I also used to hop on the for-pay wireless because even if I wasn’t paying for it, they didn’t block traffic to other clients on the network that were paying.
And I’d find people who left shared folders open, and give them some of my music collection, with a little note explaining where it came from.
Sometimes they’d leave print queues open as well…
You’re all helping make my point. Look, best guess is that only around 5% of the world’s population ever get to board an airplane (e.g. How Much of the World’s Population Has Flown in an Airplane? | Air & Space Magazine| Smithsonian Magazine). Isn’t it a bizarre world where the most privileged are so stressed out they have no idea what privilege even means. The idea that a power outlet at an airport is something we desperately need is, in itself, hilarious. The whole fucking lifestyle is an illusion. Laugh or cry. Your choice.
Now, what he ought to have done is to stick 'em up at an angle, and/or about 4 feet up the column, and then see how many people try to use them anyway.
I’m not sure what you mean by “the whole fucking lifestyle” either. I fly about once a year, because, as a graduate student, I’m required to attend a conference in my field. It’s not really something I have much choice over. Either I do it, or the university tosses me out on my ass with no income, no degree, and massive healthcare bills. I don’t fly because I’m some jetsetting businessman. I fly because if I don’t, I’ll find myself broke in no time. Most people who fly are in the same boat. They have to do it for their jobs, and they can’t afford to lose their jobs in the current climate. And the risk of poverty is not an illusion.
Am I privileged? Certainly. Many people have it worse than me. Is flying still stressful? Of course it is. If I had a real choice, I wouldn’t do it. As someone with an internet connection and the time to post on message boards, I imagine you’re mighty privileged compared to the world population too. I’m going to guess that, in spite of that, you have, at some point in your life, been stressed out by something. Hell, by your standards the guy that United beat to a bloody mess is still privileged. What’s he got to complain about?
I don’t think I ever made the case that this prank was anything more than annoying. Neither did anyone else that I’ve seen. This “PEOPLE NEED THEIR POWER OUTLETS” thing is a strawman. All anyone is saying is that this prank is kind of a dick move, especially at this particular location.
What it comes down to is this: if you find it funny, that’s fine. I can understand why. I’m not sure why you can’t understand why other people are a bit miffed. You say the whole “lifestyle” is an illusion. Good for you. If you’re in a position where the frustrations of airline travel seem trivial to you, that’s fine. But if you get to be so above it all, and you’re laughing at the misfortune of people who have no choice… maybe you’re the one who should be checking their privilege?
The phrase “first world problem” definitely applies. Can’t find a charging station …wait there’s one…damn its fake…oh the humanity!!!
The solution is to provide more real charging stations. This prank actually brings attention to that dire human rights issue. He might be part of the solution, unwittingly.
Like I said. It’s an annoying and shitty thing to do. I don’t recall the part where I said it was a dire issue. It’s a dick move. Like… letting a door swing shut in someone’s face instead of holding it, or cutting across someone in traffic. Hopefully we can acknowledge that you can fall short of being Hitler and still be an asshole, yes?
Also, if you’re going to shame people for complaining about first world problems, take a second and ask yourself “Am I complaining about someone’s internet post?” Because there’s a certain level of irony there. Either first world problems are valid complaints, in which case I’m happy to hear your grievances with my comment, or they aren’t, in which case you should probably stop complaining about internet comments.
Jesus, I’d hate to see what they’d have done if you were reading One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Just kidding, that’s awesome.
I mean. Rob at Cockeyed.com did it back in 2005, so I’m pretty sure it’s a prank that’s been around awhile in general. http://www.cockeyed.com/ads/outlet/outlet.html (link to old page that no longer has images, but you get the idea)
Huh, I can still see the images.
I ordered some of those from Cockeyed.com back in the day. Good times.
As the pictures illustrate, proper usage is putting them in places where an outlet cannot logically be installed, such as on the side of a toilet or on a wooden door.
Fire alarms would be hilarious too.
Well I just finished reading Cory’s new novel, which makes the point more eloquently than I could. But I was thinking more narrowly of the obsessive mindset that says I HAVE TO HAVE MY DEVICES ON ME AT ALL TIMES AND MUST RECHARGE THEM THE MOMENT I HIT THE AIRPORT. It’s an addiction. To be fair, our digital devices are designed for addiction, so it’s not really our fault. But I have to say, air travel is much less stressful if you decide before you set out that you don’t need to use a digital device at all during the journey.
Yes, I’m very privileged. But the bit about choosing not to use digital devices while travelling has nothing to do with privilege. It’s a choice open to everyone, once you acknowledge the addiction and take steps to manage it.
Of course, now you’ve made me realize that the sticker prank is no funnier than pranking an alcoholic with a drink that turns out to be just water. So not that funny really.
I still think you’re overstating things. There’s a middleground people fall in. To use myself as an example, I couldn’t use my phone last time I was traveling because I forgot to bring a wall charger for it. I had a USB cable for it, sure, and most airports have USB outlets now. … And sticking your phone into a public USB slot like that is just asking for trouble, so I didn’t do it. No big deal. Would I have liked to read a book on my phone during my seven hour travel time? Sure. But it wasn’t in the cards that day.
That being said, outlets at airports tend to be in short supply. If I’d, say, just gotten off one flight and had a few hours to wait for another, I might want to try and find a nice place to settle down and charge my phone. If it turned out the only outlet open was just a sticker, I would be mildly irritated for a few moments, then go on with my life. But that’s just the thing. Why is someone getting their lols by just annoying people for no reason? Don’t we normally call that trolling?
In the situation you’re describing, there seem to be only two kinds of people. Utter addicts who MUST have a charging station within 20 feet at all time, and people who don’t use their phones at all. That’s a bit like saying there’s only two ways to drink: total alcohol addiction, or total abstinence. It’s an overly polarized and nonsensical way of looking at things.
This is maybe pranking an alcoholic with a drink that turns out to be water for some people. For many more it’s pranking someone mildly thirsty with a cup that turns out to be empty. In either case, it’s still being an asshole.
Social guideline for pranks: a good prank is one that leaves the subject laughing as hard as anyone else. Otherwise you’re just being a dick.
Addiction has nothing to do with it. My phone has a battery life of about 12 hours, at least according to my phone. When roaming, this could be significantly less. Also, just because I’m traveling doesn’t mean that I become incommunicado. I still have people emailing me, even if I tell them not to, and then there’s always the asshole boss who fires off insistent emails at me when he knows I’m on travel. If I have to work and travel at the same time, that’s going to drain my battery. The airport is a good place to recharge my phone, simply because I’m a captive audience and I need to recharge my phone somewhere.
I would much rather have a dumb phone than a smart phone, or even no cell phone at all, but society has moved away from that. Nobody uses taxis anymore, but takes Uber, because Uber is that much more convenient. Taxis charge too much and it’s a crapshoot if you can even get a ride. Whenever I ask someone for directions, they just shrug and tell me to look it up on my phone. And if I go incommunicado for a few hours, people start emailing and calling frantically with their hair on fire.
So yes, there is an addiction, but it’s on the societal level, not the individual level. We’re not doing anything fun, but trying to function in a society that demands us to be on call 24/7.
Lighten UP! Remember FUN!
Dump your cellphone and rescue a dog, it’ll change your whole life for the better, forever, not to mention what it will do for the dog. Just a thought.
I like most dogs better than most people.
If only I could train it to be my personal secretary… nah, I won’t submit an innocent pooch to that.
Man, you do love being holier-than-you. And yes, I can easily survive with those gadgets. And tobacco. And football.
Had one. Two actually. Can’t say that the statement is true.
Im sorry to hear that. What if you were to try three.
