My take on it is that if it’s dark outside, it’s not going to get any darker inside by pulling down the shade! I was reminded of this just the other day during an early evening flight from ORD to SFO.

The departure was scheduled for 5:40p, the door closed at 7:06p, the plane was pulled away from the gate at 7:27p, started taxiing at 7:47p, waited at the runway at 8:06p and took off at 8:12p.

None of this was Alaska’s fault. The flight was late from SFO, and as the pilot humorously noted, it impacts the day. On top of it of course, it was cold, windy and snowing in Chicago. The situation was so tight on time and resources that when the cart was rolling down the aisle, the flight attendants regrettably informed the passengers that no coffee was onboard.

Even then did no one complain about open shades. My wife sat by the window, and from my middle seat, I noticed this beautiful darkness out there, occasional cloudiness and at times a few dim lights on the ground.

The young woman on my other side was a real pro. Her smartphone’s screen was dimmed from the get-go, as was the laptop she pulled out later. I could not wish for a more considerate neighbor. I got up at some point, and she knew exactly to move her devices and wires and herself out of way as if she has practiced for this moment for years.

I walked down the aisle from upfront nearby first class to the bathrooms in the back, and some shades were up, some were down, and no one seemed to care. It was a really easy-going crowd, no obnoxious grownup and no baby screaming. The flight attendant found an instant decaf for my wife, who was happy as a clam. Must have been because of the natural light from outside!