Well, it is soon off to the airport for a business trip to Columbia MD. I have a 10:15am flight, so I’m going to aim to be there at 7:30am. My fountain pens are shipped (except for one I’m carrying — ugh, I’ll have to use ball points). I have no liquids or gels. All my prescriptions are in their bottles with labels. My carry-ons are ready to go (I’m still trying to avoid checking things — I don’t like how checked luggage is handled).
I’m not looking forward to this trip. Oh, the meetings themselves will be fine. Rather, the whole set of hassles now with the TSA checkpoints, combined with the cattle-car environment of the airplane, have taken the fun out of travel. There are now a whole set of rules and regulations, some of them more arcane than others. Would that I had the courage that this guy had. Sigh.
Travelling use to be fun. Before my daughter was born, I enjoyed travel. For work, I did weekly juants to DC for testing — in Monday, back Friday. Nowadays, I’d just rather stay in Los Angeles. I go out of my way to avoid flying, just due to the hassles.
Is this what has become of us? Have the growing indignities due to safety and security forced us to isolate to areas within a reasonable driving distance? Is travelling now just for the young and single, not for us old folks who remember when it was special, you were treated well, and it was easy to do.
I’ll post once I’m in my hotel.