While statistics continually show that flying is the safest way to travel, it still remains a mode of transportation where I still can’t say I’m totally at ease with when I’m using it. I can even remember a time when I was a teenager being reluctant to go on family vacations out of Singapore largely because we would be flying! That fear isn’t quite as severe today of course, but I think many would agree with me when I say that when you’re in a vehicle where you’re not the driver nor can you easily gain situational awareness in, you’d get nervous whenever you hear a machine sound that you think doesn’t sound right, or a bump that seems too severe.
That’s about how I was feeling during the legs of the long trip from Singapore to Boston. The inflight service on the first 7 hour leg from Singapore to Tokyo wasn’t any good (attending staff were like aunties), and when we were landing at Tokyo, the airbus actually felt like it was swerving! That was scary – and that the two stewardess exchanging worried glances didn’t help.
Waiting on the airport tarmac at Detroit:already 2 hours late and still counting.
Taking off from the E. M. McNamara airport on the third and final leg.
The second leg of the flight from Tokyo to Detroit was just over 11 hours and saw better service, but 15 minutes into the flight, the captain announced for all passengers to belt up as he was expecting ‘some’ turbulence ahead. ‘Some’ was terrifically optimistic: what the plane went through was about 30 minutes of the worst midair jostling I’ve yet experienced. Funnily, no one was shrieking or gasping in horror. I think most passengers were just holding onto their dear lives (I certainly was) and were too nervous to do any sort of verbalization anyway.
Upon landing, the Customs and Border Protection officers at Detroit weren’t going to let me in easy. Despite showing official documentation indicating the nature of my trip, the officers didn’t buy it – and I got led into their ‘office’ for further interrogation. A second officer grilled me and seemed completely either disbelieving or disinterested as I tried to explain again what I’d just told the first person. It was only when a third guy remarked that universities do have collaboration projects going on when he finally relented, stamped the passport and waved me through without a further word.
The urban sprawl in Detroit, and the city center. E-PL1 resolution for the win!
And that wasn’t the end of it: the third and final leg between Detroit to Boston got delayed by more than 2 hours! Boston itself was blanketed with a thick layer of low level clouds that made it necessary for incoming flights to do instrument landing. Now that sounded scary – didn’t the World War II bomber pilots do instrument landings, er, 60 years ago…?! The aviation authorities also required flights to maintain greater separation for safety in view of poor visibility, which meant that there were only so many time slots for the many aircraft all trying to land at Logan International Airport in Boston.
Oh well: The funniest thing is that the 27 hour journey from Singapore to Boston would had been basically, well, boring (and memorable) were it not for the above incidents.:)
Sheesh, that sounds awful. Next time fly SQ! :) I’m glad you’re at least safe and sound now.
Yeah – at least I was spared off a body search, which was curious. If they were suspicious about my intentions of the visit, I would have thought they would have given me the full package treatment.
Come to think of it, maybe they were just having fun with me. After all, I was the last person in the queue and they had all the time to spare.:)
Dr Foo ur plane experience cant never beat mine. When I was flying to Korea from Japan one of the plane engine actually stop mid-air
Wow.:) Now that’s bad.:)