Get Me To The Airport On Time

I will be the first to admit that I am particular about some things. Mindy refers to my tendencies as being "anal".

For example:

• Ice Cream must be eaten quickly to avoid any melting (and no microwaving)
• I have to eat all my french fries first, while they are still hot, before touching any other food
• If I am using the restroom I will not answer or converse with anyone under any circumstance
• If I am going to miss the lights going down at a movie I would rather come back another time when I can get there early
  
• When flying on an airplane if I leave in the morning I must have a USA Today and Wall Street Journal. If I leave at night I only need a USA Today

I could go on...and on...

Well last Friday my Mother-in-Law decided to test me and see if I would crack under the pressure. She struck at the core of my many neurosis - all my little travel fetishes.

You see over the years I have traveled over 1 million miles and to survive I developed little routines, much like people with obsessive compulsive disorder. (again Mindy would argue that I could be a candidate)

Rule number one: never arrive at the airport more than 30 minutes before a flight. Believe it or not I have only missed an airplane 1 time in all my years of traveling, and that was before 9/11. (My rule used to be 15 minutes)

Rule number two: never fly Southwest Airlines

So back to last Friday. Mindy's mother was visiting and we were going to be flying back to Arizona together on the dreaded orange beast.

The punchline:

We were seated at the gate 1 hour before our departure time, officially the earliest I have ever arrived for a flight. Lorraine was in the "A" group, and I of course was "D" or "E".

But truth be told I didn't melt or start to twitch. In fact I we had a great conversation and she saved me a seat at the front of the bus.

So I still abhor the cattle call at Southwest Airlines. Especially those people who remember to print out boarding passes ahead of time and arrive 1 hour early to stand in line.


But when I find myself in the horror of SWA it is actually quite nice to travel with an "Other".

So Mom I would love to travel with you again, even when you force me to be on time.