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Posted by editor Tue Aug 15, 2006 14:35:37 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Dear C.C.: I’ve been flying more these past few months and I’ve seemed to attract seatmates that I’d rather not even know. I usually don’t choose to chat idly and worse, I don’t enjoy a seatmate with body issues, smelly, passing gas, sneezing, etc. Sometimes I’ve been able to find an empty seat, but when I don’t, it’s miserable. What’s the best way to cope?

Dear Frequent Flyer: We all have our nagging pet peeves that make us cringe, and on an airplane, they can be even more bothersome. Travel is a part of our lives where others often seem to lose their manners and compromise our personal space at a time when we can’t always do much about it. If you have your own personal music device, it’s usually more effective than a book to stop chatter, but you can always make an excuse.

 Always have one in the back of your mind, ready to use. Or simply close your eyes. Bodily issues have some solutions. You might try chewing gum or do as a British friend of mine did, almost always have a perfumed handkerchief at your nose when in unpleasant surroundings.

The only easy pet peeve to deal with is the person who uses both arm rests or the child kicking the back of your seat. Just speak up in a pleasant tone of voice and be creative. My tall husband was once squashed back in his seat by the passenger in front pushing his seat so far back, he couldn’t move his legs. When saying something didn’t help, my husband simply opened his air duct to high and pointed it forward onto the head of the passenger in front. The passenger complained about it but soon moved his seat up a bit.

Dear C.C.: My husband works hard, usually 10 to 12 hours a day and sometimes seven days a week. I know he’s tired when he comes home so I try to not have many “Honey-dos” for him, but occasionally there’s something I can’t do and need his help. When I ask him for help you’d think I was asking him to build the London Bridge. Why isn’t he more interested in helping me?

Dear Gal: If you can’t find anyone to do the chore for you and it needs to be done, simply accept your husband’s help, grumpy or otherwise. He doesn’t need to enjoy it, he just needs to do it. Don’t take it personally. Just thank him and then let it go.

Questions can be mailed to Country Wisdom, Tehachapi News at P.O. Box 1840, Tehachapi, CA 93581, e-mailed to editorial@tehachapinews.com, or dropped off at the Tehachapi News Office, 411 North Mill Street, Tehachapi, CA 93561.

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