Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[GwenOnBass]

Some tips for travelling in Europe by air.

Am I surprised that what was once a pleasant experience (air travel before 1978) is even more miserable?

PS airport security is theater.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Absolutely!

I use a surgical type scrub brush (https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/sho...l-brushes/10259-the-worlds-kindest-nail-brush).

My scrub brush is marked "hospital property".

 

[bobyoung53]

Am I surprised that what was once a pleasant experience (air travel before 1978) even more miserable?

PS airport security is theater.

Yes, flying is a miserable experience now, I can remember getting to the gate, showing your ticket and getting on the plane. And don't get me started on American Immigration.

 

[Al Kraft]

PS airport security is theater.

I have more than few true stories involving government people (some federal agents) travelling on orders and with credentials/badges where the TSA behaved so stupidly it would be considered too ludicrous and unimaginable for a Saturday Night Live comedy routine.

I personally witnessed an atrocity at LAX where numerous TSA people gathered around a 90 year old WWII vet in wheelchair because he was too frail to take off his shoes quickly. Meanwhile people clearly from other nations were waved around so TSA could focus on this one guy's shoes.

I had words with the TSA supervisor about it and my government ID and credentials made it obvious that while I was not in his direct chain of command, I outranked him in the broader government system. The discussion left me wanting to rent a car and drive back to Washington DC rather than fly home.

 

[G-Dog]

.
It's turned into a grumpy day today. Well, grumpier than usual.

Been looking forward to the first Monthly Bluegrass Jam since February today. But woke up tired and sniffly instead. Dang it! I haven't felt like this in over 6 months! But I wasn't about to risk a cough or a sneeze in this group of seriously OFs where I'm one of the young ones!!

While driving for an errand yesterday the radio says it's a hazy day due to the Sahara dust blowing in, so there's an air quality alert! But there should be no serious effects unless you have chronic respiratory problems. Well, I do have seasonal allergies, but this has been a better than average spring, since staying inside so much. Until today, of all days. I dunno, if that was really to blame, or not, but it's on my grump list!

That's it. Over and . . . . fed up!
.

 

[beans-on-toast]

.
It's turned into a grumpy day today. Well, grumpier than usual.

Been looking forward to the first Monthly Bluegrass Jam since February today. But woke up tired and sniffly instead. Dang it! I haven't felt like this in over 6 months! But I wasn't about to risk a cough or a sneeze in this group of seriously OFs where I'm one of the young ones!!

While driving for an errand yesterday the radio says it's a hazy day due to the Sahara dust blowing in, so there's an air quality alert! But there should be no serious effects unless you have chronic respiratory problems. Well, I do have seasonal allergies, but this has been a better than average spring, since staying inside so much. Until today, of all days. I dunno, if that was really to blame, or not, but it's on my grump list!

That's it. Over and . . . . fed up!
.

I started using a saline nose spray a few times a day when covid hit. I switched too one that is 100% sea salt that works much better. Salinex sells a pressurized one (gentle stream is enough) that’s made a big difference with seasonal allergies this year. A nice consequence.

 

[Al Kraft]

While driving for an errand yesterday the radio says it's a hazy day due to the Sahara dust blowing in, so there's an air quality alert!

Hopefully that's all it is. My allergies have been especially bad this year and I've wondered how a doctor might easily distinguish between that and a COVID-19 diagnosis - absence of a fever or any other symptoms might be useful, but from what I understand many of the COVID tests have been highly unreliable.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Hopefully that's all it is. My allergies have been especially bad this year and I've wondered how a doctor might easily distinguish between that and a COVID-19 diagnosis - absence of a fever or any other symptoms might be useful, but from what I understand many of the COVID tests have been highly unreliable.

That also goes all the way to the top.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I have more than few true stories involving government people (some federal agents) travelling on orders and with credentials/badges where the TSA behaved so stupidly it would be considered too ludicrous and unimaginable for a Saturday Night Live comedy routine.

I personally witnessed an atrocity at LAX where numerous TSA people gathered around a 90 year old WWII vet in wheelchair because he was too frail to take off his shoes quickly. Meanwhile people clearly from other nations were waved around so TSA could focus on this one guy's shoes.

I had words with the TSA supervisor about it and my government ID and credentials made it obvious that while I was not in his direct chain of command, I outranked him in the broader government system. The discussion left me wanting to rent a car and drive back to Washington DC rather than fly home.

In October '01 (barely, post 911) we were on our way out of the secured area of SFO and I saw a military type with his gun pointed at the head of an old lady as she was going through the security checkpoint on her way to her gate. As I walked by I quietly said (to no one in particular, mostly, to myself, really) "Why don't you just shoot her and get it over with".

I started using a saline nose spray a few times a day when covid hit. I switched too one that is 100% sea salt that works much better. Salinex sells a pressurized one (gentle stream is enough) that’s made a big difference with seasonal allergies this year. A nice consequence.

I'll have to look into that. I have been using Flonase ( a prescription version, not the OTC) for a few years for my chronic sinus congestion/drippy nose/mother's side of the family curse.

Hopefully that's all it is. My allergies have been especially bad this year...

Same here, it has been really hard for a couple of months now, for me.

 

[Al Kraft]

That also goes all the way to the top.

It would appear that the US has embarrassed itself on the world stage in many COVID-19 areas with testing being just one of the highlights. However, I guess we don't need to fret to much regarding our disappointing performance in getting testing done given the unreliability of the results, which you often have to wait weeks to get.

So let's review, we apparently don't have enough testing capability to administer tests for which the results, that are alarmingly unreliable, don't come back in a timely enough fashion to be of maximum utility anyway...yeah, I think I got that one right.

Perhaps some third world nation will will take pity on us come give us a hand.

 

[beans-on-toast]

A covid result today may not be the same as one in a week. You can’t be in a regular testing cycle. There’s a simple test, then there’s a DNA analysis test that costs more. Hot flushes, summer heat, flu like allergies all contribute to you thinking that you have the bug.

This bio-weapon opens the door to what’s possible.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Natural grumpiness in air travel is a learned trait for me. I like to fly. Correction. I love civilized travel. Hardship travel

Of course being seated in an aluminum tube breathing recycled air has one hope engineering included proper air treatment that wasn't written out of the spec for budget cost. It's always an interesting moment to look out the window at a height greater than Everest and know that it's just this || much thickness between my cramped seat and eternity. Goldfinger is an idiot. Nobody fires projectile weapons in a pressurized cabin. Nobody but an idiot.

It's only just this || much thickness between fictional idiots and real life idiots.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Am I surprised that what was once a pleasant experience (air travel before 1978) is even more miserable?

PS airport security is theater.

As kid, I used to sometimes travel on planes alone. They insisted on putting the title Master in front of my name and would use it when they called me to board. Good that my last name wasn’t Bates.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Better that than Norman Bates. Psycho scared the living daylights out of me as a kid. They used to let kids in to see films like that without question.

 

[GonePlaid]

I have more than few true stories involving government people (some federal agents) travelling on orders and with credentials/badges where the TSA behaved so stupidly it would be considered too ludicrous and unimaginable for a Saturday Night Live comedy routine.

I personally witnessed an atrocity at LAX where numerous TSA people gathered around a 90 year old WWII vet in wheelchair because he was too frail to take off his shoes quickly. Meanwhile people clearly from other nations were waved around so TSA could focus on this one guy's shoes.

I had words with the TSA supervisor about it and my government ID and credentials made it obvious that while I was not in his direct chain of command, I outranked him in the broader government system. The discussion left me wanting to rent a car and drive back to Washington DC rather than fly home.

TSA is one of many reasons I have not flown commercially since 12/25/1970.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I’m more confident that the air is clean in an aircraft than an office building. If at all possible, fly in a newer plane. Modern aircraft are way more effective in mixing in fresh and putting the air through high efficiency 99.95% HEPA filters to remove bacteria and viruses. The air is replenished 20-30 times an hour (every two to three minutes) and is as good as hospital air which is a high standard. Much better than most other confined spaces.

Aircraft air is different in that it is much drier. This can give you a sore throat or itchy sinuses or eyes. A dry environment impinges on your ability to fight infection of viruses and bacteria. Mucus is good. So use a nasal spray to hydrate when flying.

 

[G-Dog]

Better that than Norman Bates. Psycho scared the living daylights out of me as a kid. They used to let kids in to see films like that without question.

Well, duh! If you saw Psycho in 1960 then you were, what..., 4 years old? Were you accompanied by an adult? I, on the other hand, was a (granted, not much more mature) 9 year old and with my mom. I'd already seen gorier stabbings in technicolor cowboy movies with friends & monster flicks with my older brother by then. And I had a much better relationship with my mom than Norman did with his, especially when she later started bringing all the latest Beatles records home from the store she managed!!
.

 

[beans-on-toast]

There was the Beatles butcher cover in 1966.

Scary movies were on TV, often a used car dealer would sponsor horror nights on Friday or Saturday night. Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, Creatues from the Lagoon. Vincent Price movies. Then there was all the Sci/Fi space invader movies. These were very scary. Horror was big.

Horror was nothing new. Edgar Allen Poe published The Pit and The Pendulum in 1842. Even the bible is full of horror.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I have been using Flonase ( a prescription version, not the OTC) for a few years for my chronic sinus congestion/drippy nose/mother's side of the family curse.

I find that it helps to use an irrigation of some sort after brushing my teeth. Small amounts of toothpaste can get into you nasals through the back of your throat. In my case, this irritates nasals and cause dripping. So I suppose that when you spray can be important.

Of course, there are a lot of other reasons that can cause nasal issues.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Well, duh! If you saw Psycho in 1960 then you were, what..., 4 years old? Were you accompanied by an adult? I, on the other hand, was a (granted, not much more mature) 9 year old and with my mom. I'd already seen gorier stabbings in technicolor cowboy movies with friends & monster flicks with my older brother by then. And I had a much better relationship with my mom than Norman did with his, especially when she later started bringing all the latest Beatles records home from the store she managed!!
.

My older sister has 11 years on me. Her Saturday night job is minding me and my younger sister ... a job she doesn't really care for, so. That my mother kept a box marked "scary books" in the attic probably contributed It's amazing how long that junk stays hanging around inside you.