Winter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waxing Moon of\u00a0 the Cold Month<\/p>\n
The grumpy traveler has arrived in the mile-high city, which I discovered at the Denver Airport is actually 5,280 feet above sea level.\u00a0 How about that?\u00a0 I say grumpy because air travel wears at me with the death of a thousand cuts.<\/p>\n
First, when I went online yesterday to print out boarding passes, I was met with the opportunity to pay a checked baggage fee.\u00a0 Kate wanted to check a bag because, being the raving terrorist lunatic that she is, she wanted to bring a good pair of scissors for sewing.\u00a0 $23 to transport those damned scissors.\u00a0 As long we’re on it, where did a word like scissors come from anyhow?\u00a0 That spelling.<\/p>\n
Second, parking at the airport.\u00a0 In\u00a0 this case you get to choose between an intolerably long ride on Airport Shuttle, a tour of the Twin Cities, or trying to park a large pick-up, our Tundra, in a slot made for a compact car.\u00a0 Our Celica.<\/p>\n
So we’re at the airport.\u00a0 I don’t have to tell you the small insults visited on us under the auspices of national security.\u00a0 Good news?\u00a0 No body scanners yet.<\/p>\n
The plane itself.\u00a0 The logistics of the human body and the number of seats you can cram in–the maximum–create a very cosy, one could even call it crammed ride.\u00a0 And I had the four\u00a0 year old behind me who spent most of the flight taking the tray table down and putting it back in place.\u00a0 Often.\u00a0 Not news, but a nuisance anyway.<\/p>\n
Don’t ask me about getting the bag.\u00a0 Remember Denver’s airport?\u00a0 It was the one that opened two years late because they couldn’t get the luggage system working.<\/p>\n
Finally, getting to your rental car.\u00a0 Ah, the third lane out at ground transportation.\u00a0 Finding or waiting for the express bus, ha, that takes you to your car.\u00a0 At a site far enough away from the airport itself to be in Wyoming.\u00a0 Afterward, the always entertaining sales pitches by the rental car clerk.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 I don’t want an SUV with snow tires.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 I don’t want to pay $20 a day to supplement (unnecessarily) my already too expensive car insurance.<\/p>\n
But.\u00a0 The woman who took the yellow sheet about the car’s condition was very nice and helpful.<\/p>\n
And thus endeth this complaint about travel by air.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Winter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waxing Moon of\u00a0 the Cold Month The grumpy traveler has arrived in the mile-high city, which I discovered at the Denver Airport is actually 5,280 feet above sea level.\u00a0 How about that?\u00a0 I say grumpy because air travel wears at me with the death of a thousand cuts. First, when I went online yesterday … Continue reading Caution: Rant About Air Travel<\/span>