Driving VS. Flying

I have discovered recently that there is someone who reads this blog, so I decided I better get on with my new years resolution and start blogging. :)

As some of you may or may not know, I do not fly anymore. I used to fly, back in the day, but I do not anymore. I am terrified. Get it out of your systems, go ahead. Do just like everyone else, "Oh, but e, flying is safer than driving. It's the safest way to travel. [I get SO FUCKING TIRED of hearing that line] Oh, but e, it doesn't take as long to get to your destination. Oh, it's so easy. There's nothing to it! You can do it just get on the plane!"

The last time I tried to get on a plane, I made it. I was successful. I got on the plane. Then I got off. Immediately. At least I made it on.

Recently, I took a drive to Detroit. My boyfriend lives there, and from my house to his house, it's about a 14.5 hour drive. It seems like a lot, but it's really not (esp if you have Sirius). I loved the drive and had a great time! It was one of the best road trips I've ever taken. From my house to my brother's house in Denver, it's a two day drive, about 24 hours. 10 on the first day, 14 on the second (unless you don't let your father drive and do more than 3 over the speed limit. You can knock off about 2 hours)(Just kidding dad. I know it was you that got out of that speeding ticket.) Still, it's fun. It's a bonding experience. I love to drive, and that fact makes it even more okay for me to say NO to flying.

So here's my beef, other than the fact that i'm utterly petrified, with flying. Lines, Stupid people, and the classic "hurry up and wait" mentality. I hate standing in line waiting for incompetent people who cant figure out the "START HERE" button at the kiosk. You can do the check in the night before thing, but you still have to stand in a bloody line to get your bags checked.

When my boyfriend flies, he never checks his bag which is awesome, but he can't take toothpaste, shampoo, or hair gel. If he wants to, he has to buy special little "insert barely any liquid here"oz things and throw them in a plastic baggie. What a pain in the ass. If i want to go on a road trip, I throw my shit in a suitcase, get in the car and GO.

I hate standing in line for security because people STILL haven't figured out that hey, guess what, you HAVE to take your shoes off now. So why don't you wear shoes with no laces? NoooOOOOoo. We have to sit there, and get pushed into each other because Slowy McGee can't tie his shoes. Not only that, but the line we walk through while our shoes are off has NEVER Been cleaned. It's gross. You are either in socked feet, or (if you're like me) bare feet (because I wore sandals so I wouldn't have to take time to untie/tie my shoes) and ew, have you looked at the floor? Everyone else is socked or bare too, and nobody cares that the floor is all black from foot cheese. It's a LOSE LOSE situation, no matter what you do!

I also hate flying because if/when you do arrive at your destination, you have to wait for someone to pick you up, or go rent a car, another line. If you drive, you drive, you have your car, you can go right to your destination. NO PROBLEM! I can drive right up to your door, on the lawn, and knock from my car if i want. Plus it saves the hassle of pleasantries with the cab driver, or the awkward silence in the car with the person who picked you up because your loved one didn't have time so they sent their buddy whom you've met once and can't quite remember his name.

The other reason I will always choose driving over flying is the scenery. I'm sorry folks, but the Smoky Mountains are simply not the same from 30,000 feet. I love to drive mountains, I love the curves, I love the little towns, I love stopping in the little gas stations with the woman who has no teeth at the desk askin "You okay hon? You'unt some coffey?" I love seeing the scenery, I love looking at the clouds. From 30,000 feet, everything looks the same. You wouldn't know Kansas from Kentucky. "Oh look, little squares. Must be farms." I love the scenery, and that might just come from being a photographer. Either way, you don't get to see the sights either. St Louis is on direct route from SC to Denver, I got to see the arch as we drove by at 80mph, but we could've stopped if we wanted. We didn't want to.

Another reason to choose driving over flying is that a person can take a detour at any moment. On my way to detroit, I needed breakfast, so I put into steve's Garmin to find me a McDonalds. It found me one, but it was 4 miles off the interstate. I loved that little town. It reminded me of Shoshoni, Wyoming. Two traffic lights, and the McDonalds was brand new. I never would've seen that flying, now would i? And the lady that helped me there called me sweetie pie. :) On the way to denver, there was an issue with snow, and the normal way we wanted to go was blocked. Now, I don't know if you remember last year (2006) at this time, but there was an awful snowstorm and basically all of colorado and half of kansas was shut down. We were driving in that storm. We were stuck in a little town for one night, but the next night we found a different way to go and had a great time. (that's when dad got out of a ticket). But, we weren't stuck in the airport with no where to go. We could go to the next town and find a hotel. They weren't even letting people out of the airport at that time. We were free to roam the state as long as the roads were open.
So the next time you're talking to someone who isn't comfortable flying, take 5 seconds before you start into your spiel about how safe it is and how easy and how convenient. They might not feel the same way and don't need you preaching your skymall to them. I say meh. I'd rather drive anyway. It's more fun.