Here's a contribution from the road by a great blues musician. Gregg pays tribute to Albert King, Jimi, Muddy... check out his commentary regarding his experience on the road.
The Friendly Skies?
By Gregg Wright
Let’s just put it out there; flying these days, sucks! It has degenerated into an overpriced, stressful experience. The customer/passenger is subjected to continuous stream of abuse and humiliation coupled with the total incompetence and overzealousness so called “Security.” Then comes the grand finale . . . the privilege of a Mafia style shakedown called “baggage fees.” What a crock!
Being a professional musician takes me all over the world, which means more often than not, I’m flying to or from somewhere. Some airlines have it together. So do the Immigration and Customs Services of various countries. They are courteous, efficient and very professional. They spot problems and deal with them with calm professionalism. These folks however, are very much in the minority. Most seem as if they are run by crazy people.
Many an airline’s ground staff personnel are rude, indifferent and completely incompetent. Who can blame them? They’re over worked and underpaid. To Hell with hiring a well paid, professional staff that provides good efficient service with a smile! Gotta cut those costs to the bone, so the corporate fat cats get their billion dollar quarterly bonuses! That is what’s most important; “Screw you, paying customer/little person!”
The security situation is even worse. I can’t think of a single instance in the post 9/11 world, where these people made me feel any more safe or secure. If anything, it’s the opposite! The great majority of them appear to be minimum wage amateurs who are undertrained and overworked. They seem to possess very little real ability to spot trouble or think outside the box in doing so, because they are not trained to. “Security” appears to be a big, expensive dog and pony show, nothing more. When we’re patting down six year olds, you know this crap has gone too far. Orwell must be spinning in his grave!
I am not one these irrationally terrified people who sees a terrorist in every corner or starts pissing themselves in fear every time someone boards a plane with a beard or wears Middle Eastern clothing. To be honest, I’m more concerned about the stressed out drunk who suddenly decides it’s a good idea to open the exit door at 30,000 feet “for a little fresh air.” A lot more of them present since the recession began! But I recognize we live in a time where the potential threat is there. So the airline industry and all agencies connected to it need to get real about security and the airlines themselves need to clean up their act because right now, it stinks! Do away with the baggage fees, provide better customer service and stop making the seats closer and smaller. Didn’t think I caught that one, eh? Kinda hard to miss at 6’3”!
Today is Wednesday, March 23, 2011 and I’ve decided to make the trip from Los Angeles to New Orleans by train. I don’t sit by and idly complain about things; I take action! It’s going to take two and a half days to get there, but I don’t care. The thought of forking out nearly a grand to sit in a sardine can, shoved through a long line to be X-rayed, groped and treated like a criminal in a police line-up is just sickening and I ain’t doing it!
Thursday, March 24, 2011:
What a nice change of pace! There’s enough leg room on this train for someone 7 feet tall. It has big reclining seats, a dining car serving hot meals, an observation lounge, snack bar and dressing rooms big enough to stand in. All this for just over $200! Screw the airlines! Despite my elation, something saddens me. We here in America are stuck in the horse and buggy era while other countries zoom past us with progress into the 21st century. When I was touring Europe in 2009, one of the biggest impressions made on me was the high speed rail service there. The technology already exists to have high speed rail that moves at over 200 mph without touching the track. It floats on a magnetic field. You’ve never felt or enjoyed such a smooth, fast, clean and efficient ride. No fossil fuel used. Unfortunately for us, as long as we have politicians on the payrolls of big business lobbies like airlines and big oil, nothing will ever get done to bring us out of the Dark Ages and on to leading the 21st century technological revolution with creativity and innovation.
Mr. President, America needs and must have a transcontinental high speed rail system now not later! It will kick start the economy with a lot of good jobs for a very long time. It will increase competition with the airline and automobile industries, increase innovation and decrease our dependence on fossil fuel. It doesn’t take Einstein to clearly see this is a win-win for us all. The friendly skies? Until the airline industry makes some real, long term changes beneficial to its customers, not a chance!
Written by Gregg Wright
©2011 Left Hook Music
No comments:
Post a Comment