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Ahhh... Remember when...
Airport Memories
I remember in High School, we used to drive out to Irving Park Rd and sit under the runway at ORD. We would lay on our cars and just feel the planes roar over us. Now, forget it! They have fences and tow signs and no more shoulders to park on.:td::td: |
When my brother and I were small, the parents would take us to the airport to watch the planes.
When Dad would travel, we'd hang out at the gate and watch the luggage load and unload, see other planes taxiing about, a few takeoffs and landings. Now we're lucky to find an area of the airport for watching anything takeoff and land. It's a really good day when I can see what will be my next ride coming in to a gate. Even at some of the lounges, there's only one or two craft visible. I still like to watch the ground crew work. |
Or for a cheap Friday night out, my friends and I would hang out at the gates in terminal 2 at ORD and try to guess whether people were coming or going and what their destination was without looking at the board.
We got really good at reading people! |
Sigh, I remember when...
I could see my friends and family off up to the gate. Wait for them AT the gate to deplane.
Get real FOOD on the plane. NOT take off my jackets and shoes, or in some places, go through a metal detector to get on the plane. Carry pocket knives, water brought from outside the airport (not the ones you pay $3 after the security check point) and bottles of wine or liquor on the plane. Have pillows and blankets. Have pretty and young flight attendants and not FAs who look like THEY need to be saved in a crash instead of them saving ME. Get free headsets. Get chinaware and metal utensils. Get free booze. No delays. No overbookings. No surcharge for extra luggage. No having to wait on the tarmac and hear the pilot say over the P.A. "we are number 47 for take off." Being able to play hand held electronic games and listen to Walkmans during take off and landing. No excuses about the crew being late due to late arriving flights. Not having to remove laptops from bags. Not having to carry 3 oz or less liquids in quart sized zip lock bags and taking it out of the luggage. Have bigger seats. Not being treated like cattle at boarding time. Can wait for people in cars, in curbs. Getting little gifts from airlines. Not sitting on the runway waiting for a gate because the plane arrived early. Not having to pay a small fortune for food and liquids after the security check point. Not having to drag the luggage to the x-ray machine after being weighed and tagged. Not having immigration officials "bark" at you. No TSA. Not being frisked from head to toe. Not feel like being treated as a potential terrorist. Being offered reading materials. Not flying on planes older than me. and last but not least... be EXCITED to actually FLY in a plane. Sometimes I wish I never experienced the above items like the kids nowadays. I would not miss them so much if I didn't know any better.:( |
Originally Posted by Fly-Me-to-the-Moon!
(Post 9347427)
Get real FOOD on the plane.
NOT take off my... shoes Carry... bottles of wine or liquor on the plane. Have pillows and blankets. Have pretty and young flight attendants and not FAs who look like THEY need to be saved in a crash instead of them saving ME. Get free headsets. Get chinaware and metal utensils. Get free booze. Can wait for people in cars, in curbs. No TSA. Guess it's more a question of route/airline choice than anything else. |
That is because you don't live in the wonderful Unite States of America~
Originally Posted by graraps
(Post 9348029)
The quoted items are part of day-to-day travel reality for millions of travellers, including myself (well, not the headsets because I've never cared about them).
Guess it's more a question of route/airline choice than anything else. If you are lucky enough to live in the "land of the free, brave and opportunity" (= U.S.A.), you can't do any of the above. Enjoy what you have and hope you NEVER have to deal with what I have to deal with whenever I fly~ |
Ah, yes, the good old days...
We would sometimes go to MSP to play video games, just for a change of pace. One of my best friends lived far away but occasionally transited through there, and I would go hang out with her for a few hours during her layovers. I do remember my parents taking us kids to the airport when we were young so we could sit at the gate and watch the planes take off and land. Any pleasure I ever derived from airports or flying is long gone now. :( |
Originally Posted by Fly-Me-to-the-Moon!
(Post 9348278)
Bless yourself for not having to deal with my problems.
If you are lucky enough to live in the "land of the free, brave and opportunity" (= U.S.A.), you can't do any of the above. |
Oh yes, metal utensils! They even had their airline logo or initials on them.
My dad once wrote a letter to Continental Airlines regarding a flight he took to South America. The fork given out with the meal had the letters "CACA CACA" all the way down the handle. Kind of ruined the meal.:( |
Roflmao!
Originally Posted by stuffy
(Post 9349452)
Oh yes, metal utensils! They even had their airline logo or initials on them.
My dad once wrote a letter to Continental Airlines regarding a flight he took to South America. The fork given out with the meal had the letters "CACA CACA" all the way down the handle. Kind of ruined the meal.:( |
A few months ago I was waiting at the ORD cell phone lot and took a detour to Target (maybe that's north on Mannheim Road, but I could be wrong). In that parking lot you can see a good number of planes that are low and directly overhead.
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