Lately, I've been quite the busy traveller! On my most recent flight, a man sitting in the aisle seat of my row made me think about the very important roles that people take on when flying on an airplane. Sure, there are the flight attendants and the pilot who have vital jobs (flying the plane, passing out drinks, ensuring safety, etc). But there are also roles for the passengers on the airplane. Here are my thoughts on the functions of various passengers.
Window Seat Passenger: the person sitting in the window seat on the airplane is in charge of working the window shade. The pilot or flight attendants often ask for the shades to be up during takeoff or landing. The Window Seat Passenger is in charge of making sure the shade is in an appropriate setting. Also, they have the power to really upset others if they are hogging the window. A head placed right up near the window just makes it more unpleasant for fellow travelers.
Center Seat Passenger: this person has a crucial role. Their job is to be as small as possible. There is nothing more uncomfortable on a flight than to be sitting in an aisle or window seat and to have the Center Seat Passenger spilling over the armrests or even taking both armrests for themselves. Actually, there is nothing more uncomfortable than being the Center Seat Passenger. I avoid it at all costs - I'd rather sit next to strangers in a window or an aisle seat than have the center seat and sit next to someone I know. I try to let Center Seat Passengers have as much space as possible.
Aisle Seat Passenger: this is my favorite spot to sit on the airplane, though I believe it comes with the greatest responsibility of all passenger roles. The man sitting in my row on the flight back from London to Casablanca took his role very seriously. I was sitting in the window seat, much to my dismay. When the drink cart was approaching, he made sure to make eye contact with me well in advance and was able to communicate via body language and facial expressions that I should be ready when the time came for them to ask what we'd like to drink. He very graciously passed my drink and my food tray to me and also passed them back to the flight attendant when we were finished eating. He got up and moved out of the way when I wanted to go to the bathroom and when I came back. Another essential responsibility of the Aisle Seat Passenger is getting up immediately after the seatbelt sign goes off when the plane has landed. Nobody wants to get stuck at the end of the immigration line because of a lazy Aisle dude. Extra points for Aisle Seat Passengers - In addition to his other responsibilities, my awesome Aisle guy took on the part of seatbelt reminder. He really wanted me to be safe. As soon as the seatbelt sign went on, due to turbulence, take off or landing, he made sure to get my attention and motion me to tighten my belt. I was quite impressed with how serious he was about completing his Aisle Seat Passenger tasks.
Exit Row Passengers: I'm not normally one to jump at the opportunity to sit in an exit row, since my short legs don't really require a ton of room. In addition to their aisle, center or window seat responsibilities, the Exit Row Passenger must at the very least take out the safety card that most other passengers ignore and pretend to look at it. By making this one small gesture, the Exit Row Passenger is helping others on the flight to feel more safe and secure. Knowing that there is a way out and people to help them can assist in calming the nerves of anxious flyers.
Looking Out for Each Other: It's very important for ALL passengers to watch out for each other, especially those in their rows on the airplane. On Katie and I's flight to London from Krakow, a crazy old man had the center seat. When the flight attendant came down the aisle, he asked her if there was a doctor on board. When she asked why, he pointed to my sister, a Window Seat Passenger, slumped over her tray table sleeping. He said to the flight attendant, "I think she's really sick and needs a doctor." The flight attendant and I reassured him that she was just sleeping, but he still kept an eye on her and made sure she was still breathing. He was also pretty good at reminding me of my role as an Aisle Seat Passenger. As soon as the plane landed, he said, "get off the plane" and shooed me with his hands to make sure I understood that I was not to delay.
Baggage Claimers: this is the responsibility of all passengers who check baggage on the airplane. When you see an item on the carousel that belongs to you, it is your responsibility to pick it up - even if it is a bar of soap in a handy travel soap dish.
Think about it: the people who unload the cargo hold safely carry your precious belongings and hoist them onto the carousel. The least you can do is pick up your items, so they don't have to then remove them again after countless trips around and around. I wonder who ended up with this bar of soap.
Which seat do you prefer? Do you follow proper plane etiquette? What responsibilities have you neglected when travelling on an airplane? Please comment and I promise I'll post tomorrow on some of the remarkable experiences I've had on my recent travels.
PS...I normally include more photographs in my blogging and I'm sorry that this post is so limited in photos but I figured I'd give you all a taste of what I think about on the many airplane flights I take while travelling. This is your peek into my brilliant mind. I hope you've enjoyed it.
The best part about the bike tour was the distance that could be travelled. There would be no way to see all that we were able to on our bike tour if you were just walking. We travelled on sidewalks, bike lanes, bus lanes, down busy roads and our guide actually stopped traffic at uncontrolled intersections simply by standing in the middle of the street. I've gotten kind of used to Casablanca traffic, where cars won't even slow down for pedestrians crossing. 
One of the many stops on our tour was Checkpoint Charlie, which marks the spot of a famous border checkpoint between the Soviet and American sectors of Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie was the third checkpoint (after Alpha and Beta, of course) when travelling from outside Germany to the American side of Berlin. 
In addition to a museum chronicling escape attempts, there is also this living representation of the US checkpoint just hanging out in the middle of the street. These actors pose for pics. 
We also rode our bikes by the Brandenburg Gate, which was built in the late 18th century and eventually became a gate through the Berlin Wall. On November 9, 1989, people crammed through the gate, marking the end of the barrier between East and West Berlin. The chick with the horses on top is the Goddess of Peace, later named the Goddess of Victory.
