This is going to be fun. It’s all about you this week, friends. I want to hear YOUR stories. Here’s the topic: Tell me about the most memorable person you’ve ever met on an airplane. Good, bad, smelly, colorful, so beautiful it hurt to look at them, whatever. Do you still keep in touch, did you require therapy after meeting them, are they now your spouse or partner? (And the answer could be ‘yes’ to all of the above.)
This came to mind from something my friend Molly Greene once wrote to me: “I met the most interesting woman on a flight home from Portland years ago. She was old enough to be my grandma but we connected somehow. I think about her often, and always when I’m flying somewhere.” It goes to show that we can make profound connections with people in short amounts of time—Molly was flying to California!
As for me, I have no stories to tell this time around. Zero. Yeah, me, the one who always advocates that we should talk to everyone we meet, that the people we meet are the gifts of our travel…. well, put me on an airplane and I go mute. In fact, sometimes I even drug myself so I don’t have to be awake and coherent. In recent years, I’ve relied more on headphones or a good book, but I’ll generally do whatever it takes to zone out and find my peaceful place. I do not know why, and yes, my husband finds it slightly annoying.
All right, time to dish. I’m squealing in anticipation. Really. Ask my cat.
p.s. If you’re like me and use the very thin airplane blanket to drape a fake wall between you and the person in the seat next to you, then just tell me about where you’re going for your next trip. It’s a new year, I’d love to hear about your 2013 travel plans!
What a great idea, Laura! Here’s mine:
When I was in my 20s and working for a publishing company in London, there was one year when I had to go quite often to our office in Geneva, as I was tasked with editing an exhibition catalogue for a big event taking place there later that year. (No email in those days to exchange proofs with local printers!) One time, I flew out of London on a Sunday morning with the rest of the day free for sightseeing – something I always tried to combine with my business travel. On the plane I opened my book to read: Dr Zhivago. “Oh,” said a middle-aged businessman next to me. “What a coincidence – I have that book in my bag too.” I was delighted to find we had this common ground, and so began a long conversation that lasted till we touched down in Geneva, when we we arranged to meet later that afternoon in the city centre where we both staying. We planned to share a boat trip on Lake Geneva. The sun was shining, it was a glorious trip, and we followed it up with a drink in a bar. Then he asked me if I’d later join him for dinner. All of a sudden, I started hearing what he was saying as if through the ears of my rather possessive fiancee back home – and thinking that perhaps this was not such a good idea. I made a transparent excuse and declined. The man gave a wry smile, we shook hands and parted, never to see each other again. He hadn’t come on to me in any way, but perhaps over dinner… Who knew? In any case, I realised only afterwards that his opening gambit on the plane could just have been a masterful chat-up line, honed by years of long practice on business trips. After all, he never did show me his copy of Dr Zhivago to prove it really was in his bag. And I never did tell my fiancee.
You may have just launched a new airplane chat-up line with “I have that book in my bag, too.” Great story, Debbie, one of those kinds of encounters that stops at exactly the right place so as to leave you with good memories and no guilt! LOL!
I do try not to talk to anyone, I love to disconnect, get work done, or watch a movie. But last year I sat next to an air traffic controller. I learn some interesting things about how things actually work. These people do amazing things to keep us safe.
Oh yeah, an air traffic controller is probably someone for whom I’d also break my normal M.O. because I can only imagine some of the stories. I once read an article on the level of traffic over NY because of La Guardia, Newark and JFK all being in such close proximity and I just could not believe what the ATCs have to cope with on a daily basis. Yowsa!
Ha! Sweet friend! Imagine my surprise when I arrived to leave a comment about that lovely woman flying to San Diego from Portland to take a cruise … and you’d beat me to it!
I loved her. Our hearts touched. What would I have missed if I hadn’t started that chat? … and as I’ve mentioned before, I chat up LOTS of people. Even in the grocery store. I’m always most surprised and saddened by the women who clutch their menfolk’s arms (no, I do not want him) and the people who look away and act as though I’m a raving lunatic with a knife (no, I am not dangerous).
Life’s most amazing moments are often unexpected connections we form in passing – kindness, rapport, compassion from people we don’t know.
Thank you for this, Laura!
And thank you for planting the seed, Molly. You know, I just realized that I always feel happier after I’ve spoken to a complete stranger. I get a little endorphin rush, as if the exchange just proved, once again, that we’re all human and we all crave connection.
I’m too big and lumpy for comfortable plane travel, and generally make the people next to me feel a bit squashed – but I love Debbie’s chat-up line there 🙂 I’ll be sure to remember that one the next time I’m on a plane… Without the wife and kids, obviously. Er…
I think anyone who weighs more than 60 kg/125 pounds is too big for comfortable plane travel, the seating configuration has become so ridiculous. That can definitely be a buzz kill with regard to ‘good first impressions’ of your seatmates. I know I get rather possessive of my little rectangle of space!
I’m not one to strike up a conversation with peeps on planes, but I did encounter a rather strange German child a couple of years ago on flight from Athens to Munich. To make a long story short, my husband and I basically got this handicapped girl kicked out of her seat so we could sit together. She needed access to a seat where the armrest could raise, and it was ours. She couldn’t speak any English either, so she looked at us like we were about to throw her off the plane as we tried to point out she was in our seat. Luckily, the super-peppy male flight attendants swooped in and saved the day and whisked her off to first class. I don’t understand why she wasn’t seated there in the first place. So there’s my person on a plane anecdote. I also remember thinking it was really cool when I was a kid that Ricki Rockett, the drummer for Poison, said he always interviewed people on planes to pass the time.
You’re going to go to hell for this, and I’m going to go to hell for laughing about it — you know that, right? Everything about this story is so wrong, yet so right. Glad you shared it, Jeri!
This has caused me a wee bit of grief Laura. So far in 2013 I’ve taken 9 flights, last year I took 113 flights and in 2011 I took a slightly more modest 77 all with Air Canada / United Airlines. So that means in the last 25 months I have taken 199 flights all across Canada, to the Carribean, Hawaii, Australia and a bunch of places in the US. What stuns me is that in those 199 flights, I can’t think of one particularly interesting person that I met which I think maybe says a bit more about me than the random 199 people I didn’t bother to meet. I remember Selwyn the wine rep particularly well – but that’s because I think anyone who is going to “work” in Banff at a wine show isn’t really working at all and likely has one of the best jobs on the planet. My plane routine is pretty simple, get on, sit down, get my earphones in, shut off my brain, have a drink and get off the plane (repeat 199 times). I do have a soft spot for the elderly when they’re struggling to make the TV work and can’t figure out what a touchscreen is for (although when I help them I usually get sucked into listening to a long story about which of their kids they are going to visit and why they never wanted to fly in the first place). I’ve met a few FA’s who have been very cool and recognized me from numerous flights, but then that usually results in them plying me with too much free wine for me to remember the flight anyway. So in fairness, they might have had an impact on my life besides ruining my liver but nothing that I can bloody remember.
Hey, quit picking on the elderly, I can never figure out the touchscreen either! And I wish I had your problem of having FAs bringing over the vino, but I wouldn’t want to have to fly as much as you did to get that perk. That’s a heck of a lot of flights, John. I hope you’ve invested in a good moisturizer. Cabin air is so hard on the skin! 😛 Thanks for your story, loved it.
Selwyn? Sell-win? Sell-wine?
Co-incidence, John? Maybe ?!!!
Ha! I didn’t catch that before, Patricia. Good one!
Probably the most interesting people I met was way back in 1996. I’d just graduated from High School and my mom’s gift was a trip to Australia to see my Aunts and Uncles there. On the flight from LA to Australia, somehow I sat next to man how was from Nicaragua who was migrating with his family (sister, sister’s husband, sister’s baby and another cousin) to Australia to live with an Aunt who had moved there. I was using my high school Spanish to patch together a conversation with him, but we somehow made it work. I still wonder about him and his family, if they had been able to make it work in Australia, where they are now. At the time it seemed like such unlikely story and somehow it won’t leave me alone.
Aww, even I’d like to know the next part of their story! That was also right before the advent of widespread email, otherwise you might have traded email addresses to keep in touch. Let’s just go with that they’re all thriving and wildly happy in Australia. Thanks for sharing, Tylia.
I was one of those passengers who I’m sure my seatmates are still talking about. It was 1992 and I had recently visited Morocco where my husband was temporarily working. He bought me a Berber veil and dress that I wanted to show to my mother (who had travelled very little) and my father (who is less travelled and still calls Europe “overseas”). My parents and in-laws were meeting me at the airport in a small, (adopt a hick voice whilst adjusting an imaginary tractor cap to the back of your head) “put-near” uni-cultural city.
I had the joy of a middle seat between an external affairs lawyer and an Ottawa high school teacher. It was a self-absorbed flight for all of us until I warned them I was about to change into the Berber outfit. My in-laws are well travelled but I figured my parents’ reaction would be priceless. My seatmates thought this was a great adventure and couldn’t wait until I came back from the bathroom to strike up more conversation. Coming off the plane, they stuck with me like glue so they’d see the reaction first hand.
I put the veil over my face and descended the escalator, hastily formed entourage in tow. There was definitely a murmur throughout the waiting crowd. The lawyer whispered, “I think I see your mum”. I saw mum nudge dad dramatically with her elbow and in her best stage whisper said, “Look at this comin’ Dave”. Dad stood there staring at me with his mouth open. I walked over to mum, looked her directly in the eyes and nodded. My in-laws recognized me and started to chuckle. My mother looked like she suddenly realized she probably offended this person in front of her. Then she recognized me and had the world’s best, shocked look on her face. Thankfully, she thought it was funny. If she were alive today I’m sure she’d still be telling the story. The lawyer and teacher found their parties and were busily detailing the antics and surreptitiously pointing at me. We waved goodbye. I think we all had a good laugh over that one.
I love it! Such a great story, Heather. I can just see it, and it’s making me chuckle, too.
I love to talk to people next to me!! Its me they have to worry about, I like to chat and hear stories… Here are a few people that I have encountered:
I actually got to sit in first class after a reservation mix-up, the man next to me Skip claimed to be a pilot from just outside of Rochester NY who had flown planes with John Travolta and had him on speed dial. He told me if I wanted to see famous people I should friend him on Facebook. I did.. come to find out he was close friends with the mother of a patient of mine so I had to defriend him.
After missing a flight to Orlando (not my own doing) I had the chance to meet two adult men on their way to spring break with unlimited funds. Drinks on the house! 🙂
And Finally before I was married I did meet a gentleman that asked me on a date. Needless to say it did not work but ironically he and my husband share the same first name… )
Wow, you have ‘good seatmate luck’ — and good seat karma in general to get bumped up to first class. I want you to make my airplane reservations for me from now on! Thanks for stopping by, Tina. p.s. Doesn’t everybody have John Travolta on speed dial? 😛
On a flight from London to Bangkok – I sat next to a young Polish woman (about 18), launching into her Gap Year. She was so full of excitement – it was wonderful. And then she said she was looking forward to shopping in Bangkok. I pointed out that she had a year ahead, which is a long time to carry stuff. But she loves it, she said. And when it came to gathering her bags for getting off, it became clear just how much she has with her, including 10 pairs of shoes (she loves them all, so couldn’t leave any behind), 8 pairs of sunglasses (she loves them all etc), 20 t-shirts (she loves etc)
I lost her, waiting for her luggage. But I often wonder how long it took her to realise that all this stuff is pointless, Some lucky cleaner in a hotel will be in for treasures!
Wow, 10 pairs of sunglasses?!! Can you imagine her trying to use public transport with all those bags? You’re probably right, she likely didn’t get far with them. Any trips on your calendar, Jo?
Ooh, I’ve enjoyed reading all those stories. Last month, at Schipol Airport, I met an interesting woman, who happened to be in the seat next to mine on the plane and also waited for the same train at Southampton. The story starts with a game of Scrabble and includes her assuming a different identity. I’ll be blogging about it soon.
Oooooh, how very mysterious, Miriam! I look forward to reading about it. 🙂
Laura, I always try and talk to the people next to me on the plane, but quite often they close themselves up in their headphones and visibly do NOT want to make contact, but when I do it’s great. I remember one flight to South Africa when I was carrying my ‘go-everywhere-with-me’ teddy and a girl next to me asked if she could hold it too. We had such fun together on the flight, but I didn’t see or hear from her again afterwards. My teddy has introduced me to a lot of people actually. Handy! I’ve also sat next to a Polish guy who told me the country’s entire history on the flight from Katowice to Eindhoven. We exchanged email addresses, but I confess I don’t know what I did with it, and we didn’t keep in touch. I actually love these incidental meetings. It’s much like that when we are away on the barge. We meet all sorts of lovely people that we will probably never see again. It’s great!
Having just visited Poland in August, I can fully appreciate how great it must have been to hear the country’s history (I’d forgotten most of it, and so was fully fascinated by all the museums we visited and stories we heard from people). But I’ll bet you wish you had a longer flight — there’s a lot to absorb from their history. And your go-everywhere teddy, how did he come into your life, Val? I’d like to hear about that, too!