Can you feel it coming in the air tonight

By March 11, 2020 October 29th, 2022 Pandemic Thoughts
Pretty surreal and validating experience flying this past week.

Que the Phil Collins Drum solo.

I must say, having round trip airplane rows to myself and a Chicago layover both ways with no lines was quite refreshing.

Having the American Airlines ticketing staff call me by name while I was still at the kiosk was a memorable customer experience.

“Hey, Heather – I’m printing your bag tag over here, you can bring it on over.”

Well, thank you very much, Shari. I appreciate that.

TSA checkpoint number 3 (Kiosk 1, bag checker 2) was all officers. And me.

Since this was a personal trip, I had no laptops or baggies of little fluids to whip out with my shoes and jacket. I was fast pass ready. Wasn’t my first rodeo.

“Wow, I’ve never been here all by myself,” I said.

“Yeah. Must just be a downtime.”

Why didn’t I take pictures??????? So many smiles. So many conversations.

Everyone was laughing and relaxed and chill. No possible threats or uncomfortable patience of the status quo like lunchlines and concerts.

Add a row to myself of stretchabilities and cheerful cabin mates in comfort land being offered double pretzels with a bonus biscotti cookie for ole time’s sake.

Even drinks were the whole, unopened can, and ice cup. Whoa. Is this a party in the sky?

Both ways, five days apart? What’s going on? Am I being punked?

It was a Monday I suppose. I saw a handful of masks in Chicago and one stereotypically like the newscasts of doom and gloom we see.

My flight staff were always great and had time to chit chat. They had downtime too. They seemed happier than normal. The plane smelled of cleaner and air freshener.

The airport bathrooms were immaculate and had no smell or line. No surprise messes left behind or cow spray on the seat for me to wipe up first.

In fact, the Columbus, airport had cranberry scented hand soap and that was the next of many happy surprises I encountered through my travels.

Even my shuttle to my car- the parking lot was so empty that since I couldn’t remember if I was 4A or 5A or maybe throw a niner in there (Tommy Boy reference. Sorry not sorry.) that I just hit my unlock button and looked for the scarce vehicle flashing back at us.

It was 4A. I was close to spot on. Not bad, Heather. You still got it.

So Marhassin (sp?) not only got a kick out that, I was the lone traveler on his shuttle. He loaded my bag into my van!! What the what?

“I got time. It’s slow and I like to help”

Dayummmmm.

I hope when this madness. This Y2K. This Swine, Bird H1N1 thing that’s on the Mayan calendar just stahhhhhhhp. And we remember what being good customers can do to good employees who just have high volume and low blow mean customers to show how much they could actually be.

Sure, we all had time. That’s not reality. This is not reality. However- we all got to experience how good it can be when we all try and go with the flow of the situation. If everyone tackling each other for Clorox wipes and water bottles come back into the fold, maybe we can help them see experience what we all did this weekend.

Just like my favorite Dolly_parton said, “If someone doesn’t have a smile, give them yours.”

Thanks for reading. Check out this article. It is well written. Buy stock, not overstock. Wash your hands. Forever. And ever. Amen.

Heather

By the way, if you’re in the Columbus area, here’s a fun article that ran last month about morgues requesting more freezers for the Opioid deaths. In ten days last month, 28 people died in this county alone and space for bodies is limited. You didn’t hear about that? Oh, and most of it is due to Fentanyl. The synthetic one that China makes and sends over here.

Yeah, yeah – Hey Heather – this is the COVIID-19. Not drugs. Well, ok. Here’s another link – more than 800 people in Ohio have been hospitalized this year for the flu.

Stay healthy my friends.

The whole download on China synthetic drugs:

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