L'assegnazione dei Posti (seat assignments)

Musings on Movement, Repose and Transport

One of the unavoidable conditions of long-distance travel is the strange rhythm of procession……..most of which is out of your control.  Much of it is painstakingly sequential…….and fundamentally slow.  You get in a line  to check in and wait…….you go to a counter and show your credentials…….you may even go to the wrong counter and have to start over…….you go to security and wait in line again…….you go to a desk and show your credentials again……..you go to the gate area and wait…….you go to Starbucks and wait in line……you go to the bathrooms and wait for an open urinal or stall…….you get in line to board the plane and wait…….and finally you make it onto the plane…….and then you wait for an eternity for everyone else to get on. 

To make this process a bit more interesting we started to think a bit more about how and when to decide to sit.  I am not sure the investigation met our expectations, but it was a bit fun.  We came up with a couple of observations:

• There is a fairly common static sitting experience in the lounge areas.  This usually comes at the end of a long walk (see ASC in Aer Lingus lounge).  It can take on recreational aspects if seats are scarce and you need to move fast to land a spot……a bit like musical chairs.

• There is 'kinetic energy' sitting, as in a rocking chair, where you have a chance to create movement that you control (see SFC in terminal).  This is one step short of using the automated recline button on your airplane seat.

• But then here is the advanced notion of ‘transport.’  While there is nothing new or significant in this statement, it occurred to us that there are times when we sit and move at the same time………brilliant!  Such is the nature of our seats on the plane, where we actually got to lie down as we were ‘transported.’

• Finally, without having this dissolve to discussion about what it means to get in a car and drive, we had some fun in a Dublin elevator which actually had a bench…….up and down we went……what a great selfie opportunity in a mirrored cab!  

Guess we should shift gears and get some sleep!