Blog Ranger

Why I Hate Airlines

Link: The New York Times > Business > Image > Graphic: A Balance Between Economics and Comfort.

I hate airlines because in large part, their tight margins have made them forget that they are actually transporting people and not cargo. The linked graphic from the NYT shows a) how companies are cramming an extra seat per row into the new 787, and b) how space between seats has consistently decreased since 1978 and how geniuses are considering optimizing with "standing room" seating!

India Part Deux, Subleg 3 Arrival

Just arrived in the hotel at about 2:30am Delhi time. Tomorrow we aren't scheduled to have meetings until the early afternoon which should mean there is a chance to actually get a little sleep!

My favorite airline by far is Luftsthana. Apart from having on-board Internet connectivity the flight we were on was underbooked. I had the miracle for a traveler in economy class, an entire row to mysefl. You can only imagine my joy at not having to try to nap sleep upright for a few hours.

Today is also an Indian national holiday called holi. Think of it as a cross between easter? and mardi gras, see http://festivals.tajonline.com/holi.php

One of the key components of this holiday is the pelting of one another with various colored powders

Stay tuned for any jerry holi photos...

Things Not To Say to A United Stewardess: Trip to India, Part Duex, Sub leg 1

Ah the delights of travel, from the prompt arrival of planes to the wide seats, reasonable size carry on luggage and courteous flight stewardesses what could one possibly improve?

We were scheduled to leave San Diego for a connection in LA to Frankfort at about 11:35. The plane arrived late but we got on only about 15 minutes after we were scheduled. Most everyone boarded well, but it was a very full flight and as has become happenstance on most flights now there was the inevitable jockeying for position in the overhead bins. I actually watched someone basically throw my bag out so they could get theirs to fit. Ah…courtesy of your fellow American.

Well, a number of individuals were having problems finding places for everything. The inside crew was very snippy saying things like “we are waiting for YOU to find a place for YOUR bag before the plane can take off”. It was as if they wanted to put the pressure of the late departure on each passenger who couldn’t make their oversized luggage fit into overhead or under seat storage. The Indian stewardess in particular was very snippy and rude; barking orders at passengers with basically a “its your problem not mine” attitude.

You can see where this is going now can’t you?

Blogranger: They Must Have Found Out Who I am Because They Won't Let Me In

The main event for today was the first use of the new edusat network (a satellite network for delivering distance learning) broadcast among 12 sites with AMITRA being the main pilot site and the content coming from New Delhi with a speech from President Kalam.

It was unclear when I arrived if I would be in Delhi for the event, or if I would travel with the rest of the American delegation to Coimbatore. Since I hadn't made travel plans before leaving the US we were unable to get tickets so I stayed in Delhi. The Delhi event was broadcast from the Presidential palace, there was a main room for the broadcast and a secondary room for crowd overflow. I had given up being in the main room yesterday but thought I'd make it into the overflow room.

We grabbed a cab (Doug Ramesh and I, Doug is our Media Relations person) and we began our trip to the palace. I was curious how far we would get before we ran into security. Long story short, we were able to make it through the first two security checkpoints by indicating that we were with the US delegation. When we reached the last gate we were asked for our passports to verify that we should be allowed into the event. At first it appeared there wasn't going to be a problem, then that neither of us was going to get in. Finally, they were able to find one of our names on the list (Doug's). At that point it was painfully clear that I wasn't going to be able to talk my way past palace security and I departed back for the hotel. Thankfully Doug was able to gain entry into the overflow room (setup for 20 people, he was one of 3 individuals in the audience) and will be posting a story about this to the Calit2 Web site soon.

As I figure it, since I had already been cleared yesterday they must have found out who I really was and decided to keep me away. The blogranger shouldn't wear the mask at the palace gate...it tends to sorta freak people out.

Blogranger in India: Day Two

'm not sure that anyone would be interested in me recollecting my day event by event so I decided to stay at a higher level of abstraction for my observations.

Driving:
Driving in Delhi would drive an American crazy, even one that had been battle hardened on the LA freeway. The entire concept of driving seems much more of an art, unhindered by nasty rules about lanes, oncoming traffic, pedestrian walk ways, or right of way. It's often been said that American's are uncomfortable in Japan because the concept of personal space there is so much more limited. If American cars have personal space then Delhi would be their Japan. The traffic is an intriciate ballet of various moving parts that all optimize down to the smallest inch of space between them. While something to marvel at it's a little bit disconcerting to be in the middle.

Water:
H20 everywhere and not a drop to drink. Everyone with any sense says that you shouldn't drink any of the h20 in Delhi, only botteled water. This even goes to the extreme of using bottle water for shaving or tooth brushing when your in a five star hotel. This isn't that strange for many parts of the world but it does make you wonder why the water here isn't drinkable. I'm sure I sorta know...and that's probably scary enough. The good thing is with enough CIPRO many things can be stopped dead in your gut.

Cognitive Dissonance:

The entire idea of cognitive dissonance (a psychological phenomena) is that your mind experiences discomfort when it realizes something at odds with what it thinks to be true. As an American I don't honestly spend much time thinking about the conditions in the other part of the World. I've done my reading, I know how ugly things really are...but knowing it intellectually and seeing it are different experiences.

On the drive to IIT New Delhi this morning we say the kind of juxtaposition of reality that makes you wonder which of the worlds you clearly are sitting inbetween is more real. As we drove packed like sardines (but not nearly as packed with people as other vehicles) we passed a number of disturbing images: men taking baths out of a communal facet, public urination, street people living in mud huts. All of this against a backdrop where motor vehicles are moving up and down at rapid paces barely able to find room on the crowded Delhi streets.

I try not to be a neo-imperialist in my thoughts...but maybe it is inescapable given my upbringing. Play what if...what if you hadn't been born where you were, what if you had been born on the wrong side of the street, what if your future was yesterday with the exception that your a little more hungry.

Privlege always ought to come with responsibility, the question is do we do enough...or do we refuse to see the real even though we know it exists?

Where in the World is the Blog Ranger: New Delhi, India

The flight and the 777

The 777 is a impressive plane for those of you who haven't had a chance to see or ride on one. It doesn't really have the feel of a passenger plane, more like a cargo plane that they decided to let people ride inside. All of the comforts of a normal commerical airflight are there, its just there are so many people. Just loading the plane took about 40 minutes, unloading was about the same.

Few general observations on travel to India from Chicago via American Airlines:
1) Never ever trust American Airlines to know anything about their planes. When I checked in I asked to confirm I had power in my seat, they said I didn't and sent me to the back of the plane to get it. Given that this is a 14.5hr flight I really wanted it. I confirmed that the seat had power before boarding. Guess what, no power at all. Deprived of hours worth of potential email :(

2) Everyone with the exception of the flight stewards and stewardess on the flight were nice. I don't know what it was with the American Airlines staff but they dealt with everyone like we were in prision. Maybe the size of that many people forces the cold authortarian demeanor.

3) Takeoff of the 777 is an interesting endeavor, one I imagine the spruce goose would be proud of. The plane does a fair amount of shaking as it rises and then quickly becomes stable. Flight itself was picture perfect.

4) Sleep is the only saving grace for a 14.5 hour flight. If you can sleep anywhere, which I can, it's the best way to deal with a trip that long.

The Trip Home: The Trilogy

Monday, January 3, 7:00pm

Well, they just delayed the flight again that was supposed to leave at 7:20, it is now pushed back to 8:20. However, the plane is over in the international terminal that we will fly out on meaning that it will take at least an hour for it to clear customs. The inside scoop from the counter helpers is that it really will likely leave more like 9pm.

The funny thing is we have an entire flight crew but no plane. The pilots (see photo) are even stuck waiting just like us common old travelers until they release the plane. This would all be sorta funny if it weren't for the fact that I'm now more then 4 hours late to my destination.

The Trip Home: Part Deux

Monday, 6:05 pm

Ah..the grand irony of being just "that close" to making your connecting
flight. I literally missed it by 10 minutes. Those ten minutes could
have been: a} the 11 extra minutes the faa held our flight from take
off in champaign, or b} the 10 minutes we spent on the ground waiting
for a jet bridge and someone to park it.

But really, I have no travel rage...airflight is all just chaos theory
mascarading as a business. On top of that, we all forget too easily
that flying is magic.

Ok..that's as optimistic as I can get until 8:20. If this flight
doesn't go then I may just move into rabid sarcasm.

Slide

--zen {jerry}

The Trip Home: Part One

Sent Monday January 3, 2005 14:43:56
Departure time scheduled for 2, it is now 5...and we have yet to leave
champaign urbana. Looks like, unless the travel gods smile on me, I
will miss my connecting flight and be pushed into a much later
departure...lets say 8:45 central time.

Why you might ask am I delayed? Evidentially weather in chitown
<freezing rain> delayed things and then FAA got all anal about how many
flights were stacked at o'hare.

Well, that is it! As soon as I get home calit2 starts work on the
national light transporter. Because moving as fast as light just
shouldn't be for data.
--zen {jerry}

Giving the Man his Due

I take my hat off to the Indiana State Trooper who came up with his radar spot this morning by the Wingate Indiana Exit, it was excellent. He had his vehicle tucked in behind some barrels under a support holding up an overpass making him virtually invisible. There would have been no way to see him until he already had his radar locked. Fortunatley, he was pointing towards the traffic going West and I was going East. He also was just clicking on and off his radar defeating most commercial radar detectors.


Image of the setup is in the post continuation.