December, 1997:
Another travel-filled month.
First there was a quick trip to Traverse City, Michigan, to conduct my Air Personality Plus+ seminar for Ross Biederman’s Midwestern Broadcasting.
The highlight of this trip came on the flight back to Los Angeles from Chicago. Our flight attendant was a real funny guy. At least, he was convinced he was.
To prove it, he stood over me and insisted on telling me the dumbest, lamest jokes imaginable. After each lame joke, he then would lean past me to repeat it for my seatmate.
My last trip of the year brought me back to Europe (first England, then two cities in Germany).
It began with an overnight flight from Los Angeles to London.
I realize that many people assume that we business people traveling alone on international business are constantly tempted by chance meetings with glamorous members of the opposite sex.
Here is the reality:
When I checked in for the flight, I asked if the seat next to me was vacant. The airline employee checked the computer and said, “Yes, it is. Would you like me to place a block on it for you?”
You bet I would. This meant that unless the cabin sold out, the seat next to mine would remain empty for the entire trip to London.
We frequent flyers become very territorial.
Ninety minutes later I boarded the plane and went directly to my seat. To my great surprise, comfortably ensconced in the seat next to mine was a very attractive, exotic-looking young woman.
She looked up and gave me a big, welcoming smile.
And despite all my years of attempts at civilization, I immediately became aware of an instinctual, primal response welling up inside me:
“Damn it! That seat was supposed to be empty!”
And I didn’t talk to the beautiful, exotic young woman once during the entire 10-hour flight.
Next Installment: A Medical Emergency in Essex, England
