Flying is, in general, unpleasant — especially since September 11, 2001. While I by no means wish the TSA to disappear from security checkpoints, I find the entire process frustrating and possibly demeaning (if you have to go through those new body scanners).
The actual flights aren’t much better. You’re crammed like a sardine next to people you don’t know, forced to endure airline food and scary bathrooms that I just know are capable of sucking me out of the plane. Plus there’s the whole possibility of dying in a horrible, fiery crash.
But I’ll say one thing about flying: it’s a chance to get some serious reading done — on my last trip I read two and half books, with my only interruption being the flight attendant handing me my ginger ale. It was awesome.
Judgy McJudgerson
Another fun thing about flying is that it’s a chance to see what other people are reading. Not only do I like seeing people reading, I take a secret sort of pleasure in reading over their shoulders and judging—just a little—based on the tome.
But as I was in the middle of happily judging a lady reading a cheap magazine, I realized that I wasn’t immune to being judged by what I was reading. What did my (young, attractive, male) seatmate think of the fact that I was reading Girl in the Arena? I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but let’s be honest: What would you think if you saw a grown woman reading this:
I always tell people not to be embarrassed by what they read, but sometimes that’s impossible, especially when you’re reading in close quarters six miles off the ground. Which is why I chose to read Haines’ novel rather than The Exile graphic novel, which included color drawings of things like this:
I figured it was a good idea to avoid reading what could technically be termed pornography — not only did I not want to embarrass myself, I didn’t want to embarrass anyone else either. The hazards of reading while airborne.
How do you entertain yourself on plane rides? Do you take a peek at what your neighbors are reading? Do you ever worry that they’re doing the same to you?
Photo: Zoagli
I haven’t flown in so long, I can’t remember. I do know that wheneve I flew, I read. That was a ‘given’. I used to read all the time on the subway. Years ago. And of course everyone always checks out what everyone else is reading. Very discreetly though, remember, this would have been in NYC. 🙂
Some people put covers even on their paperbacks so no one was wise to what you were ACTUALLY reading. Ha. This used to happen to me sometimes when I was reading a romance novel and didn’t want people to smirk.
I was just saying to someone the other day that I wish I lived in a place like NYC so that my commute would give me the time and ability to read. The only way I could “read” while going to work now is if I had audiobooks, and currently my commute isn’t long enough to finish an entire book in a decent amount of time.
Usually I take the covers off my books when I travel—I don’t want the jacket to get crinkled or torn—but I’ve never heard of someone putting a cover on a paperback. Although it makes sense, if you don’t want people “to smirk,” as you say.
I saw a comic the other day. Well, it wasn’t a comic so much as a drawing. An artist got on the subway and asked people what they were reading, and then drew cartoon versions with speech bubbles explaining why they were reading. He asked men and women, adults and kids, etc. It was cool to see the range of people and the range of titles.