We traveled to Denver yesterday. While the Dulles airport was pretty empty Denver was packed with skiers coming in. In our area mask compliance is very high. At Denver airport I have never seen so many who still can’t figure out how to have mask over nose or walking holding an open water bottle. Couldn’t wait to get out but of course baggage claim took forever. We tested negative before visiting grandson but will need to test again with so much noncompliance.
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When we were last in NY visiting medical lad we stopped in an almost empty fast food place to grab breakfast. Nearly everyone masks there, esp inside, but for some even outside walking down the sidewalk. As we left an older couple came in and the husband was muttering to his wife that they had to get their masks out. Seeing us he said, “We just came from Denver and no one masks there, not in the airport or anywhere.”
This was pre-Omicron, so maybe some (not all) are putting masks back on there (as they are here), but the differences in places are astounding.
Here’s an update on the Miami-London plane that turned around. No big surprises. I also read in another report that at least some airlines are sharing “no fly” lists, so that’s a plus. Keep these folks from causing problems by not having them there.
They escorted a woman in her 40s off the plane, reports say.
She has been placed on a list of people barred from flying with American Airlines, pending further investigation, the airline said.
The woman was sitting in first class, another passenger Steve Freeman told Miami’s Local 10 news.
“There was a lot of drinking involved and I was nervous. She sat behind us in first class,” he said.
“I could see the writing on the wall - they gave her a lot of warnings, so we were kind of ready for it.”
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I’m not trying to stereotype, but Colorado has a greater proportion of people who lean libertarian. One of our SC justices from that state doesn’t wear mask even in the court room.
Wow. If the plane was turned around just an hour into the flight, as it has been reported, she must have been already quite drunk when she got on the plane. There is only so much drinking can be done in 30 minutes or so when the FA start serving after takeoff.
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Flying is like shopping at Wal-Mart. It’s fine until I reach the check-out, then I realize why I don’t shop there. Fortunately, I live close to family. I would rather take the interstate than deal with that draconian mess.
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I’ve been saying that since they started requiring us to take off our shoes at security!
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Tough to take the interstate to places like USVI though. 
I enjoy being up in the air and always pick a window seat to enjoy the topography or clouds. I like both.
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I love to travel/fly. Before Covid, I was on the “road” for my job about 50% of the time. Next month I have two business trips planned. Due to my status, I was usually comfort plus and sometimes got upgraded to First Class. Yeah the airport sucked , but I knew when to not travel (NEVER on a monday morning). What I enjoyed about it, was that I was able to catch up on Movies and shows, and have quiet time .
Since Covid I have flown a few times. Interesting that larger airplanes are being used for longer domestic flights (767 vs A321). I do dislike the masking and hope one day we can be maskless again, but follow the rules, and use my high end mask when traveling.
For me being in a car for long rides, on the other hand, is not as enjoyable. even with my phone and entertainment.
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We people watch in airports. Once we had a 14 hour layover in Doha and I thought that would be a burden - not long enough to really visit anywhere since we didn’t know the country. It went by quickly with people watching. Of course, it helps that it’s an extremely nice airport.
Road trips are nice too, but I like to keep it to 8 hours or less in a day on the road and all during daylight hours so one can sightsee along the way. We’re also fond of skipping interstates when we can. Sightseeing is almost always better off the interstates.
As my avatar attests, we wander, and love doing so. Small towns, mountains, undersea marine life or shipwrecks… we like seeing it all. One thing we often skip are cities actually. Tall buildings do nothing for us. Museums can be interesting and food choices tend to be great, but there’s not much else in a city for us.
We will be flying this afternoon as we close on our new house in another part of the country on Monday. It’s interesting how my perspective has changed over the years. There was a time my biggest concern was about crashes due to safety issues, then it was terrorism (post 9/11) , now it’s some drunken fool will be on my flight taking a swing at the crew…
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Definitely crazy times…
Hopefully if airlines crack down on it more when it happens - and publicize that folks can no longer fly - it will be a deterrent, stopping the crazies.
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I’m more concerned about crashes now than I was in the distant past. Every time we flew last fall, there was some sort of a problem with the aircraft that required maintenance check. These were older 737 planes that just landed… and some thing on the dashboard would not pass pre-flight check. Last time, the pilot said screw it, we can fly without this thingy, but we need some paperwork filled… made me a hair more nervous when we were landing in heavy snowy at Seatac.
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My scariest time came from my college days when I was supposed to fly home on People’s Express (anyone remember that airline?). After we boarded the pilot came out of the cockpit and loudly said, “I don’t care what they say. I’m not flying this plane!” and walked out. We passengers looked at each other and there was a bit of “what was that” mumbling.
Fortunately, they came on later and took us all off - switching us to a different airplane. To this day I still don’t know if I would have been brave enough to get up and leave myself. I’m sure we all wanted to, but no one else took the first step either.
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Oh my gosh that was funny to read - almost straight outta that Airplane movie! - but goodness that must have been frightening.
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I doubt I’m the only one who remembers it from that flight. In hindsight we all should have been getting up and following the pilot, but we all just sat there looking at each other and mumbling.
At least some Power That Was switched us off the plane. I have no idea exactly what was wrong or how dangerous it was.
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@Creekland I remember People’s Express - when I was in college in the late 80’s, they had a ridiculously cheap flight ($50RT) b/w Newark and BWI I sometimes took to get back and forth to school. Glad the pilot stood his ground, but I’m sure that was a bit nervewracking for passengers!
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I have to disagree. Most of the counties have a mask requirement, including Denver. The school districts have them. Buses and trains have them and everyone complies (I ride the bus every day). I never see people without masks inside. Outside yes, no masks but inside masks.
I went shopping over Christmas in a mall 2 counties away and there it was about 50-50 for masks (not required by that county but by some businesses). It felt weird. I know Eagle county (where Vail is) dropped most of their requirements as of today, but most of those in Vail are out of staters.
This would have been the beginning of Dec. If I had the couple’s contact info I’d give it to you so y’all could compare notes 
, but all I have is what he said. It 100% matches what we have around where I live here in my section of PA, so seemed quite believable. Head into MD (30-60 minutes) and mask wearing is different, esp before Omicron, but even now it’s less than 50% masked in the grocery store as of when I went earlier this week.
They should have locked the passenger in a bathroom instead of turning around.
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