Ah… I can’t really respond to that one, even as a joke; because judging other people’s parenting skills is way above my pay grade, especially when I don’t actually know them.
But kudos to you for having a decent sense of humor, and not taking yourself too seriously.
That’s kind of a rarity these days.
I’ve flown first class three times, all on my spouse’s miles. I always felt embarrassed by the drinks, etc., before departure and I would stick my face into my book or look away.
However, I never felt any guilt for the legroom and the ease in exiting my seat.
Well I think it is impossible to judge someone personally with out knowing them personally. Or at least not with out some documentation. So hey, thanks for not being judgmental.
But in this case I don’t even take her opinion too seriously. I am sure you have broken up with someone in the past, yes? Some horrible things may have been slung back and forth? Usually it ends, you move on, and other than an awkward random encounter you never see that person again.
If you have a kid, unless you just fucking bail, you are forced to interact with that person on a regular basis. Most of the time it is civil. On occasion the person who knows where all of your buttons are will just mash them all because they can.
I practice self depreciating humor. It probably started when I was younger to deflect bullies. If you make fun of yourself worse than they do, it not only challenges them to come up with something hurtful, but they won’t retaliate because you said something worse back TO them. Oddly, I have a warped dark sense of humor where horrible things can be funny. BUT, unless you really know someone, you can’t really express that humor with someone lest you hurt their feelings. Direct that horrible thing onto yourself and everyone can enjoy!
if you don’t pass through first class while boarding where are you supposed to squeeze out any last minute pre flight farts?
Imma comment without reading.
How many of the people getting into drunken rages…are in first class? I’ve seen one shouting match between assholes in first class, one in business, one in economy.
I don’t fly anymore, I’ve flown once in 6+ years, but before that quite frequently.
Did the study adjust for the people in the elevated fare seats themselves fighting? Would it need to? IDFK
Also, why board them first? The terminal has better services than the plane. If I paid for first class it should include not having the peasants paraded before me while I’m trapped in my seat, to be gawked at when the inevitable traffic jam of imbeciles who can’t use overhead compartments take their usual actions.
And if you are about to possibly be subjected to an interminable wait on the tarmac for take-off, last to board is again the best option.
Meh, hardly matters, once I’m no longer a temporarily embarrassed millionaire and fly first class I’ll simply demand to be boarded precisely last and they will accommodate me.
Only seen shouting matches in the air, on the bus tho, fisticuffs, and quite progressively, no gender discrimination in the activity.
The train wins hands down as the most civilized way to travel. But don’t spring for first class on seat-only journeys, it isn’t worth shit. If you require a sleeping berth tho, spend spend spend
I started flying more than fifty years ago and recently (thanks to having finally accumulated enough) started using frequent-flier miles for first-class upgrades, mostly to make sure that my guitar gets decent treatment. To my surprise, the luxury of first isn’t nearly like what I recalled from the single bump we lucked into nearly 20 years ago–the seat is about as roomy as coach used to be. Of course, there’s the free booze, but I don’t drink when flying (or much at all), so that’s not much of an attraction. And the level of attention from the crew is higher than it is farther back in the plane–mostly a matter of having a better attendant-to-passenger ratio. (I can’t recall ever encountering an inattentive, let alone surly flight attendant when flying coach–maybe I’ve been lucky.)
I’m an aging white guy who presents as a suburban grand-dad, and when I look at my companions in first, the mix I see isn’t all that different from the people in the rest of the plane–though there are generally no small children, let alone whole families. (Half my annual flights are to Orlando, so I’m used to the Mickey Express.)
My overall impression: it’s nice to be comfortable (especially in my eighth decade), to not be herded aboard, to not worry about checked luggage, to get a bit of food on a long flight. And getting through TSA faster is an even bigger perk. I don’t think I would want to pay double or more the coach rate for such things, but as long as the difference is negligible (some miles I can’t use otherwise) or modest (a non-ruinous difference between the upcharge for early boarding plus a checked bag and the first-class fare), it’s a pretty modest kind of luxury. (Yes, this is a very first-world attitude. But that’s where I’m lucky enough to live.)
Obviously you’ve never flown United.
Looks like the study is not without its faults.
(Plus a burn on NPR listeners which probably applies equally well to BoingBoing readers.)
The best flight I’ve ever been on, I was seated in the cargo section of a C-141. This was, of course, while I was in the Air Force. I had more than plenty of leg room, especially important as I’m a bit tall (193 cm), the in-flight meal was a boxed hoagie lunch, and I couldn’t hear the other passengers (thanks to both too much engine noise and high-quality ear protection.)
The flight from the UK to the US only cost me $10 … plus four years of my life, of course. (The return trip was on a commercial flight, much more crowded, much more expensive, and not nearly as comfortable.)
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