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That's it...I'm done with flying

Biggbass

Biggbass

Dec 14, 2011
5,629
7,961
Planet Earth
#1
Long lines due to TSA understaffing
Too many PO'd people at the airports
Too many flight delays
Issues with transporting instruments
and now another plane down from what looks to be another inside bomb job

screw it. I'm done with flying. I'm going back to the Airstream!

IMG_3368.jpg
 
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#3
Actually, I love the flying part but totally agree with you about commercial airports. Right after 911, I got fed up with being pulled out of the line and then gone over with the wand, plus having my baggage opened and checked out.
That was the final motivation and driver for me get a pilot's license so I would not have to put up with the BS. So far, it has worked out pretty well but I realize this alternative is not for everyone.
 
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#4
Must be time to review their budget or something so make it look like you're understaffed?

Only fly private jets. Those long lines and congested airports are not good in more ways than a few.
 
#7
I get frustrated by how passengers are treated. Many people pay big money to be on a plane for just a few hours, yet get treated like second class citizens and potential criminals.
Not usually by the flight crew, just in general by the airlines.
Lost or damaged luggage, delays with little to no explanation, shuffled through the airport like cattle, etc.
The luggage one really gets me. They can beat the crap out of your bag, and you have no recourse.

-Mike
 
#8
Airstreams are bad***, definitely. However don't let the sensationalized coverage of airline mishaps sway you, (and I'm really sorry to hear about the latest airline fatalities) it's still a lot safer statistically to fly rather than drive. Right, when an airliner goes down there may be several hundred deaths compared to an auto accident fatality total of 1 or 2.

However, let's get real here, a little googlefoo shows that that in 2013 there were appx. 1.25 MILLION auto related fatalities worldwide and 265 airline related fatalities. (that's two hundred sixty five) not two thousand or twenty thousand or 200 thousand but rather 265.
 
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#9
I know a woman who, last I heard, was trying to get a job as a TSA agent. The thought of her being in a position of power is very, very scary. She is bat-poop crazy, and if given the opportunity, would ruin someone's life for her own amusement.
 
#11
MJ5150 said:
The luggage one really gets me. They can beat the crap out of your bag, and you have no recourse.
Click to expand...

I too can't understand how often guitars and basses get damaged on flights. I've never seen or known anyone who used a solid suitcase/travel bag having it crushed and broken but I know of at least 4 people personally who have had guitars broken, even though they were in high quality hard cases, and in one instance, a full-on flight case. I've traveled the world with snow-skis in soft bags and never had a ski or even a binding damaged.

Just a few weeks ago my wife and daughters went to New Zealand and the eldest took my Cort NDX-20 acoustic and the youngest took her Cort mini. For obvious reasons they didn't want to take their expensive Maton's. Both of them were in decent hard cases (the guitars, not my daughters). There was no problem from Canberra-Sydney-NZ or from NZ-Sydney, but when they landed in Canberra the NDX-20 case was obviously damaged right up near the headstock. Now, this is probably the strongest part of the case but it was badly crushed with a hinge hanging off. Inside the case the pressure had bent and splintered the plywood so much that it had ripped through the lining. Luckily the case did its job and the guitar was OK but it must have been sooooo close to damaging the headstock. When you consider that at 50kg my daughter can stand on that part of a guitar case without it crushing so I have to ask, what the hell did they put on top of it to do that much damage? The guy on the Virgin desk was very apologetic, and somewhat pissed off at his baggage handling colleagues as he is the one that has to deal with the problem when the handlers screw up. :rage:
 
#13
BboogieXVII said:
Airstreams are bad***, definitely. However don't let the sensationalized coverage of airline mishaps sway you, (and I'm really sorry to hear about the latest airline fatalities) it's still a lot safer statistically to fly rather than drive. Right, when an airliner goes down there may be several hundred deaths compared to an auto accident fatality total of 1 or 2.

However, let's get real here, a little googlefoo shows that that in 2013 there were appx. 1.25 MILLION auto related fatalities worldwide and 265 airline related fatalities. (that's two hundred sixty five) not two thousand or twenty thousand or 200 thousand but rather 265.
Click to expand...
Two to three years ago, there were three or so crashes in the news in the span of a couple months. I remember a few TBers here swearing off flying at that time. (Meanwhile, I was booking a couple of flights for work and vacation.) I wonder if any of them stuck to their guns.
 
#16
Some US airports are firing TSA and hiring their own private screeners.

I agree, because TSA has missed up to 2/3 of contraband items in test screenings at some airports. IMO the delays are not making us significantly safer.

One modest proposal I read today was to charge for baggage that goes in the overhead but make checked baggage free. Just imagine how fast lines would move if 75% of the people who have carry-on bags checked them instead.

And MJ5150, I'm with you! When I get on the plane, I step OUT of the aisle to load my stuff in the overhead. On landing, I'm packed and ready to go, and I can pull my stuff out of the overhead without stopping as I walk. I'm 5'8" and 65 years old, so if I can do this without breaking stride I know damn well most of the people on the flight can do the same (elderly people (which I am not) handicapped and families with kids excepted.)
 
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#18
tangentmusic said:
I've flown all around the world in decades past. Dragged my bass with me.
It was very enjoyable in those days.

Nowadays you couldn't get me on a plane even if you gave me free round trip tickets.
Waaay too much hassle on so many levels.
Click to expand...

i took my last "planned" flight two weeks before 9/11! airport security was already doing strip searches and i was over it already. a few years ago i was forced to fly to a burial which was fairly easy there & back, but i'm not in any hurry to ever reboard a commercial airbus.
 
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#19
Biggbass said:
Long lines due to TSA understaffing
Too many PO'd people at the airports
Too many flight delays
Issues with transporting instruments
and now another plane down from what looks to be another inside bomb job

screw it. I'm done with flying. I'm going back to the Airstream!

View attachment 870263
Click to expand...
Regarding the last one, it's not as scary as it sounds. Look at where the plane stopped before it crashed. I'm in the US. I just stay in North America and I'm fine. Fortunately it is both culturally and geographically diverse. I have no need to go anywhere else.

And if you knew how many planes flew every single day, you'd realize that a plane crash like this is kinda like a car wreck. They happen. People still drive to a lot of places quite safely. In fact, flying is MUCH safer.

However, the airport experience is what has reduced me to flying only when there is simply no other option and I HAVE to go there.
 
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