Yes times have changed and our reactions to situations are different than they would have been 15 years ago.  I used to hate it when my parents would begin a story by saying, “When I was your age, or back in the day we….. (Fill in the blank).”

But I find myself starting sentences with that very phrase, more often than I care to admit.  However, that being said, the aftershock of 9/11/2001 has changed the way I view travel, particularly flying.

Boarding a plane for Seattle last week, I noticed that the lady sitting behind me was very talkative. Not a big deal, but I was hoping she would not talk so loudly for the entire four hour trip.  About thirty minutes into the flight, I began to wonder what on earth she was doing.  She was pushing on the back of my seat and kept dropping things.  Another thirty minutes passed and she began to sing very loudly.  Not just a little loud, but loudly enough that the stewardesses came from the front of the plane to ask her to not sing out loud since there were so many people on the plane.

At this point my annoyance begin to give way to a little bit of apprehension.  I started thinking about news stories where people have caused problems on planes and of shoes being set on fire, etc.  I knew it was a silly reaction and one I would never have had pre 9/11.  Still as I heard her dropping things and mumbling nonsense, I had a lingering sense of unease.

I noticed everyone within earshot was glancing her way and whispering.  The people sitting beside her had to stand several times so she could try to recover the belongings she was dropping.  I was glad I was in front of her instead of beside her.

As we prepared to land, I heard the stewards and stewardesses trying to get her attention so they could get her to put her seat belt on.  As we all stood to disembark, three empty alcohol bottles rolled from under my seat.  I felt more than a little silly, having been rattled by someone who simply had a few too many of those little bottles of alcohol the airlines sell.  Now I just felt sorry for her.  Still it was a huge relief to land and disembark safely in Seattle.