Along with the standard in-flight entertainment one might
expect on an intercontinental/transoceanic flight; dinner, drinks, games,
movies, and music; this flight was special for the OTHER in-flight entertainment.
Namely, the dear ladies across the aisle.
Lord love 'em, they are not what one would call
technological adepts. The announcement was made back in Sydney that they had a
reading light above their seats. They discussed this (seemingly) novel concept
and then, flummoxed, proceeded to read in the dark. When the seatbelt sign was
off and it was safe to do so, I pointed-out the controls to them and showed
them how to get light to read.
Later it was trying to suss-out how the folding tray could
be deployed and later still, it was the movie system that they were confused
by. As I said: "Poor dears…"
The flight staff showed them how to work the entertainment
system as we were having dinner over the outback. One of the staff then
repeated his instructions later as we were having coffee. It was as we were coming
into Bangkok that they got the directions for the third (possibly fourth time)
and then, new crew-new training, they asked again once we had left Bangkok and
were on our way to London.
I've given-up trying to assist them and have decided
instead to see the humor in the conjecture they are making even on things they
have actually been trained on! I had thought about reviving an old Far Side
cartoon – or at least the spirit of one by showing them where the "wings
fall off" – "wings stay on" switch was located. I thought better
of it, when I realized I still had a dozen hours I had to sit near them and
there was really no point being an asshole.
Sleep has been eluding me all flight. It is nearly five-am
down there in Russia and the sun is coming up to the east. It is a lovely quiet
atmosphere on the plane. I am dead tired… why the heck am I not asleep?
Wherever you are this evening, I hope that you are
sleeping the sleep of the just – even if by that you mean "the just
asleep!" (…with apologies to Douglas Adams from whom I have lifted that
line!
No comments:
Post a Comment