. All those people tugging with just one hand at their bags over your head....they have another plane to catch after all.
Grandma gets up from the seat across the aisle with a great big grin on her face as she looks directly above your head at her bag.
And you break out in a sweat just thinking about it.
But.....
Please help me understand why the concept for carry-on baggage and the realities of carry-on baggage seem so dramatically different.
In practice, we sometimes go places where a small bag with a change of clothes and a few toiletries are all we need to take with us. Short trips. Business trips. Watching the process, I think that's the reason behind allowing carry-on baggage in the first place.
And...we all know that most, if not almost all, baggage claim areas at airports are slow, cumbersome, and a fun place to watch little old ladies nearly get dragged around the conveyor as they reach out with their frail little hands for a piece of luggage as big as they are.
That's the concept.
The reality is...that neat little "practice box" that they have when you check in..you know the one. "Your carry-on baggage must fit in this space or it will need to be checked in at the counter."
Well...the last one of those little measuring spaces I passed was full of candy wrappers and yesterday's newspapers. And, for as far as I can see in the line in front of me, and the line behind me, more than 50% of the bags I see people carrying on to the plane not only won't fit in that "practice box," but can hardly be lifted 2" let alone over the head.
So now we are getting on the plane. The overhead bins are all open and full of 50 lb bags that are squeezed and smashed and forced into every available space. Even the flight attendants can't help you get them up that high. And as those bins fill so quickly, the last half of people seem to have the largest most cumbersome bags of all. They must have inflated them after getting past that "practice box."
You hear the announcement that "The bins are filling fast, so please use any available space you see."
Grandma grabs that huge bag of hers and attempts to lift it over YOUR head toward the bin above. She spreads her legs for better balance and throws that 50 pounder right through the part in your hair! This time she makes it. But not always!
Adding insult to injury is the announcement by the flight attendant that the bins are now full...so you will need to put your carry-on luggage under the seat in front of you.
Like that can happen.
You can't even lean forward to see any space without hitting the back of the seat in front of you. And you already know that your feet had enough trouble finding that tiny space under the seat...so how in the he** are you supposed to put your bag there?
I'm the world's easiest guy to get along with, but those flight attendants then look at you like you are so ignorant for bringing that bag on the plane with you in the first place. Like "Mr., I can't believe you would bring a bag that size on this plane! We have rules!"
Meanwhile back by the gate...someone throws a McDonald's bag in that "practice space" thinking it must be there for something.
I swear sometimes that when the plane does get off the ground it will want to turn upside down with all that weight over our heads. But alas, the trip happens nonetheless.
Finally...the scariest moment of all. All those people tugging with just one hand at their bags over your head....they have another plane to catch after all.
Grandma gets up from the seat across the aisle with a great big grin on her face as she looks directly above your head at her bag.
And you break out in a sweat just thinking about it.
