A Step Backwards

I can’t believe the airlines are investing in in-flight Internet access.  Here’s why this service strikes me as superfluous:

• There’s simply no room for laptops on planes anymore.  Unless you’re running with a road-warrior sized laptop, the process of reaching beneath your legs, clearing your table, and opening up a PC takes your level of discomfort to a new level.  And if the person in front of you has their seat reclined, well, your only option is to hold your PC on the ceiling above you and look up.  And with most seats full now-a-days – forget it.
• Don’t we get enough screen time?  I’m in front of my PC (Mac) at least 40 hours per week.  I only travel 4 – 6 days per month and relish the quite time I have in the air to just jam through my ever expanding to-read pile.  And if I decide to give myself a break from my professional reading, how about just enjoying a brief respite with Wired Magazine or even a novel?  With in-flight Internet now I’ll have do-email-guilt the entire flight.
• Or what about plain old think time?  Being able to just ponder something, take some notes, or just think about the strategic and forget the urgent?  Without the constant ping of new emails, phone calls, text messages, and instant messages?

I’m sure you road warriors think I’m crazy – that’d you’d prefer to clear the deck in flight so you’re free to relax when you reach your destination.  But I’d rather enjoy my no screen time while attempting to make myself as comfortable as possible in the non road warrior coach seats (daunting even for an averaged size guy like me).  Here’s to hoping the airlines set the price at $37.99 per flight so I won’t be tempted.

I welcome your comments.
Mike Brannan