Friday, June 11, 2010

Field Trip Fridays: Travel Peeves

Never let it be said I wasted an opportunity to complain. Traveling brings out the worst in some, and sometimes me. A few things that especially peeve me:

1. Family Pre-boarding. Before I had a kid, I used to watch the families with their strollers and wee ones smugly boarding the plane ahead of all of us no-young'uns types. Now, I didn't have children with the express desire to get preferred seating, but I did look forward to the day when I could look out at an empty plane and take whatever seat I wanted. Wouldn't you know that when I finally did have a kid, my favorite airline changed their policy and now families "pre"-board at the beginning of group B. That's 30-60 people before us. Great. Hey, thanks for the special consideration. Not.

2. Packing. I always pack twice as much as I need and yet it seems like no matter what I pack, it isn't right. What seemed totally appropriate at home somehow is totally wrong when we get there. I suspect there are luggage gremlins that secretly switch out my clothes and accessories while it is stowed away in the belly of the plane. They probably look like that thing from the Twilight Zone movie.

3.Never having pictures of the whole family. We have THOUSANDS of picture of our daughter and approaching that many of my husband. But precious few of all three of us. We need to bring along a designated photographer. Too much?

4. Extra charges. From airlines to rental cars to special excursions to hotels, you sign up for the GREAT rate and then you get the bill and there are extra fees and taxes that sometimes double the original amount. I understand why they do it, of course, but it still bugs the hell out of me.

5. Slow people in the fast lane. It's called THE FAST LANE for a reason. If you are going five miles under the speed limit, you are not fast. Get your slow moving vehicle back over into the right lane. And use a dagblasted turn signal when you do it. Harrumph.

What are your biggest travel pet peeves?

This post is part of Field Trip Fridays over at BlogTrotting!
Posted by CaraBee at 1:22 PM
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18 comments:

  1. I always leave packing as late as possible. I know, not the most effective method, but I'm such a procrastinator. At leats I make a list of things I need pretty early.
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  2. My pet travel peeve is all the idiots that do not what t wath lane they are or their speed.
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  3. Every time I travel I ALWAYS get assigned to the gate that is a mile down the concourse....the one at the very, very end.... AND, my carry on is heavy, oh so heavy.

    I hear you on the all three of us family picture! Sure wish there was a good way to get more without handing your camera to a stranger.
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  4. Don't even get me started about the pre-boarding thing.. when we had Kjersten they were still doing that - and it was NICE to be able to get on the plane without impatient people breathing down your neck in practically throwing their hip out of joint as they shifted their weight from leg to leg while you try to get yourself and your small person all settled. I HATE that they stopped doing that.

    Travel pet peeve... hmmm... gotta say when I'm on a plane with my kids and am making sure they aren't loud or bothersome or annoying anyone around us, and someone 2 seats back is letting their child have a free for all.
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  5. Amen to the extra charges! The airline we flew to Florida this year charged extra for passengers to choose their own seats when they purchased tickets. Hubby is all, "I'm not paying six bucks per person to choose our own seats because I know they will change them for free when they notice that our nineteen-month old is alone in a middle seat seven rows away from us." Okay then. Turns out that the four of us were spread throughout the plane. Yes, they did move our seats to a nice two and two configuration and it only took THIRTY minutes and a lot of finagling with other passengers.

    On the one hand, hubby should have paid the $24.
    On the other, they never should have charged for that service.
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  6. My pet peeve? People who stand still on the moving sidewalk. Hello, lazy? It's there to help us all move more quickly through the crowded, hot, annoying airport, not take a joy ride. My blood pressure is rising just thinking about it! =>
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  7. Since Dominic was two I don't pre-board. I will not strap him into a seat until necessary. I don't care how much anyone else has to wait; we paid for our tickets too so get over it. If I have to wait for others, they can wait on me. Yeah, I'm getting old and mean. :)
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  8. Without a doubt, wanting to search entire family after international 12 hour flight, baby sleeping in stroller...must take out and wake up, practically undress to check to see if we're "packin'" Ugh!
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  9. At the top of my list? Children who, when told that they need to use the bathroom before we leave, insist that they don't need to go. And then ten minutes into the trip, burst into tears and say that they are THIS close to peeing in their pants.
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  10. Slow people in the fast lane is a everyday pet peeve.
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  11. I'd have to say 5 and 3 are two of my biggest. WTH is up with 3? lol. I will add bringing relatives.
    DO NOT bring relatives. lol (as in extended family)
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  12. I have never flown with my kids; we are a road-trippin' sort of family. And after reading this post and the comments, methinks we will remain that way as long as possible!
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  13. Oh, girl! I completely agree!! Especially about not packing the right things.

    I've not flown with our youngest yet. My older daughter did great though.
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  14. Yeah, thousands of pics of hubby with kids and about four with all of us. Guess we know who cares about pics huh?
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  15. What do you mean parents with their kids are not the first to board on a plane anymore? I thought this was way better because things would go really fast once they were settled. What happens to me, age 23, childless? I'll have to wait even more. LOL, I kid.
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  16. the plane thing I get too but this past time we got in group a so why stand in line to board behind everyone !!! don't get that plan they have now boarding behind group A
    second peeve is dennis packing you think a girl is bad he packs for a month when we go for a weekend!! so much stuff i have to take some stuff out !!! LOL
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  17. Oh, the packing, yeah. But mostly the coming home.
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  18. Agree, Agree! The pre-boarding when half the flight is boarded is not exactly "pre", is it?

    Also why, why, why no family picks? I swear my kids are never, ever going to remember that even existed when they look back! I'm not in a single picture!
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Give me some sugar, baby!

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