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Things That Are Bothering You, Got You All Hibbeldy-Jibbeldy, or just downright pissed, RIGHT NOW!

Piobaire

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Let's face it, for many reasons, flying in generally really sucks these days. I am wondering at what point an upscale experience will hit the market, from parking at departure to baggage claim at arrival, I know I would pay about double to have a smooth experience and that I could count on having a smooth experience, from start to finish.
 

Piobaire

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Originally Posted by Thomas
I'm doing a leisurely 80 in the left lane on the highway. Mr. Andretti pulls over behind my car and starts tailing me closely. So, I'm in your way, then, am I? I pull aside to let him pass. He doesn't. He sits on my shoulder and eventually backs away.

I hate those people. Worse are the ones that will actually creep past you and then when you get back in the hammer lane, slow down. Now I lock my cruise in at 85 and everyone can either get the **** out of my way or if I'm going to slow, go around me.
 

globetrotter

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Originally Posted by lawyerdad
I hear you, but American airlines and airports aren't necessarily a lot better.
Coming back from Maui this weekend, AA scattered by wife, my young daughter, and me into three separate far-apart seats, despite the fact that I had booked three seats together months ago. (This happened to several other families on the plane, evidently their seating computer has a "random shuffle" function like my cd player.) They were utterly unhelpful dicks about it. I wasn't even pushing for three together (although that's what I had booked) -- just two together so my daughter wouldn't have to sit alone. Eventually I had to just work it out with folks on the plane.

On the same trip, the security line was over an hour long. Fortunately, we'd gotten to the airport really early. When we got to the gate, they started paging my wife to the "Information Desk". Leaving my wife and daughter to hold our place in line to try to sort out the seating issues with the gate agent (a futile act), I went back through the terminal (no courtesy phones in the Maui airport) and eventually found a "Visitor Information" booth -- which I figured might or might not be where we were supposed to go. It was closed up, with nobody there. I found a security guard and told him that we'd been paged to the Information Desk and asked if he could direct me there. He pointed around the corner (where the closed "Visitor Information" kiosk was and said, "There's one right over there, but I don't know if it's staffed. If not, you'll need to go down to baggage claim and find someone." When I asked if I could get back to the gate if I went down to baggage claim, he said "Only by going through security again." I told him, "If I have to do that, I'll miss my flight. If that's my only option, I'll just ignore the page." He replied, "Most people do."
We got on the plane, flew home, and still have no idea what the page was about.

Oh, and this was after our LA-Maui flight was delayed 3.5 hours because AA's computer program for assigning crews did not pick up on the fact that the First Officer assigned to the flight had not worked out of LA for months. We were on the plane before they realized they weren't going to have a first officer, then had to wait while they scrambled to find a sub on New Year's Day.


argh, I feel for you.


I try really hard to avoid flying on holidays, and this is really the first time I've taken a vacation at holiday time, but it was just such a good opportunity to spend 2 weeks on vacation and only miss 6 working days.
 

lawyerdad

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Originally Posted by globetrotter
argh, I feel for you.


I try really hard to avoid flying on holidays, and this is really the first time I've taken a vacation at holiday time, but it was just such a good opportunity to spend 2 weeks on vacation and only miss 6 working days.


I hear you. Aside from the missing officer, flying on New Year's Day wasn't so bad. Traffic to the airport was light, and the plane was half-empty so when we finally got airborne we could spread out, take up extra seats, etc. Coming back on Saturday was much crazier in terms of crowds, overbooking, etc. We encounter enough frustration trying to fly with our daughter, I don't envy you trying to do it with your three.
 

globetrotter

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Originally Posted by lawyerdad
We encounter enough frustration trying to fly with our daughter, I don't envy you trying to do it with your three.


what really pissed me off was that we have a pretty good system, and we can keep the 3 kids happy and quiet, if we have just a little cooperation from the airline.

but, such is life.
 

lawyerdad

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Originally Posted by globetrotter
what really pissed me off was that we have a pretty good system, and we can keep the 3 kids happy and quiet, if we have just a little cooperation from the airline.

but, such is life.


Agreed on both.

Hope your trip was otherwise good.
 

globetrotter

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Originally Posted by lawyerdad
Agreed on both.

Hope your trip was otherwise good.


actually it was. beach, pool, sit on the porch and have a cigar, repeat 14 times. how was hawaii?
 

FLMountainMan

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I just took a new job and it's completely mindless. Despite what they sold me on, it's basically reviewing files and filling out a checklist. I'll actually admit I'm underworked and overpaid.
Anyway, I'm pissed off that my boss actually told me I work too fast (all the other employees are women over sixty and really retired years ago). It "makes everyone else feel slow and messes up our schedule."
WTF? Government work is so asinine. We're constantly trying to fit two days' worth of work into five.
I actually began to apologize and then stopped myself. I politely asked what she would like me to do. She actually suggested taking more bathroom breaks as one of the reasons. Completely amazing. I suggested that maybe I'm a bad fit and she agreed to help me find a better job in the department. State work is crazy.
 

kwilkinson

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Originally Posted by FLMountainMan
I just took a new job and it's completely mindless. Despite what they sold me on, it's basically reviewing files and filling out a checklist. I'll actually admit I'm underworked and overpaid.
Anyway, I'm pissed off that my boss actually told me I work too fast (all the other employees are women over sixty and really retired years ago). It "makes everyone else feel slow and messes up our schedule."
WTF? Government work is so asinine. We're constantly trying to fit two days' worth of work into five.
I actually began to apologize and then stopped myself. I politely asked what she would like me to do. She actually suggested taking more bathroom breaks as one of the reasons. Completely amazing. I suggested that maybe I'm a bad fit and she agreed to help me find a better job in the department. State work is crazy.



This sounds like my entry level job where I work now.

It sounds so awesome until you're stuck sitting at your desk twiddling your thumbs.
 

globetrotter

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Originally Posted by FLMountainMan
I just took a new job and it's completely mindless. Despite what they sold me on, it's basically reviewing files and filling out a checklist. I'll actually admit I'm underworked and overpaid.
Anyway, I'm pissed off that my boss actually told me I work too fast (all the other employees are women over sixty and really retired years ago). It "makes everyone else feel slow and messes up our schedule."
WTF? Government work is so asinine. We're constantly trying to fit two days' worth of work into five.
I actually began to apologize and then stopped myself. I politely asked what she would like me to do. She actually suggested taking more bathroom breaks as one of the reasons. Completely amazing. I suggested that maybe I'm a bad fit and she agreed to help me find a better job in the department. State work is crazy.


FMM - didn't you recently take this job? did they sell you an innacurate story about what was involved?

anyway, good luck, it is a ***** to be in that situation.
 

JBZ

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Originally Posted by lawyerdad
We got on the plane, flew home, and still have no idea what the page was about.

"Congratulations! You and your family have been randomly selected by American Airlines for free airfair to Hawaii for the rest of your lives!"
 

globetrotter

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oh, it looks like my cleaning lady/baby sitter ran away during the holidays - we have had a woman for more than a year for 20 hours a week, and the kids love her, I gave her my old car so that she had steady transport, and now it seems that she moved home to mexico over the holidays, without telling us. its really strange because she just got her green card, too.

its not going to be easy replacing her.
 

Piobaire

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Originally Posted by FLMountainMan
I'm pissed off that my boss actually told me I work too fast (all the other employees are women over sixty and really retired years ago). It "makes everyone else feel slow and messes up our schedule."
WTF?


Sounds like the two years I did working for the State. Several years later I think how when I hit 50, I might like to return to such a job and just ride it out for a few years while my 401k continues to compound. Also, you can really screw with peoples' minds in certain State jobs.

One thing is for sure, there are certain people made to work in such environments and there are those of us built to achieve. FMM, it sounds to me like you just do not have the temperment to keep that job for too long.
 

lawyerdad

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Originally Posted by Piobaire
Let's face it, for many reasons, flying in generally really sucks these days. I am wondering at what point an upscale experience will hit the market, from parking at departure to baggage claim at arrival, I know I would pay about double to have a smooth experience and that I could count on having a smooth experience, from start to finish.
I agree. I think one problem, though, is that the stuff that's most disruptive -- flight delays and the stuff -- are probably hard to deal with this way short of having a whole separate all-luxury airline that operates on a different economic model (e.g., not overbooking flights and having the ability to contract for certain accommodations or priorities at the airports it services).
Originally Posted by globetrotter
actually it was. beach, pool, sit on the porch and have a cigar, repeat 14 times. how was hawaii?

It was good, thanks. It was an extended family thing, so the timing and the specific hotel (and even the specific island) were not exactly what I would have chosen. But the main thing was to let my daughter have fun in Hawaii with her cousins, which happened. And even at a mediocre beachfront hotel (which this was), you're still sitting on a beachfront in Hawaii. That usually doesn't suck. Got in some snorkeling, some surfing, some drinking, and some sitting on my butt by the pool doing pleasure reading (and drinking). Plus, with my brother and his family there, as well as some of the grandparents, notlawyermom and I had built-in babysitting and were able to have a couple of meals alone as well.
 

Piobaire

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Originally Posted by lawyerdad
I agree. I think one problem, though, is that the stuff that's most disruptive -- flight delays and the stuff -- are probably hard to deal with this way short of having a whole separate all-luxury airline that operates on a different economic model (e.g., not overbooking flights and having the ability to contract for certain accommodations or priorities at the airports it services).


I would be happy if I could pay more just to go right from my drop off, have someone take my baggage, and escort me to a comfy chair, and check me in and then walk me directly to my plane seat at the appropriate time. Several years ago, pre-911, when I used to travel on a regular basis, I remember the various "clubs" where you had a private lounge, drinks, small offices, and a concierge that would print out your boarding passes while you sipped a Scotch. My road warrior days are long over and I hear so are those days.
 

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