ANNOYING THINGS PEOPLE DO ON PLANES
Discussion
schmalex said:
They’re dodgy enough to be fair!!
I’ll only ever stay in Makati City when in Metro Manila as the hotels round Greenbelt fall within the security zone. Although my clients are all in Angeles City, I’d rather do the trip each day than stay there!!
I won’t do Islamabad without personal security between the hotel and installation I visit.
Happily our office is in Makati, so I’ve only ever stayed there at the Peninsular. Haven’t personally gone to Pakistan, and quite happy about that! My boss has made the trip though... Beirut was a couple of weeks ago, and was fine. I wouldn’t get a cab on the street, mind you. I’ll only ever stay in Makati City when in Metro Manila as the hotels round Greenbelt fall within the security zone. Although my clients are all in Angeles City, I’d rather do the trip each day than stay there!!
I won’t do Islamabad without personal security between the hotel and installation I visit.
Went to Beirut for pleasure a few months ago.
Perfectly fine. Ubers everywhere, even tried a couple normal taxis and I live to tell the tale.
Nightlife is great, lots of people out till very late even on weekdays, lots of drinking going on so nobody batted an eyelid at us gringos.
Although a waiter in a posh restaurant made a remark ("aren't you drinking a bit much") when a girl in our group ordered our 3rd bottle of wine. I guess it's ok to drink, but only if you're a guy.
Did hear a few gunshots in the distance though
Perfectly fine. Ubers everywhere, even tried a couple normal taxis and I live to tell the tale.
Nightlife is great, lots of people out till very late even on weekdays, lots of drinking going on so nobody batted an eyelid at us gringos.
Although a waiter in a posh restaurant made a remark ("aren't you drinking a bit much") when a girl in our group ordered our 3rd bottle of wine. I guess it's ok to drink, but only if you're a guy.
Did hear a few gunshots in the distance though
Greshamst said:
schmalex said:
Never use a yellow taxi in Bogotá
Wish I’d had this advice! Last day in Colombia, had let my guard down as everything had been smooth sailing till then. It was raining, uber was swamped so jumped in a yellow cab, and very stupidly didn’t question that the very nice and charming driver had a convenient card machine for payments...Mexico, Venezuela and some of Central America are far worse than Colombia though.
In Mexico, never hail a cab off the street (don't anywhere in Latam for that matter) and never ever get into one of the green and white VW Beetle taxis. You sit in the back seat of those and, once you are in, there is no getting out without the driver's help. Nearly everyone I know in Mexico has some kind of express kidnapping experience, and the majority of them started by getting into a taxi...
matrignano said:
Went to Beirut for pleasure a few months ago.
Perfectly fine. Ubers everywhere, even tried a couple normal taxis and I live to tell the tale.
Nightlife is great, lots of people out till very late even on weekdays, lots of drinking going on so nobody batted an eyelid at us gringos.
Although a waiter in a posh restaurant made a remark ("aren't you drinking a bit much") when a girl in our group ordered our 3rd bottle of wine. I guess it's ok to drink, but only if you're a guy.
Did hear a few gunshots in the distance though
As aircrew, Beirut was one of the best cities to have a stopover in the early seventies, before the civil war. Once had three days there and found a friendly taxi driver who showed us around and about. He even recommended his 'brothers' restaurant which was superb. And the beer was cold.Perfectly fine. Ubers everywhere, even tried a couple normal taxis and I live to tell the tale.
Nightlife is great, lots of people out till very late even on weekdays, lots of drinking going on so nobody batted an eyelid at us gringos.
Although a waiter in a posh restaurant made a remark ("aren't you drinking a bit much") when a girl in our group ordered our 3rd bottle of wine. I guess it's ok to drink, but only if you're a guy.
Did hear a few gunshots in the distance though
matrignano said:
Ubers everywhere, even tried a couple normal taxis and I live to tell the tale.
We were advised against Ubers and cabs after this incident: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42386721 . Appreciate the risk is small to me as a middle aged man, but better safe than sorry!HoHoHo said:
Sorry, why should someone’s choice of taking a seatbelt off because they be more comfortable without it annoy you and what difference does it make to your flight?
On the assumption they’re not throwing the unbuckled bit in your lap I’m sure there are greater things to worry about
Perhaps constant bashing of screens behind your head, people with seats reclined in front whilst I’m trying to eat, someone pulling your blind down or Joe Public pissing on the toilet floor might be annoying.....but undoing a seat belt, I’m
On the assumption they’re not throwing the unbuckled bit in your lap I’m sure there are greater things to worry about
Perhaps constant bashing of screens behind your head, people with seats reclined in front whilst I’m trying to eat, someone pulling your blind down or Joe Public pissing on the toilet floor might be annoying.....but undoing a seat belt, I’m
Captain of Flight VA 684 on 7 November 2015 said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately we're having to divert to Adelaide due to an injured passenger, we hope to have this flight back on track to Melbourne as soon as possible and expect to arrive no more than an hour late. We'd also like to use this opportunity to remind you that you should wear your seat belt when seated at all times"
I asked a FA what happened, turns out someone was thrown out of their seat about during some clear air turbulence and had hit their head pretty badly. I was lucky that we were closer to ADL than PER otherwise we'd have been turning around and heading back causing me to miss my flight to LA. I was fairly annoyed sitting on the tarmac at Adelaide whilst they topped up the tanks, but not as annoyed as I had been if I'd missed my LA flight.BTW, regs require that passengers remain seated with seat belts off whilst refuelling.
Ayahuasca said:
You need to care careful of taxis all over Latam. In Colombia you can call a taxi and the dispatcher will give you a code number that the driver must repeat back to you. If he doesn't know the code it is not a taxi you want to be getting into.
I'd say you need to be weary of taxis in any country you're not familiar with. Even some safe-ish western countries can be bad.I always use the Easy Taxi app in Colombia, although I've never been to Bogota (bar the airport). Never had a driver rip me off in Medellin, but there aren't really enough tourists there for that kind of behaviour to develop.
With taxi's, always sit in the back as it's not unheard of for knife wielding thieves to jump in the back to relieve you of your wallet in Colombia and lock the door in case anyone tries to grab you out (although this is getting rarer since FARC disbanded).
captain_cynic said:
Ayahuasca said:
You need to care careful of taxis all over Latam. In Colombia you can call a taxi and the dispatcher will give you a code number that the driver must repeat back to you. If he doesn't know the code it is not a taxi you want to be getting into.
I'd say you need to be weary of taxis in any country you're not familiar with. Even some safe-ish western countries can be bad.I always use the Easy Taxi app in Colombia, although I've never been to Bogota (bar the airport). Never had a driver rip me off in Medellin, but there aren't really enough tourists there for that kind of behaviour to develop.
With taxi's, always sit in the back as it's not unheard of for knife wielding thieves to jump in the back to relieve you of your wallet in Colombia and lock the door in case anyone tries to grab you out (although this is getting rarer since FARC disbanded).
Some things I just find baffling, not annoying as they are only inconveniencing themselves. That is firstly queuing up as soon as they can to board the plane, it is not going to go without you and you have a seat assignment. I try to sit down for as long as I can, until the queue is almost nothing and they are almost urging the remaining passengers to stand up. I don't get the point of 'priority boarding', I don't want to spend more time than necessary on the plane I want to sit down just before it pushes back.
That said I am happy to wait on landing for all the people who jump up to get off first and saunter off at the end. If you are getting on a bus to the terminal you aren't gaining any time anyway.
My main issue is people who take forever to get seated when there is a huge queue behind them. I remember waiting ages for one guy to get his stuff into a locker, who then nearly sat down but instead asked his wife if she wanted a book or something, then went back to the locker to get the f
king thing out. Just let us pass and get it later ffs.
These are people who annoy you on the road or in the supermarket by being tts, but in an aluminium tube with them you have to see them face to face and can't escape them.
That said I am happy to wait on landing for all the people who jump up to get off first and saunter off at the end. If you are getting on a bus to the terminal you aren't gaining any time anyway.
My main issue is people who take forever to get seated when there is a huge queue behind them. I remember waiting ages for one guy to get his stuff into a locker, who then nearly sat down but instead asked his wife if she wanted a book or something, then went back to the locker to get the f
king thing out. Just let us pass and get it later ffs.These are people who annoy you on the road or in the supermarket by being t
ts, but in an aluminium tube with them you have to see them face to face and can't escape them.Rostfritt said:
Some things I just find baffling, not annoying as they are only inconveniencing themselves. That is firstly queuing up as soon as they can to board the plane, it is not going to go without you and you have a seat assignment. I try to sit down for as long as I can, until the queue is almost nothing and they are almost urging the remaining passengers to stand up. I don't get the point of 'priority boarding', I don't want to spend more time than necessary on the plane I want to sit down just before it pushes back.
Whilst I would have agreed with you on this a few years ago, the prevalence of airlines who charge a fortune for hold bags means that more and more people are travelling with just cabin bags.If you’re the last one on the plane, there’s a good chance there will be no overhead locker space left and your bag gets diverted to the hold. No, it’s not a big issue, but it can be a pain when it’s the last one to appear on the baggage carousel at the other end, as mine always seems to be!
Greshamst said:
schmalex said:
Never use a yellow taxi in Bogotá
Wish I’d had this advice! Last day in Colombia, had let my guard down as everything had been smooth sailing till then. It was raining, uber was swamped so jumped in a yellow cab, and very stupidly didn’t question that the very nice and charming driver had a convenient card machine for payments...First time I had altitude sickness though, felt like a hangover on day 2!
Was flying a few domestic routes in the USA a few weeks back.
One thing that the Yanks have started doing is closing all the blinds when the aircraft is at the gate. They then keep the blinds shut on takeoff (I'm always told to open them here in Australia) and then for the whole flight.
I don't like this practise at all, makes the plane feel claustrophobic. And if I get a window I'm looking out pretty much the whole way (still find it more interesting than staring at my iPad).
One thing that the Yanks have started doing is closing all the blinds when the aircraft is at the gate. They then keep the blinds shut on takeoff (I'm always told to open them here in Australia) and then for the whole flight.
I don't like this practise at all, makes the plane feel claustrophobic. And if I get a window I'm looking out pretty much the whole way (still find it more interesting than staring at my iPad).
Rostfritt said:
queuing up as soon as they can to board the plane, it is not going to go without you and you have a seat assignment.
I must admit I tend to do this. Most of my air travel is for work, and I have to take a load of expensive and reasonably fragile gear in my hand luggage. I figure that if I'm at the front of the queue there's less chance of having to argue over whether it goes in the hold or not if the plane is full. I almost always have a hold bag as well, so I've got to wait, but if my gear gets broken it isn't ideal!Holiday, whatever, I usually take a suitcase and then a small bag that could go under the seat on the plane.
mike80 said:
Rostfritt said:
queuing up as soon as they can to board the plane, it is not going to go without you and you have a seat assignment.
I must admit I tend to do this. Most of my air travel is for work, and I have to take a load of expensive and reasonably fragile gear in my hand luggage. I figure that if I'm at the front of the queue there's less chance of having to argue over whether it goes in the hold or not if the plane is full. I almost always have a hold bag as well, so I've got to wait, but if my gear gets broken it isn't ideal!Holiday, whatever, I usually take a suitcase and then a small bag that could go under the seat on the plane.
robm3 said:
Was flying a few domestic routes in the USA a few weeks back.
One thing that the Yanks have started doing is closing all the blinds when the aircraft is at the gate. They then keep the blinds shut on takeoff (I'm always told to open them here in Australia) and then for the whole flight.
I don't like this practise at all, makes the plane feel claustrophobic. And if I get a window I'm looking out pretty much the whole way (still find it more interesting than staring at my iPad).
That sounds awful. I did take a US domestic flight a few weeks ago but it was a night flight from Honolulu to LAX, and I slept almost all of it. I do like to look out the window too, especially on takeoff and landing as you get to see things either get smaller and smaller or bigger and bigger. Even mid flight can be fun if the sky is clear.One thing that the Yanks have started doing is closing all the blinds when the aircraft is at the gate. They then keep the blinds shut on takeoff (I'm always told to open them here in Australia) and then for the whole flight.
I don't like this practise at all, makes the plane feel claustrophobic. And if I get a window I'm looking out pretty much the whole way (still find it more interesting than staring at my iPad).
I thought the thing with the blinds being open was so your eyes were adjusted to the conditions outside so if there was an accident and you had to evacuate the plane your eyes would be ready for the light level outside.
Rostfritt said:
I thought the thing with the blinds being open was so your eyes were adjusted to the conditions outside so if there was an accident and you had to evacuate the plane your eyes would be ready for the light level outside.
That’s dimming the lights for night take off and landing - they usually have the blinds open so those outside can see if there’s a fire inside, and vice versa. Closed blinds during the day are to keep the aircraft cooler in sunny places - at least, that’s what the announcement on my last flight said. :-)
Deranged Rover said:
Rostfritt said:
Some things I just find baffling, not annoying as they are only inconveniencing themselves. That is firstly queuing up as soon as they can to board the plane, it is not going to go without you and you have a seat assignment. I try to sit down for as long as I can, until the queue is almost nothing and they are almost urging the remaining passengers to stand up. I don't get the point of 'priority boarding', I don't want to spend more time than necessary on the plane I want to sit down just before it pushes back.
Whilst I would have agreed with you on this a few years ago, the prevalence of airlines who charge a fortune for hold bags means that more and more people are travelling with just cabin bags.If you’re the last one on the plane, there’s a good chance there will be no overhead locker space left and your bag gets diverted to the hold. No, it’s not a big issue, but it can be a pain when it’s the last one to appear on the baggage carousel at the other end, as mine always seems to be!
Speedy boarding also allows me to pick my seat so I always get an exit row for the extra legroom.
RizzoTheRat said:
Exactly this. I fly Easyjet a lot and have paid the extra couple of hundred quid for speedy boarding so I can make sure my bag gets in the overhead lockers. Unlike BA who let everyone get on with too much luggage and then have to faff for ages sorting it out, EJ only let the first 100 or so wheelie cases on and then everyone at the back of the queue has to put them in the hold, which means waiting to get my bag back and would sometimes mean me missing my train and having to wait at Gatwick for another hour.
Speedy boarding also allows me to pick my seat so I always get an exit row for the extra legroom.
Exactly the same here.Speedy boarding also allows me to pick my seat so I always get an exit row for the extra legroom.
Yesterday I came back from Barcelona and from wheels touching the ground to waiting for the long stay car park bus was approximately 20 minutes
The cost of the easyJet card is about £150 and if you fly regularly it’s a good investment.
However sadly it’s the only flight I ever get to sit in 1A
They've started putting a bulkhead in front of 1A-C on some of the A319/320 fleet now though which cuts down on legroom a bitGassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff