Minor things that bother you

[hbelkins]

I do not like being blasted with loud advertisements from the video screen at the top of the pump as soon as I start pumping the gas.

Ugh.  I hate that too.  I hate all forms of advertising that I can't simply turn off or throw away or mute or otherwise avoid.  I feel the same way about ads playing inside a city bus.

Some Speedways around here are bad for that.

[wanderer2575]

However...I do not like being blasted with loud advertisements from the video screen at the top of the pump as soon as I start pumping the gas.  This seems to be a feature at most or all Maveriks.

I agree, but somehow I'm even more irritated when they have gawdawful music blaring through tin can speakers.

[roadman65]

Ads are worse on line when they pop up.

[Scott5114]

I do not like being blasted with loud advertisements from the video screen at the top of the pump as soon as I start pumping the gas.

Ugh.  I hate that too.  I hate all forms of advertising that I can't simply turn off or throw away or mute or otherwise avoid.  I feel the same way about ads playing inside a city bus.

Some machines can be muted by holding down the second button down on the left.  Think I've managed it with other buttons, too...but, yep, lots of unmutable machines out there now...

Any machine is mutable if you don't think you'll get caught...

[kurumi]

Chatty airports with excessive announcements. e.g. DFW, where both mayors periodically welcome you to their great cities, among all the other flight updates and security stuff. Mayors: nobody wants to be at this airport. Even residents want to be on their way. And if someone is stuck overnight at your dogshit airport (2x so far) they especially don't want to hear even one extra unnecessary word.

[SSOWorld]

Chatty airports with excessive announcements. e.g. DFW, where both mayors periodically welcome you to their great cities, among all the other flight updates and security stuff. Mayors: nobody wants to be at this airport. Even residents want to be on their way. And if someone is stuck overnight at your dogshit airport (2x so far) they especially don't want to hear even one extra unnecessary word.

That's all of them.

Also, chatty pilots and flight attendents - I swear the latter are reading from a book.

[gonealookin]

Chatty airports with excessive announcements. e.g. DFW, where both mayors periodically welcome you to their great cities, among all the other flight updates and security stuff. Mayors: nobody wants to be at this airport. Even residents want to be on their way. And if someone is stuck overnight at your dogshit airport (2x so far) they especially don't want to hear even one extra unnecessary word.

That's all of them.

Also, chatty pilots and flight attendents - I swear the latter are reading from a book.

In addition to the safety demonstration and whatever else they are talking about, you also get an extended pitch for the airline's affiliated credit card.  Sometimes read live by the lead flight attendant, and sometimes it's on the seatback screen.

Before the Internet was available on airplanes, I remember things like somebody in the cockpit reading the baseball scores.  "Phillies 3, Mets 2 in the 7th inning."  I'm a baseball fan and I did not need that, never mind the 75% of passengers who don't know or care who the Phillies are.  Fortunately the Internet makes that irrelevant now, and also gives you flight status maps which let you know what city or mountain that is if you're looking out the left side of the airplane.

[hotdogPi]

Any machine is mutable if you don't think you'll get caught...

I read this incorrectly at first and thought you were talking about changing source code (as in mutate rather than mute).

[SSOWorld]

Chatty airports with excessive announcements. e.g. DFW, where both mayors periodically welcome you to their great cities, among all the other flight updates and security stuff. Mayors: nobody wants to be at this airport. Even residents want to be on their way. And if someone is stuck overnight at your dogshit airport (2x so far) they especially don't want to hear even one extra unnecessary word.

the Heathrow T5 PA and its ding-dong.  Bothersome?  Much less the magic melody that CDG has?

[LilianaUwU]

Ads in general are stupid, and even moreso nowadays because every single ad is the exact same. At least there were memorable ones before, as in over 20 years ago.

[wanderer2575]

Chatty airports with excessive announcements. e.g. DFW, where both mayors periodically welcome you to their great cities, among all the other flight updates and security stuff. Mayors: nobody wants to be at this airport. Even residents want to be on their way. And if someone is stuck overnight at your dogshit airport (2x so far) they especially don't want to hear even one extra unnecessary word.

That's all of them.

Also, chatty pilots and flight attendents - I swear the latter are reading from a book.

Maybe now, but it used to be entertaining back when flying was actually enjoyable.  I was once on a Midway Airlines flight somewhere on the Detroit-Chicago-Omaha route when the safety lecture started:  "Hi, I'm Terrence, and I'll be your flight attendant today, along with my ex-wife Wanda..."  It just went on from there.  We all applauded when he finished.

[thenetwork]

Chatty airports with excessive announcements. e.g. DFW, where both mayors periodically welcome you to their great cities, among all the other flight updates and security stuff. Mayors: nobody wants to be at this airport. Even residents want to be on their way. And if someone is stuck overnight at your dogshit airport (2x so far) they especially don't want to hear even one extra unnecessary word.

That's all of them.

Also, chatty pilots and flight attendents - I swear the latter are reading from a book.

Maybe now, but it used to be entertaining back when flying was actually enjoyable.  I was once on a Midway Airlines flight somewhere on the Detroit-Chicago-Omaha route when the safety lecture started:  "Hi, I'm Terrence, and I'll be your flight attendant today, along with my ex-wife Wanda..."  It just went on from there.  We all applauded when he finished.

At least Southwest has/had a little fun with their required announcements (it's been a while since I've flown them).

BTW, do they still have flights where they may be a stop or stops in the middle to exchange passengers while you remain on the plane for the final destination?  I recall Southwest did that with a flight from BWI to MDW that I was on -- with a brief stop in CLE.

[1995hoo]

At least Southwest has/had a little fun with their required announcements (it's been a while since I've flown them).

BTW, do they still have flights where they may be a stop or stops in the middle to exchange passengers while you remain on the plane for the final destination?  I recall Southwest did that with a flight from BWI to MDW that I was on -- with a brief stop in CLE.

That's pretty common on Southwest, less so on other airlines. Prior to Southwest's recent move to assigned seating, passengers who were remaining on the plane could change seats, if they so desired, prior to the next round of passengers boarding. That was one reason why even having boarding position A1 didn't necessarily ensure you would get your desired seat if the plane had originated somewhere else. (For example, in 2015 Ms1995hoo and I boarded a Southwest flight in Phoenix. The flight had originated in El Paso and flown to Phoenix; from there, it went to Midway and then on to Washington Reagan, which was our destination. So when we boarded, there were already people on the plane.)

[GaryV]

do they still have flights where they may be a stop or stops in the middle to exchange passengers

Back in the day, I flew from Lansing Mich to LaCrosse Wisc for a job interview. This would have been on Republic Airlines, before they merged into Northwest. I believe the flight started in Lansing. We stopped in Grand Rapids, probably Milwaukee, and 2 or 3 more places in Wisc before I got off; if I recall correctly it then went on to Minneapolis.

[Rothman]

Probably been mentioned before, but the new trend over the past few years of hotels only providing a sheet and heavy bedspread as bedding.  Sheet's too cold; bedspread is sweltering.  Have to fiddle with the window unit to come up with a temperature that allows some level of comfort.

En#$$%ification is everywhere.

[GaryV]

only providing a sheet and heavy bedspread

That's not a bedspread, it's a "duvet". Giving it a fancy French name makes it so appealing. (not)

[Rothman]

only providing a sheet and heavy bedspread

That's not a bedspread, it's a "duvet". Giving it a fancy French name makes it so appealing. (not)

Heh.  Have to say I hesitated to use the silly term.

[gonealookin]

do they still have flights where they may be a stop or stops in the middle to exchange passengers

Back in the day, I flew from Lansing Mich to LaCrosse Wisc for a job interview. This would have been on Republic Airlines, before they merged into Northwest. I believe the flight started in Lansing. We stopped in Grand Rapids, probably Milwaukee, and 2 or 3 more places in Wisc before I got off; if I recall correctly it then went on to Minneapolis.

That sounds like it's from the time when the CAB regulated all the routes.  They said to an airline, if you want to fly the lucrative routes like New York to Los Angeles, you also have to provide regular service to this list of rinky-dink towns with airports.  The airline would fulfill the obligation by taking a single airplane and running it like a passenger train or a Greyhound bus.  So there might be one flight a day from San Francisco to Portland with stops in Stockton, Redding, Eureka, Coos Bay, Eugene and Salem before it finally reached Portland.

[wxfree]

only providing a sheet and heavy bedspread

That's not a bedspread, it's a "duvet". Giving it a fancy French name makes it so appealing. (not)

It's a duvet bought at Tarzhay.

[kphoger]

Probably been mentioned before, but the new trend over the past few years of hotels only providing a sheet and heavy bedspread as bedding.  Sheet's too cold; bedspread is sweltering.  Have to fiddle with the window unit to come up with a temperature that allows some level of comfort.

Just pull the covers partway down while you sleep.  It's like managing indoor temperature in an apartment with steam heat by adjusting how far the windows is cracked.

[wanderer2575]

only providing a sheet and heavy bedspread

That's not a bedspread, it's a "duvet". Giving it a fancy French name makes it so appealing. (not)

It's a duvet bought at Tarzhay.

Previously would have been bought at Le Mart du K.

[dlsterner]

Probably been mentioned before, but the new trend over the past few years of hotels only providing a sheet and heavy bedspread as bedding.  Sheet's too cold; bedspread is sweltering.  Have to fiddle with the window unit to come up with a temperature that allows some level of comfort.

En#$$%ification is everywhere.

Agreed.  Dislike the duvets; miss the old school fuzzy blankets.  Maybe they are catering to people with wool allergies?

Although I have found that many Hampton Inns will have a regular blanket in the closet.  I assume for the sofa-bed in the room.  In that case I will just use that and sleep on top of the duvet.  Failing that, if I am traveling by car, I bring along a twin size blanket which, when rolled up, doesn't take up a lot of space.

[kphoger]

Maybe they are catering to people with wool allergies?

1.  Easier to wash.  Just take the blanket-y part out from the duvet cover, and wash the cover.  No need to wash the fluffy part every time.

2.  Because of the above, every guest gets a freshly washed duvet every time.  Other hotels might only wash the sheets every time but not the blankets;  this way, everything is clean for every guest:  the fluffy part stayed clean because it was protected by the duvet cover, and the cover itself gets washed every time.

3.  Because they are, for lack of a better term, puffier, and because they're always freshly laundered, the bed looks both cleaner and more luxurious.  And looks matter to people.

For what it's worth, I prefer the "new way" of doing it.  But that's mainly just because I'm skinny, so I get cold easily, and hotels often have the a/c unit blowing right at me, so I appreciate having a big ole honkin' blanket on me.  Getting too hot is not a thing for me.

[Scott5114]

only providing a sheet and heavy bedspread

That's not a bedspread, it's a "duvet". Giving it a fancy French name makes it so appealing. (not)

I think what makes a bedspread a duvet is that when it has a removable outer cover, like a giant pillowcase. This is kind of nice because you can change the cover to match the rest of the sheets when you change them. What sucks is that the bedspread inside the cover can sometimes get wadded up at the bottom of it. Although on the other hand this is kind of nice when it's hot, because you can then use the rest of the duvet cover as light sheets.

[formulanone]

Duvet? I call it the blanket and lesser blanket.

Hotel HVAC units are a mixed bag of holding; sometimes they're set 'n' forget, sometimes they have no midpoint, sometimes they refuse to have a fan, other times they turn off after a few hours...

Ah, yes the joys of travel.