I travel a lot. Mostly for work, although we do enjoy a good Kaila Family Adventure. Do I take pride in being a frequent flyer? Yes, I know my way around an airport. Am I the fastest through the security check-in? TSA pre-check, gosh yes, a badge of honor. When I travel, I’m very focused on my routine. Get through security – check. If there’s enough time, head to Starbucks – check. Grab a seat in front of the gate – check. Finish boarding and pull out the iPad to get to work – check. I have a system. And while one needs to be flexible, for those of you that travel for work, you know how precious those few hours are for uninterrupted thinking time. I value it. Some of my best Candid Kam editions have been written on airplanes. As I was traveling to work last week, from Jersey to Dallas, I expected it to be like any other flight. But it wasn’t.
I’m a mom of three. I’m usually extremely patient with parents traveling with their children. I have traveled with young ones before, and I know how grueling it can be. But I also value manners, and I always made sure that my children were taught those from an early age. While others may roll their eyes when they see the mother come and sit next to them with two small infants, I was OK. Her seven-year-old sat next to the window. I’m one of those people that only picks the aisle seat, so the mom with her 18-month-old sat next to me.
I don’t mean to judge, but one of my biggest pet peeves is when people bring too much luggage onto the plane. This lady had six carry-ons when she had only purchased two seats. It was an endeavor for her to put everything in the overhead bins, at her feet, anywhere it would fit. How she was able to carry them onto the plane I don’t know—but there was something hanging from all of them.
She was Indian, our people, but I don’t think she realized I was Indian at the beginning. I’m not ashamed to admit that I let her assume that I wasn’t because I needed to get my work done. I had a deadline. This long four-hour 15-minute flight began with the one-and-a-half-year-old wanting to touch my curly hair. Now I know I have great hair, Lord knows I pay my stylist enough for it, but when a one-and-a-half-year-old starts to yank on it, it’s a little painful. Obviously, she apologized, and that’s fine. We untangled my hair from the little fingers, and I continue to work.
Next, she decides to take a selfie with her children, extending her arm all the way across my seat so that she can take it as I am typing away on my iPad—okay. Then, her 18-month-old tries to tap on my keyboard and continues to turn the Caps Lock on. I’m still OK. As the stewardess passes with our snacks and I’m given a snack box, a look of envy comes over the child’s eyes. As we are eating our snacks, the little one is eyeing my snack box and starts to grab food, so I share a cookie.
Obviously, I always have my trusty ITBD sweater when I’m on a plane; we all know how chilly they can get. But the next thing you know, the baby has the drawstring for the hoodie in his hand, with his cookie-mush fingers, and is taking it into its mouth. And then I made the mistake of all mistakes—I said the word “dirty,” and pulled it away, but had accidentally said it in Hindi.
I could see the mom turn in slow motion as she realized that I was Indian. Her face lit up, and I knew I was a goner. There was no going back anymore—little work would get done now. I spent the next two hours listening to her as she clearly saw me continue to type on my screen. I learned all about her family, her trip to India, her want for daughters since she only has boys (yes. she went there). I’m surprised her blood type was not shared.
Now, she felt it was OK for her to let her child on the floor to roam around our feet while it had to go to the bathroom. Again, mom of three, so I’m trying, but I would also keep my children at my feet. As I’m on my iPad looking for wonderful new gifts to give to our partners at this year’s conference, she starts asking me if I am in marketing as she is watching what I’m doing on my screen. Needless to say, it was a long flight. I was quite happy to get off and while I was kind and said goodbye, helped her grab her luggage and get off the plane, but then I said my goodbyes and left.
Lesson here: If someone is not engaging in conversation during a plane ride, they probably don’t want to have a conversation.
Remember your own personal space.
If it smells, be kind, and go to the bathroom.
Children should not reach over to other people, no matter how adorable they are, and definitely not touch someone else’s computer.
And finally, overhead bin space is allocated by seats. Only bring what you should, not everything you can carry. It’s not fair to others.
Small little rant, but as a mom of three boys who started traveling at a very young age, I try to be as conscious of others as I can. We are all, in fact, sharing one large tin can in the sky, so please be kind.
