Random Notes from a Travel Road: Don't Fly in China

This was a longer post until Firefox crashed and lost it. Firefox is a piece of sh*t and I'm deleting it.

Anyway, Matt Schiavenza at The Atlantic has a superb post on "The Unique Misery of Flying in China." Between 2004 and 2010, Schiavenza writes that he personally witnessed the following:

  • "A passenger leaping on top of a check-in counter and lunging for a staff member who, for whatever reason, would not issue him a boarding pass. He was restrained before he could reach her.
  • "A group of 25 adults standing on top of a tables positioned near a gate, waving their jackets like fans waving towels at a football game, and chanting. Their flight was delayed without explanation.
  • "Two men getting into an enormous fist fight (eye gouging attempts and everything) after one accused the other of cutting in line."

Read the post. Take the train.

Lately I've been adhering to the suggestions of Anthony Bourdain when it comes to travel, especially eating on planes. Buy something you like from the place you're leaving, and eat that on the plane instead of "chicken or beef." You'll be pleased that you did. Then, skip whatever the last meal is and arrive at your destination hungry, ready to eat something local and delicious upon arrival.

On Thursday, I'll describe my airplane boarding ritual that works to gain more usable personal space on a long-haul flight.

Photo: China 15'

Comments

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Zhuwensen,

So clever, as always. Actually I like China and I love Beijing, but that doesn't make everyone who lives here perfect. Many people here act in an uncivilized manner, which on planes can create discomfort and even safety risk. I don't think it's out of order to say so. 

I also think my fellow Americans talk too loudly in public, but that doesn't mean I hate them or hate the country.

The Beijing Deva wrote:
I have flown in excess of 50 sectors in the last four years and the only thing I have witnessed is one guy standing during taxi on arrival. He got shouted at and quickly sat down.

I find that hard to believe. I fly back and forth to the US a little more than once a year, for the past 14 years. I don't recall ever being on a flight where this did not happen with at least one passenger, usually more. And every single time it has been a Chinese passenger. No exceptions.

I have never flown direct (my home city does not have direct flights), so i always have a US-to-US leg following the China-US leg. And guess what? I cannot recall the standing up thing happening at all.

I attribute this not to something that is inherently rude about Chinese people but two factors:

1. In any flight there's bound to be a handful of travelers who are flying for the first time and did not pay attention to the rules commonly known and adhered to by frequent flyers.

2. Growing up in an overcrowded place where politeness is not rewarded (and boorish behavior is not punished).

To boot: If you are excessively polite during rush hour in the Beijing subway, you will have a hard time getting into and off of the train (in my experience, the crowds are so thick that no amount of "excuse me, please let me through" will get you in or out -- in reality a certain amount of shoving and jostling is necessary).

Also: when cars regularly (and I mean virtually all the time) take a right on red without stopping and force pedestrians in the crosswalk walking with the "walk" signal to yield (and often puts the pedestrians at risk), the car wins every time, and this is considered normal behavior.

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

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The thing that I am always wondering is:

If Steve Sch-wanker really dislikes China so much, why doesn't he just

go back to Podunk, Ohio, or what ever crack-in-the-road it as he crawled out of?

He seems to define the term "Yang Gui Zi".

I tend to not see so much obnoxious behavior, but instead chatty aunties or nosy old timers simply being nosy or trying to pass the time with a chat.

Massive carry-ons onto flights are something passed onto flyers from the train industry. It is up to the airlines to enforce the size and amount of a passenger's carry-on. No matter how big a carry-on I see on a plane, it's NEVER bigger than what I see on trains. Re-purposed cement bags...plaid plastic bugs large enough for 2 duvets? Oh, and the suflower see munching on trains and smoke blowing in from passengers who refuse to step off the train. Trains are great, but not without their issues.

What I don't understand is people and their darn phones/tablets and watching their videos without headphones. Even just recently I saw a lady with them in her hand yet she thought we all wanted to watch her drama show. I don't know why the trains don't enforce this -- I don't run into this issue on air carriers.

Sorry Deva, I disagree. As I begin my 19th year here, I've seen air travel go from uncomfortable to uncivilized. I would not take a flight in this country if there's a train journey eight hours or under to the same destination. I even dread my flights back to Beijing from abroad now. The pushing, the massive carry-ons. I don't see travelers from other countries doing the same things when I'm elsewhere.

I've never seen any really wild behaviour but standing up during taxi is way more common than you're making it sound.

I would suggest Matt Schiavanawhaeva get out and about a little more. At best that is a puerile FOB first week in China type rant. LOL PEOPLE SPIT AND POOP IN THE STREETS HERE ROFLPMSL!!!!

There was a discussion on Flyertalk recently from bona fide frequent fliers which completely debunked the urban myth that the Chinese act worse than any other nations when flying. I have flown in excess of 50 sectors in the last four years and the only thing I have witnessed is one guy standing during taxi on arrival. He got shouted at and quickly sat down.

Try flying from LPL to AMS on a friday evening, or MAN to IBZ during the summer. Or basically from anywhere to LAS. Then you really would see some behaviour to put some hair on your nuts and justify writing an article about.

Alternatively people can learn how to utilise reward programs properly and fly in premium cabins. This would circumnavigate most of the issues that seem to be complained about by providing lounge access, priority boarding, being up front etc...

And that's coming from a Frenchman! ;^)

Managing Editor, the Beijinger

I remember once, I came back from France, waiting for the bust at the airport to go to tianjin,, many bus had been removed so a lot of people were waiting. The staff prepared the queue and cut behind me, to make sure not too many people would get into the first bus. But still, as soon as it arrived, people literally walked on each other to get in the bus first, it was incredible, I had never seen that before I-m so happy

gnature gnature gnature gnature gnature gnature

I was recently on a domestic flight out of Beijing and it was the Chinese tour guide who was standing up as soon as the flight landed, and as soon as the plane stopped, she pushed past everyone trying to stand into the aisle so she could be the first off the plane so none of her charges got lost. Based on the pictures on the guy's camera next to me, they were completing their tour of Beijing, not starting one.

People are still standing as soon as the plane touches down, and I think many flight attendants have just given up on trying to get people to sit. If they started fining people for standing, it might change behavior, but maybe not.

Not to mention the on board sexual abuse of cabin staff frequently perpetrated by pilots and distinguished passengers.

Huh?

Glorified. Most places it is much more civilized than described.