This past week, I had the opportunity to squeeze into the middle seat on a Southwest jet down to Wrigley Field West, in Mesa, AZ... my first foray into the heralded tradition of Spring Training Fandom.  The experience overall did not dissapoint.  Despite the fact that is rained two of the four days we were in the Phoenix Metro Area, (and I heard from solid sources that the Valley gets only about a total of eight days of precipitation all year) the beer was still cold, the other tailgaters still super-friendly, and the access to members of Cubs lore still incredible.

Now, because I was traveling with someone whose Cubs Addiction stems from gestation, I knew that the prospect of autograph hunting around Hohokam Park was very real.  Now, I've never been much of an autograph hound (unless you count the time when I was 11, and got the scrawl of Bob Blackburn, onetime play-by-play announcer for the now-defunct NBAers, the Seattle Sonics...) but  I can appreciate how cool it is to make some sort of interpersonal connection with the guys who make millions of bucks doing most every dude's dream job.

One thing that is a benefit for Mr. Cubs Addict, is that I have no shame.  That's right, none.  This, we decided, made me the perfect candidate for the role of signature hunter.  We started slow, purchasing a ball already signed by, and shaking hands with, Fergie Jenkins.  The righthander won the Cy Young in '71, is a Hall of Famer, and is generally considered a legit Cubs scrawl to score.  After that, fine-tipped Sharpie in hand, we figured we'd see which other players we could get on the same ball. 

I headed over to the home dugout before the match-up against the Giants, hanging over the rail next to the other fans/seekers.  Before long I picked up the routine.  It's a lot of good-natured shouting at different guys, with more respectful looks shot your way for using the players' nicknames.  For example, "Sutcliffe!  Rick Sutcliffe!" is fine, but, "Red Baron!" is freaking awesome.  Now Sam Fuld is cool and I like his hustle and all, but I was biding my time.  I was waiting for a really notorious player to turn up on the railing.  Sure enough, Ryne Sandberg, the Cubs Triple-A Skipper was shooting the breeze with The Red Baron, and likely assisting in the evaluation of this year's prospects.  "Ryno! Ryno!" I called out, trying not to seem desperate, yet still draw attention to myself (a fine line, I can assure you).  Eventually, he glanced up, and motioned to me to toss him my ball... I was flustered, threw him the pen first, then the ball.  He faded away underneath the dugout, and I held my breath, my heart racing at my first "get."  He popped back out, tossed me back the ball and pen, and I checked the sig:  Totally unintelligible, totally sweet.

Back in my seat, I felt like a junkie.  Wow... how was I going to recreate that feeling?  Turns out, I would have another opportunity soon.  Being that the Giants were today's foe, it seemed like kismet that Ryno's former double-play partner, former Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston was in the Park, working as an Assistant Coach for SF.  Hmmm... he's not in Cooperstown, but we decided I would go for it, because the unique combination is part of the Cubs Mystique.

Knowing that having his nickname was key, I used my handheld mobile device to discover it... Thunder Pup!  Armed with this strange trivia, I leaned over the Giants dugout after the seventh inning, when the game breaks so that all of the star players can head to the showers... "Thunder Pup!   Thunder Pup!"  Did it feel weird to be shouting this at a middle-aged man?  Yes, it did.... but remember the part about having no shame??  Dunston seemed surprised to hear the moniker, and motioned with a smile that I could toss him the ball... when I added, "I've got Ryno on here too, man"... his smile grew.  He threw the ball back, and my adrenaline spiked... the game was soon over, and the smell of the slightly soggy ballpark soon just a memory, but I'm still feeling the warm glow of my Spring Training brush with celebrity.                             Myself and Mr. Cubs Addict at Hohokam Park, Mesa, AZ  

The Passenger Bill of Rights is up for a vote in a Senate Committee today after a 2-year battle by consumer advocates.  And the airline industry's lobbyists are spoiling for a fight. 

The Bill would allow trapped passengers off planes that have been sitting on the tarmac for more than 3 hours.  Also, airlines would be required to provide passengers with food, potable water, comfortable cabin temperature and ventilation and adequate restrooms while a plane is delayed on the ground.  Plus, the DOT would have to create a consumer complaint hotline so that passengers can alert the agency about delays.

Who's voting on it?  The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee.  I know, I'd never heard of it until now -- but to me this is a no-brainer "yay" vote.  Unless the airline industry is so rich that they've got these lawmakers in-the-bag... how could you not approve our right to basic human decency when airline schedules go awry? 

The airlines' basic argument against this is that control over delays and gate assignments would be lost -- and cancellations would increase.  OK, we get that.  Understood.  But seriously, I'd rather be cancelled, and come back the next day than sit in that cabin for more than three hours.  What do you think?  Is this Bill of Rights a long time coming?  Or is it too much regulation?

I don't know about you, but when I saw the story about a regional airline losing track of two kids who were flying alone -- I remembered back when I did a solo trek... when flying was less like riding a Greyhound bus in the sky, and more about feeling adventurous.

Haven't seen the article?  Well, basically, Continental's regional partner, ExpressJet... put a couple of kids on the wrong flights... leaving the guardians in the dark as to where their children were for almost an hour before any of the airline employees figured out the mistakes.  The fall-out is that one Dad has hired an attorney, and Continental is officially aghast at the miscommunication.  I'm willing to bet they'll have to pay more to the legally savvy father than the $75 voucher first offered (Oh wow!  75 bucks!  Now I can pack that stroller I've always wanted to bring!!!)

I only flew without my parents once -- to visit my Godparents in Juneau, Alaska.  From the gate in Seattle, to the gate in AK, all I remember is feeling like The Little Princess (obscure Frances Hodgson Burnett reference... but if you read at all as a kid, you know what I'm talkin' about).  The flight attendants made me feel special, and tended to my every need.  I got the gold wings pin, as many peanut packets as my daily sodium allowance could take, and a primo seat right behind first class. 

But that was then, this is now.  I mean, these same flight attendants are busy mediating disputes about huge bags that people bring on to avoid baggage fees... and dealing with our general unrest.  Nobody's in a genial mood anymore on planes.  We've all paid massive fuel surcharges, been cavity-searched by the TSA, and told that our $9 airport water is going 'bye-bye.'

Add to all of this the extra stress for airline employees and harassed ticket agents on a smaller-budget regional carrier, and the chaos is likely multiplied.  Would you put your kid on a plane alone these days?

Hey there fellow road warriors!  I haven't posted an entry in a while, and since I'm not sure how many people are following the weather and traffic blog, I have no idea if that was noticed.  Anyhow, I did take a couple of days off from anchoring CLTV traffic - and flew to New Orleans for the holiday weekend.  I was secretly hoping I would have some knarly air travel experience to share with my readers, (or reader) but alas, everything was pretty smooth.  

However, after 3 full days in the city, when my husband and I decided that we'd had one-too-many hurricanes, and our flip-flops were sticking to the liquor-strewn and sun-heated streets of the French Quarter -- we (and our livers) all of the sudden wanted to get back to Chicago -- fast.  Our flight was at 3 p.m., and the only other flight was at 6:30 a.m.  So to go stand-by on the early bird would mean that if we didn't make it, we were looking at about 9 hours of oily airport coffee, musak, and the sight of garishly-attired tourists who thought that a bedazzled fleur-de-lis t-shirt seemed like a good idea at the time (dang those hurricanes!)

We were the first two passengers on the stand-by list... and felt good about our chances... but then eight United crew members gathered near the gate agent... four pilots and four flight attendants.  They'd double-booked the crew.  I looked at my husband and we didn't even need to speak.  With four of any available seats going to crew, could there really be two others????  Yet, as if a the voo-doo high priestess of Toulouse Street was watching over us... there were two more seats.  We were on the flight, and hubby even got the extra leg-room of Business Class.  Wahoo!   It was a gutsy travel move, yet it paid off.  Anyone out there ever made a travel gamble?

So, I was reading an article in today's Tribune (on-line edition, of course, being a member of generation Y-get-our-fingers-inky) when I came across a travel article about how United Airlines is continuing to try to drive people to check-in on-line.  This time the gambit is a five-buck discount on baggage fees... (Wow!  Only $15 dollars for the first suitcase!  What a bargain!)

Anyhow, the very end of the piece mentioned how Ryanair, a low-cost airline based out of Ireland is now charging people for their boarding pass.  Yep, even if passengers print the pass on-line, using their personal ink and toner, there's still a 5-Euro charge for the honor to present a piece of paper to the ticket agent at the gate.  But that's not all Europe's third largest airline charges for.  Check out the rundown of their fees (converted from Euros to Dollars...)

Checking in at the airport, and speaking to a human? = $13.50

Checking in at the airport, speaking to a human with a ticket NOT booked online at ryanair.com? = $54

Traveling with infant under 2-years-old? = $54 Round Trip

Infant car seat? = Also $54 Round Trip 

Sports Equipment? = $27 One Way

And not to mention baggage fees, comprable to United Airlines, etc. 

Holy Heck.  I mean, I think we've all known for quite some time that the days of hot towels, parisian-designed flight attendant outfits, salted nuts and legroom have gone the way of the dodo... but this is taking it to a whole new level.  OK, I'll pay a baggage fee, and sit in your flying prison, but reaching into my wallet just for the privilage of being trapped in this elevated Hades? 

Road trip.