Connundrums in the Clouds.

So why do clouds have flat bottoms? I noticed this while I was landing in PHX today. The National Weather Forecasting Somethingorother so apparently it has to do with condensation an the temperature being just right when you get high enough. Cool. A mammatus type cloud, like that to the left, can form when the droplets on the bottom become too heavy and the bottom gets a puffy shape. Usually high humidity and very little wind is required.



So I flew into PHX today from Kansas City, MO and Lydia is flying to Corvallis with a stop in PHX on the way. Our flights are like 3 hours apart so we asked the guy if he could bump either of us. Sure enoug he could for the penance of a pittance $190, merely 90.47% of the cost of the original ticket. I felt like pointing out which of his extremities could be inserted into which of his orifices. So, now I'm waiting in a pretty mediocre resteraunt for Lydia to arrive in due time. What happened to customer service? I'm paying 210 for a ticket somewhere and then $20 for my checked bag EACH WAY!

Turn out, according to the 2009 JD Power and Associates survey I just got off a plane that received the WORST rating out of all airlines ina year that saw a severe decline in satisfaction with airlines nearly across the board (only Southwest improved). I think that next time Alaska Airlines or Jetblue (the two most approved of) will be my choice when it comes to flight.

There is something that is bugging me though. A very special sensation went through me when this guy told me I couldn't fly with my pregnant girlfriend. I think the airline industry has forgotten about the journey. Traditionally part of the trip was the trip to the destination itself. Even though this flight was only a few hours, imagine walking somewhere in a mob of people you do not know for two hours. Now imagine that your best friend is walking beside you. Much different right?

So here is my thought: put the JOY back in JOurneY... terrible I know. How about this: Take the fucking train. Granted finding how to go from where to where on Amtrack is a fucking chore at first, when you know where to look it easy. AND coverage aint quite up to par, but it hits alot of major hubs. Sooo if I book a train on tuesday from Tuscon to Albany, OR I'd pay $174 for coach on a train and $ 378 for coach on a plane (I used Bing!) and if I max out my accomidations on the train I'd pay about $530 and an average of about $950 for first class in the air. I gues you pay for speed, but you pay for it with comfort... and alot of money.