When it comes to flying, I am always the unlucky one

11 April 2008, Fri

I am writing this entry from Istanbul Ataturk Airport while waiting for the connecting flight to Dublin. This airport – I would not say that it’s got things worth shouting about or is it me? Yeah, I guess I am numbed to the experience of being at the airport, checking out duty free shops and not buying anything, trying endlessly to find free internet etc. That is a snapshot of airport experience and I guess this airport offers just that, although not as extensive as some bigger and major airports, all I could think about is to get home. It looks like I need to endure 4 more hours of flight, 30 mins of chatting session with Itamar at the airport when I get into Dublin since he is at work today and a 30-mins cab drive before I am really home.


My flight from Khartoum to Istanbul was not great. Turkish Airlines just sucks big time. The plane. The way the plane was flown. The cabin crews. The food. Generally the service was just bad. The crews have this attitude as if they are forced into doing prostitution only to enjoy it a bit later, but further frustrated when they know someone is making £130 an hr somewhere in the UK *ops. I just don’t get it. It was a 5 am flight, yes everyone was grumpy – at I was. I had reasons to be grumpy. As for these people, they knew that they’d do this flight beforehand and I am sure that was not the first. Pull yourself together and show us where the exits are and how to inflate the jacket!


Anyway, I was seated on the isle seat – as always. There was this old chap (read: fart) sitting on the window seat – imagine this; mid 50’s, Indian-descent Turkish of some sort, with face that looks for trouble all the time! Least that I knew that I was seated to the World President of Moral and Etiquette! As always – I would put my blanket and pillow underneath the seat in front of me so that I would be able to reach them when I need them. Upon seeing that and on top of that, my feet were close to the pillow, he was abruptly striking an uncalled conversation:

Old fart: Excuse me, you... Pick up the pillow! Pick up the pillow. [He raised his voice from second no. 1, and pointing to the small pillow under the seat infront of me]

Me: *Looking perplexed and glancing at the pillow momentarily before looking back at his face*

Old fart: Pick up the pillow. You put pillow on your head. You are stepping on it with your shoes [at this juncture he had managed to attract a few pair of eyes and ears, how embarrassing was that? For me, at the very least]

Me: *further perplexed* [But I was still staring at him, blank look of course]

Old fart: You put the pillow on your head and others will use it. Pick up the pillow!

Me: [with voice that’s calm but firm], Look! Mind your own business!

Old fart grunted and he was green with humiliation for he did not expect that from me. This kind of people – people that don’t deserve the oxygen that they breathe, is somewhat that I labelled self-righteous, with no limit. I think that they are used to enforcing things around their comfortable group of people, therefore they tend to do the same with other with respect at the end of the list. What makes you think you can do the same to me? Not today honey, not today. I am at the highest level of my barometer of don’t-disturb-me-and-I-need-a-lot-of-rest-and-sleep! So he pressed completely wrong button.

It didn’t end there. It’s hilarious thinking about it. I saw him eating and drinking like there is no tomorrow. He did not realise he had just called for an enemy 30 mins ago. I finished my food early – since I did not like them. And I went to sleep right away. And, I could see that he was fidgety at times but he kept it to himself. I bet he wanted to go to the toilet and he has to go through me. Or, perhaps he did not want to risk it for he did not want to step on the pillow that was still at the end of my feet.

+ This notice just doesn't make sense! Found at Istanbul Ataturk Airport - in the toilet that is. As a blogger I am responsible to acquire and develop new content and entries for my readers, hence, the camera and in the toilet