On my way back from teh Christmas holiday in DC. I was on a plane and the young black guy sitting next to me was having terrible stomach problems. He was going to tough it out but at the last minute he had the stewardess ask the captain to return to the gate. I completely understand, the kid was a marine and he needed to report the next morning to a base out here in SD. But the other passengers around us who didn't see him doubling over said he was faking it and asking him to tough it out, basically actiing like complete and total jackasses. Part of me really wanted to tell them all off and then start breaking heads. Show a little sympathy folks, if you were doubling over in stomach pain and couldn't keep any food or water down I'd imagine that the last place you'd want to be is on a 5 hour plane ride.
So we pulled back into the gate and he got off the plane, no big deal right? Wrong. Wayy wrong. The first thing that happens is people start talking about him being a terrorist, and wondering if he took all his things with him, two passengers were particualrly adamant about it. So the Captain and the stewardesses come back and talk to me about if he was carrying anything with him and that kind of stuff. I talked to the guy for a minute, and if he was a terrorist it wsa seriously the best diguise I've ever seen, he was a nice kid who was black and kept looking at his cellphone that had a picture of a corvette on it. He was wearing big black sweatpants that didn't fit, and he was completely polite to everyone the whole time.
So he gets off the plane, and people are freaking out, making sure his luggage from under the plane is pulled. At least two of the passengers are freaking out talking about terrorism saying that, "They want to wake up tomorrow" and giving the stewardess and gate control folks a hell of a time. This one woman gets in my face and starts quizzing me and I calmly told her that indeed he took everything with him and nothing was wrong. Well that wasn't good enough, her and her husband had to make a big scene and storm off the plane rather then quietly asking to be rebooked. I understand that this is days after a botched terrorist attack, but at least treat people trying to help with dignity and respect.
Another guy starts insisting that he needs to get off the plane to get food and that they just passed new laws that should allow it. Christ buddy, those laws say an hour and a half first off, and second off you've been on the plane for 35 minutes tops, including all the time out on the runway and the turnaround. I highly doubt you are starving after a 35 minute delay on a 5+ hour flight.
I can't stand people who make already confusing or stressful situations more problematic. I have absolutely no regard for people spazzing out and being inconsiderate, flying is stressful enough folks. If you want to get off the plane because you fear for your life then fine, just don't freak out and start accusing and questioning. If you are hungry after 35 minutes then maybe you should have planned a little better in the terminal when you were sitting there reading that copy of "Swank" for an hour and a half before the flight boarded (I might be a little more sympathetic if I hadn't seen you there for so long and you like had to rush to the plane). Lastly, stop being a jackass, sorry your flight was delayed because this guy was doubled over in pain. But that doesn't give you the right to be a d-bag.
Oh and the final result of the whole thing? I little more then an hour and fifteen minute delay, and we landed at 8:45PM, 30 minutes after our scheduled arrival time.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
I don't know which I like less!
I don't like New Years Eve, I also don't particualrly like Valentine's day. It's hard to say which I dislike more frankly. I hate the falseness of Valentine's day, but that could also be because I've had bad experiences. I hate the pagentry of New Year's but that could also be because it ends up being a really busy time of year in my job. I'm actively looking forward to staying home tonight and maybe going to bed early so I can get up and go to work tomorrow. Laaaaaame.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
This week's quiz!
I got 7/10! Answers hidden at the bottom:
1. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the government would be sending five alleged 9/11 plotters to trial in New York City, just a few blocks from where the World Trade Center twin towers fell in 2001. Which of the following suspects is NOT among the five?
Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Abdul Qadeer Khan
Waleed bin Attash
2. President Obama traveled to China for a three-day visit in which he discussed climate change and a variety of economic and strategic issues with the nation's leaders in Beijing. The trip, however, kicked off in another Chinese city, where the president held a town hall-style meeting attended by university students. Which city?
Nanjing
Shanghai
Shenzhen
Guangzhou
3. A government health panel caused quite a stir when it issued a report recommending new
guidelines on when women should get mammograms, a long-standing test for breast cancer. What switch did the committee make in recommending the optimum age for women (except for those in high-risk groups) to begin biannual mammograms?
From 40 to 50
From 50 to 40
From 50 to 60
From 60 to 50
4. Much of the air travel in the United States, especially on the East Coast, was plunged into chaos. What was the cause of the problem?
Baggage handlers went on strike
Snow hit airports in the Northeast, causing a knock-on effect across the system
Part of the air traffic control system broke down, meaning that computers could not communicate
A flaw was discovered in airplane tires, leading to the grounding of all Boeing 737s, the most common plane used in North America
5. NASA announced that it had found water on the moon, in the form of ice hidden under the surface. How did it make the discovery?
By using the orbiting International Space Station to analyze plumes of debris thrown up by a meteor that hit the moon
By dropping a large object from the space shuttle Atlantis and analyzing the plume of debris thrown up
By reactivating one of the lunar rovers left on the moon's surface and having it dig under the surface
By crashing a rocket on the moon and analyzing the plume of debris thrown up
6. Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, who famously hid $90,000 in his freezer, was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison for taking bribes, the longest term ever imposed on a congressman for bribery charges. Jefferson, who represented part of New Orleans for nearly 20 years, was convicted of taking about $500,000; what for?
Protecting sex-industry operators in New Orleans
Using his influence to broker business deals in Africa
Greasing the wheels of development projects in New Orleans
Steering Hurricane Katrina recovery funds to businesses that paid him money
7. With heaping helpings of publicity, Sarah Palin launched her memoir, for which she was paid a reported seven-figure sum. What is the name of the book?
"Sarah Palin: My Life"
"Shootin' From the Lip"
"Going Rogue: An American Life"
"Way Up North: The Sarah Palin Story"
8. Famed New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was left red-faced after a final-minutes gamble in a game against Indianapolis went badly wrong, thus handing the game to the Colts. What did he do?
Ordered a fourth-down pass play, which was intercepted and run into the Patriots' end zone
Tried a risky reverse play on fourth down, which was easily detected by the Colts
Tried a fourth-down throw by the punter, who messed up the play
Ordered a short passing play on fourth down that failed to get the necessary yardage
9. Hey, it's not even Thanksgiving, but the Oxford English Dictionary decided to come out with its Word of the Year. What is it?
Sweet: An affirmation that something has gone right or is particularly good
Unfriend: To remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site such as Facebook
Kanye: To make a fool of oneself, as rapper Kanye West did in interrupting an acceptance speech at an award show
Rogue: To disregard the instructions of a party leader, such as the actions of GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin
10. A group asked that they be put near the head of the line for swine flu shots because of their close contact with children. Which group?
Boy Scout and Girl Scout leaders
Mall and store Santas
Pediatricians
Teachers
Answers (Scroll over to see):
1. Abdul Qadeer Khan
2. Shanghai
3. From 40 to 50
4. Part of the air traffic control system broke down, meaning that computers could not communicate
5. By crashing a rocket on the moon and analyzing the plume of debris thrown up
6. Using his influence to broker business deals in Africa
7. "Going Rogue: An American Life"
8. Ordered a short passing play on fourth down that failed to get the necessary yardage
9. Unfriend: To remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site such as Facebook
10. Mall and store Santas
1. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the government would be sending five alleged 9/11 plotters to trial in New York City, just a few blocks from where the World Trade Center twin towers fell in 2001. Which of the following suspects is NOT among the five?
Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Abdul Qadeer Khan
Waleed bin Attash
2. President Obama traveled to China for a three-day visit in which he discussed climate change and a variety of economic and strategic issues with the nation's leaders in Beijing. The trip, however, kicked off in another Chinese city, where the president held a town hall-style meeting attended by university students. Which city?
Nanjing
Shanghai
Shenzhen
Guangzhou
3. A government health panel caused quite a stir when it issued a report recommending new
guidelines on when women should get mammograms, a long-standing test for breast cancer. What switch did the committee make in recommending the optimum age for women (except for those in high-risk groups) to begin biannual mammograms?
From 40 to 50
From 50 to 40
From 50 to 60
From 60 to 50
4. Much of the air travel in the United States, especially on the East Coast, was plunged into chaos. What was the cause of the problem?
Baggage handlers went on strike
Snow hit airports in the Northeast, causing a knock-on effect across the system
Part of the air traffic control system broke down, meaning that computers could not communicate
A flaw was discovered in airplane tires, leading to the grounding of all Boeing 737s, the most common plane used in North America
5. NASA announced that it had found water on the moon, in the form of ice hidden under the surface. How did it make the discovery?
By using the orbiting International Space Station to analyze plumes of debris thrown up by a meteor that hit the moon
By dropping a large object from the space shuttle Atlantis and analyzing the plume of debris thrown up
By reactivating one of the lunar rovers left on the moon's surface and having it dig under the surface
By crashing a rocket on the moon and analyzing the plume of debris thrown up
6. Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, who famously hid $90,000 in his freezer, was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison for taking bribes, the longest term ever imposed on a congressman for bribery charges. Jefferson, who represented part of New Orleans for nearly 20 years, was convicted of taking about $500,000; what for?
Protecting sex-industry operators in New Orleans
Using his influence to broker business deals in Africa
Greasing the wheels of development projects in New Orleans
Steering Hurricane Katrina recovery funds to businesses that paid him money
7. With heaping helpings of publicity, Sarah Palin launched her memoir, for which she was paid a reported seven-figure sum. What is the name of the book?
"Sarah Palin: My Life"
"Shootin' From the Lip"
"Going Rogue: An American Life"
"Way Up North: The Sarah Palin Story"
8. Famed New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was left red-faced after a final-minutes gamble in a game against Indianapolis went badly wrong, thus handing the game to the Colts. What did he do?
Ordered a fourth-down pass play, which was intercepted and run into the Patriots' end zone
Tried a risky reverse play on fourth down, which was easily detected by the Colts
Tried a fourth-down throw by the punter, who messed up the play
Ordered a short passing play on fourth down that failed to get the necessary yardage
9. Hey, it's not even Thanksgiving, but the Oxford English Dictionary decided to come out with its Word of the Year. What is it?
Sweet: An affirmation that something has gone right or is particularly good
Unfriend: To remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site such as Facebook
Kanye: To make a fool of oneself, as rapper Kanye West did in interrupting an acceptance speech at an award show
Rogue: To disregard the instructions of a party leader, such as the actions of GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin
10. A group asked that they be put near the head of the line for swine flu shots because of their close contact with children. Which group?
Boy Scout and Girl Scout leaders
Mall and store Santas
Pediatricians
Teachers
Answers (Scroll over to see):
1. Abdul Qadeer Khan
2. Shanghai
3. From 40 to 50
4. Part of the air traffic control system broke down, meaning that computers could not communicate
5. By crashing a rocket on the moon and analyzing the plume of debris thrown up
6. Using his influence to broker business deals in Africa
7. "Going Rogue: An American Life"
8. Ordered a short passing play on fourth down that failed to get the necessary yardage
9. Unfriend: To remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site such as Facebook
10. Mall and store Santas
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