With good friends, we escaped St. Louis for a week of extremely boring weather (81◦ to 84◦ every day, always sunny) in Key West.
That meant trips through airports, and, living in St. Louis required flying Southwest Airline to get out of town.
As most know, Southwest began as a devil may care upstart with stewardesses in miniskirts making suggestive comments. Now, well, the stewards needed quality time in a gym and the airline has created its own ritualized bureaucracy.
Before both flights a number of passengers got pre-boarded. I have no problem with an elderly woman in a wheelchair avoiding the scrum for seats. Yet, most of the pre-boarders looked perfectly health, including one gentleman who unfolded a cane just before entering the gate area.
Southwest also pre-boards groups with small children. On the return that meant a group of seven – six adults and one six year old (who was extremely capable and independent) jumped from “C” status to pre-board.
When I boarded for the ride home, I noticed that the average age in the emergency exit rows was 80+. Yes, those rows have more seat room but if the flight goes really, really, really bad those passengers are required to wrestle open the emergency doors. Amazingly, when asked by one of the stewards if they felt they could yank out the door, all nodded ‘yes.’
Unfortunately, Southwest plays the game too. Up until boarding starts passengers can upgrade to “A” status for a fee of up to $40 per seat – though that dropped to $20 due to an absence of spenders. Some are always more equal than others.
Yes, America has always been the home of people who game the system. We complete our own tax forms, with most of us telling the truth. We know some lie to avoid paying their fair share every year and most every long line gets longer with folks ‘friends’ let cut in ahead of them.
Still, I feel that the Trump hangover still ferments many Americans, giving them an extra push to game the system.
Remember John Kennedy’s famous line…
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
“Ask not what your country can do for you…” | JFK Library
Well, all too often many of our fellow Americans scheme to “Get all I can from my countrymen.” Just like Donald J. Trump, Roger Stone, Rudy, et al.
Glenn