Greeting From Seat 6D

In 21st Century America this is as far off the grid as you get. I can type to my heart’s content, but there’s no way to get it to you.

Greetings from Seat 6D on Flight 1005. When our pilot last checked in we were still east of Syracuse. “Two thousand miles to go,” he said. “A long way.”

For the next five hours I’ll be out-of-touch. There’s no Internet access on this flight. In 21st Century America this is as far off the grid as you get. I can type to my heart’s content, but there’s no way to get it to you.

Maybe the Phillies can overcome their seven run hole to the Mets. I won’t know. I really am cut off.

There was one interesting incident at the airport today. As I was clearing TSA screening an agent walked up to me holding my VISA card in her hand. Somehow it had dropped from my wallet. By seeking me out&#185 she saved my trip!

I stopped at the TSA podium to fill out a customer service card. My thanks are heartfelt.

It’s still amazing to me you can climb into a hollow aluminum tube at one side of the country and step out hours later at the other side.

Airplane travel is less passenger friendly than it once was. Security screening and the lack of non-stop flights means getting anywhere takes longer. There’s no longer food onboard. I’ll be hungry by Burbank. You can’t congregate by the forward lavoratory.

I’ve seen a few folks toting tablet computers on this flight. One is watching a movie in widescreen splendor.

The tablets look so appealing. I have no idea what I’d do with one nor why I’d need it with my laptops at the ready. This is some sort of inbred technlust.

It’s windy in Las Vegas. I checked the observations and terminal forecast as I was walking down the jetway. Wind gusts to 40 mph already with no letup this afternoon. Our pilot will have to wrestle this plane to the ground!

&#185 – I’m typing this entry in Microsoft word. It wants me to say “By seeking I out” instead of “By seeking me out.” Strange error. You’d think Word was smarter after this many iterations.

(this entry posted from the ground in Las Vegas)

7 thoughts on “Greeting From Seat 6D”

  1. Tablets are great, unless you want to do word processing. But I can see why they’d be great on a flight – much lighter and easier to schlep. Have a great trip – it’s nice that the circumstances are happier than the last time! (and be sure to spoil the grand-dog!)

  2. Finally someone else who agrees with me on tablets. Come find to me when they can run photoshop and have better battery life than my laptop and we will talk…but I would still take one if someone gave it to me.

  3. I agree with you on the tablets…..need to be able to do more to make it worth my while! I will stick with my laptop!

  4. Tablets are absolutely wonderful devices. I am typing this on my iPad at this very moment.

    I have no problems typing on a tablet in landscape mode using the on screen keyboard, and can now type just as fast as on a normal keyboard.

    My tablet can run Photo editing software, and can import photos from my dSLR camera. It can watch movies and it cam blog. It can allow me to draw on screen, and flip through screens with the pleasure that comes from interacting directly with the content rather than being disconnected by the keyboard and trackpad.

  5. Awesome Geoff…I know that office all to well the 737…and you had to poke your nose up there as a celebrity newscaster and take a pic….good on ya…glad you love being a father…great post and kudos…

  6. I’m with Sky! Funny how little credit people give the tablets! If you think they can’t do this or do that, you just are unaware is all. Pages on the iPad is powerful, extraordinary word processing. There are many photo apps to do anything you like. And my battery will run rings around your laptop battery. And if ten hours of movie time isn’t enough, spend $50 on Amazon for a portable battery extending life ten times that. Best of all, no heat generated. And no mouse! Walk into an Apple store, get the device explained, and be amazed. It’s a new world, baby! 8)

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