Travel News - Presumptions

From today's NYTimes Frequent Flier column:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/business/with-champagne-as-entry-passport-control-is-easy.html?ref=business

Seatmates can often teach you important lessons.

I was headed from San Francisco to New York, and as we were getting ready to take off, the attendant told everyone to make sure their cellphones and electronic devices were off.

The guy next to me stayed on his cell. I remember giving him this really dirty look, and I was thinking, “Who do you think you are?” I was just getting ready to ring the bell for the attendant, when I heard him say, “Is she still alive? I’m on the plane. Tell Mom I love her.”

I felt like an idiot, and we started talking. This poor guy was just trying to get back to New York to see his dying mother. We talked the entire trip. At one point he looked out of the window and told me how he likes to fly because no matter what is going on, it’s always sunny above the clouds.

That stuck with me and actually inspired me to try to just be a better, kinder traveler. And that’s something, maybe, we all need to learn.

Was the caller a Medical Doctor discussing issues of time-saving, potentially life-saving procedures with his team? Perhaps he was in the final process of negotiating some critical international treaty. If so, maybe we can cut him some slack here.

Or, did the discussion have NO real bearing on Mom's comdition? That would fall under the category of "nice (but not critical) to know". Was the potential of delaying a flight with hundreds of passengers worth the convenience of the call?

From today's NYTimes Frequent Flier column:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/business/with-champagne-as-entry-passport-control-is-easy.html?ref=business

^^^ I agree

Nice story. I would also like to be in the champagne business! I can see why he enjoys telling people what he does!