Beggars Would Ride
You Are Here
Sometime after the events of September 11th, 2001, I made a promise to myself to fly a lot less. In the decade prior to that day, I had logged a whole lot of air miles in the name of mountain biking. After 9/11 things changed, the TSA came into being, and travel became a much more complicated and unpleasant experience. It became shitty enough for me, and this is an entirely personal opinion here, that the adventure and excitement of traveling to exotic locales to roll tires on new dirt was just not enough to overcome the sudden joylessness of moving through airports and boarding airplanes.
Thinking from an environmental perspective, there is no easy way to justify flying to the other side of the world to ride mountain bikes. Riding mountain bikes is itself a luxury, an act of recreation we choose to indulge in purely because it is fun and because we can afford to do it. Packing bikes onto jet aircraft, traveling vast distances to faraway lands and thus exotify this recreational indulgence, only further reinforces that reality. This riding bikes is a fun thing, and it’s a whole lot less of an impact than clearcutting a forest or landfilling a wetland so that we can build hotels, but let’s not pretend that we are saving the planet. We are indulging.
Indulgence had little to do with my decision to become wingless, though. When I decided that I didn’t want to fly places to ride bikes anymore, the choice had nothing to do with downsizing my environmental footprint and everything to do with putting distance between myself and the dehumanizing new facet of our controlled society that the TSA represented.
But here I am, having just run the gauntlet of shoe removal and pat down searches, of standing in long lines, of people in uniform telling me where to stand while amplified voices commanded the ritual of motion that the queued passengers were to be herded through. Here I am, having been squeezed into the ever shrinking seats of packed to capacity aircraft, where nowadays an “upgrade” means shelling out money for checked baggage, or a couple inches of space in front of the knees, or the manufactured, hyperpackaged sodium bombs that are called food. Here I am, down in New Zealand, the place where I was once a child. And before we get into the why I am stepping into the noose of this elected hypocrisy, I need to rant a bit about how fucking weird North American air travel is.
We are being boiled like metaphorical frogs in a pot here. And, as happens with this particular metaphor, most of us don’t seem to realize it. That is the miracle of frog boiling. It happens slowly, insidiously, and by the time we become aware that we are, in fact, being cooked, it’s probably too late. Prior to 9/11, the TSA did not exist. After 9/11, this new Transportation Security Administration sprang into being, a byproduct of the Homeland Security Act that saw the US Department Of Homeland Security come to life in 2003. Following the creation of these two agencies, air travel became an exercise in grinding teeth and standing in line. I never felt safe, but I sure did feel profiled. Like everyone, I sucked it up for a while and traveled anyway, but at some point the dysfunctional, uniformed misery of it all just felt too damn Iron Curtainish to keep doing. Again, this might just be my opinion here. But seriously, having intentionally avoided all of this and flown maybe four times in the past decade, I am here to say that once you've stepped out of the pot for a while it feels a whole lot hotter when you finally step back in.
We, the citizens of the United States, have been living with these two agencies controlling our movements, “keeping us safe,” for 22 years now. The current government of the United States, in spite of its budget based purge of what it calls needless spending, seems far more interested in painting a target on FEMA (which is also overseen by the DHS) than it does doing anything to put a pin in the $11.2 billion annual budget of the TSA. So, we continue to take off our shoes, remove our belts, empty our pockets, wallets and cell phones into the bins, and consent to whatever nature of scrutiny is deemed necessary, because we still need to get to wherever we are going. But it sucks. Especially when you haven’t done that dance of subjugation for a while. Double especially when you visit other countries, and you realize that none of them are engaging in anywhere near this level of dystopian horseshit.
And meanwhile, we are getting squeezed into smaller seats, told to bring less luggage or pay more money, be prepared to be bumped from our flights, and are basically being used as data points by airlines while they try to find out how to maximize profits and simultaneously discover the breaking points of human tolerance. Air travel in and from the US these days suuuucks.
Oh waaaaah, old man. Quit your griping and be thankful. What are you, some sort of communist? Look, I get the hypocrisy. I also get that we are not allowed to laugh at Louis CK anymore, but this riff is a very solid counterpoint to everything I just said. “Everything is amazing now, and nobody is happy…”
Yeah, nah. Not on board with this, Louis. Yes, it’s a miracle. There’s no way I could ever flap my wings and fly my way to New Zealand, and yes, I got to watch the entire season of Dune – Prophecy on the flight down, but all the stuff prior to getting on the plane with the big welcoming fern on the tail was a straight up exercise in bullshit swallowing. As I shuffled my way through the security cordons of three different airports in the US, I was thinking about how often we hear news of air passengers losing their shit completely at airports nowadays, and how that does not surprise me one bit. It’s easy to blame these flares of hostility on booze and entitlement, on some societal disintegration that we can't exactly define. I can’t help but wonder if some of us frogs are just reacting to the temperature in the pot.
But then I arrived in New Zealand. And everyone seems so much more relaxed than they do in the US. And that made me think the temperature in their pot is substantially lower than in the ‘Murican one. Two weeks ago, I was in Mexico, and that pot felt cooler, too. Something to think about there.
Three weeks, three countries. I have gone from drifting loose sandy desert chunk and dodging thorns to brutally cold winds and the familiar hardpack of 8,000’ Colorado home trails to the autumnal light, the humidity, the dense foliage of the native bush and the incredibly steep and nuggety weirdness that defines the character of trails here at the top of the South Island. Three riding climates that could not be more different. Once back on the ground, I love this variety. The trails are different, the people are different. The color of the sky is different. The way the air smells. This variety is intoxicating. From chilaquiles and tacos de pescado to my first proper meat pies in over a decade, right at peak feijoa season (thank dog), this is all good.
A triptych of sorts; stretching across time zones, continents and oceans. The farewell ride in Baja, after three months of so many flavors of arroyo and cactus...
A few blissful days at home in the high country, biting the stem and leaning into a cruel northerly headwind the whole time. "High of 27, feels like 3" said my phone.
Only to wedge myself into the cruel ergonomics and dna retentive cloth of some airplane seats, clench down on my claustrophobia and try to marvel at the wonder of all this technology, to wake up here, smelling a landscape that was hardwired into my synapses over half a century ago but still is as lush as all my fading memory can recall...
I want to feel all of this, as much of this, as often as I can. I want to wring every drop out of this sweat soaked indulgence. I want to make the absolute most of my ugly carbon footprint and remember every second, dig into this foreign soil with my fingers and breathe in this earth. I wish I could roll around in the crusty variety of all the world’s dirt, indulgence be damned. I wish I could do this everywhere, forever.
But only if I can teleport. I don’t care how many influencers on social media tell me that travel is all glamor and luxury, and I don’t care if Louis CK thinks that in-flight wifi is a defining pinnacle of our social evolution; the TSA and corporate airline policies have turned the modern American air travel experience into a grim shitshow that casts some disturbing shadows. I am not holding my breath and expecting that this will change for the better anytime soon.
Comments
dbozman
3 weeks, 3 days ago
Not sure why there’s so much ill will in the comments. Seems weird for something relatively innocuous. Guess I’m missing some subtext. FWIW, I feel similarly regarding air travel. Not so much due to TSA, which doesn’t bother me personally.
I’ve always appreciated this site for the smarts and the tenor of the conversation. Hope that’s not changing.
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Mammal
3 weeks, 3 days ago
I hear you. Mike must have hit an unsuspected nerve with this one although I'm not exactly sure how. Discourse is still really good here, by and large.
FWIW, I'm not a big fan of air travel either, especially after covid. But I don't feel strongly enough to get grumpy at others who feel any different.
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Jotegir
3 weeks, 3 days ago
Big queue fans here. Weird, this isn't an English website.
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Coiler
3 weeks, 4 days ago
The thing that drive me crazy if how the TSA process is just security theatre. It is there to make passengers "feel" safe, but numerous studies have shown that the TSA is actually really, really bad at finding contraband. The whole process is ineffective, and just creates delays and hassles for no real purpose.
A great example of real airport security is the approach Israel uses. A lot of people talk about relaxed the screening is. That's because they rely way more on intelligence behind the scenes. It is absolutely pointless and inefficient to subject every passenger to rigorous screening, patdowns, body scans, etc. Instead, they are grilling the shit out of potentially suspicious people, pulling them aside, and have constant plain clothes patrols looking for suspicious activity. Interestingly, they focus more on intelligence rather than profiling, as many studies have shown how easy profiling can be beat. If you are curious look up the Hindawi affair, great case of how the would-be terrorist focussed on beating the profile, but some suspicious answers led to a bag check and finding a bomb.
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Tehllama42
2 weeks, 4 days ago
Precisely correct. Security Theatre, although it provides a potentially useful cover to add actually intelligence-driven practices without standing out or giving away SOPs/TTPs.
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lookseasyfromhere
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Airports have actually improved slightly in the last 5 years, imo. Digital check in and self check in have removed check in counter lines. I can't remember the last time I had to take my shoes off. Same with the security line taking more than 15 minutes.
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Pete Roggeman
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I agree and I'll add that if you can add Nexus/Clear/TSA pre-check to the formula, it helps considerably (not to mention lounge access). Those are all tools of frequent travellers, though, and require a bit of extra money as well as time to apply/qualify. I can totally see how, from Mike's perspective as an infrequent flyer, none of that registers and the overall experience sucks.
It's always been well worth it to me, though, in exchange for the experience of travel. I credit a lot of my maturity as an adult human to perspectives learned in large part through travel, and like a lot of significant experiences, you can't replace it. Could we make the experience of flying smoother and less stressful (particularly in NorAm)? Certainly.
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BarryW
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Such a kind way of saying something to the effect of: ‘if you can’t ride that feature with confidence then maybe you need to level up your skills.’
But I’m with you Pete, knowing how and having the right mindset are key. Pro level shit yo.
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Perry Schebel
3 weeks, 3 days ago
nexus is the way. and decent noise cancelling headphones.
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BarryW
3 weeks, 3 days ago
Noise canceling headphones/earbuds might be the greatest real life technology of the last few years, lol.
Spending some time in a hospital a couple years ago, they were a lifesaver for letting me rest.
And air travel is my own peacefully serene audioscape. Lovely!
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phillyforester
3 weeks, 3 days ago
100% agree. Having all the clearances, especially Global Entry, plus lounge access makes travel much more pleasant. The lounges are especially important for helping with cancelled flights and grabbing a shower before a flight at the end of the day, or after arriving on a red eye.
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lookseasyfromhere
3 weeks, 1 day ago
"I can totally see how, from Mike's perspective as an infrequent flyer, none of that registers and the overall experience sucks."
Except his entire point seemed to be to try to say that flying keeps getting worse, and those of us close to it don't see it because the increments are so small, but he's observant enough to pierce the veil we cannot. When really the take-away should be that he's isolated himself from an activity for a decade and is now displeased that he doesn't know how to navigate its new paths.
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Coiler
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I agree. Up until about age 21, I flew to Europe every summer to live with family. I always had to connect through Heathrow. It was a nightmare. You needed at least 3 hours for your connection, anything less and it was way too tight. Security took FOREVER, transferring between terminals was brutal. For the last ten years or so there have been direct flights from YVR to my home country, which has been great. But last year I had to connect through Heathrow to get to Portugal, and I was dreading it. But it ended up being very chill and pleasant!
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Andy Eunson
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I like your term from a while back. Friction. Those things required to be done before you do the thing you wanted to do. For me, air travel is way too much friction and hassle for what? I have great riding right here where I live or a short drive away. Flying requires packing, maybe a bike case to haul around, driving 2 hours to get to the airport, then find long term parking shuttle in ahead of time to line up, security wait. Wait some more. Eat unhealthy snack. That’s a lot of friction for (my opinion) too little reward. Not mention stuffing oneself into a cramped tube of infectious diseases with donkeys with oversized carry on bags.
I don’t cook that way either. Just gimme some food that I can cook up fast.
But hey some people love fancy cooking or fancy travel. I get it. It’s their form of adventure and fun. What I don’t get is people who don’t understand that I hate that friction and don’t care to travel. I was fortunate when I was young to travel all over Canada for work. I’ve been to the territories and all provinces except the maritimes.
I think I dislike travelling not only due the friction needed but also I like to do things, not look at things. The things I like to do are right here where I live. It’s the doing not the where that I like.
I have travelled and I have enjoyed it. But I’m 67 now and the friction now makes the travel portion so annoying that it’s not worth it to me.
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Onawalk
3 weeks, 3 days ago
You guys ever watch the movie "Truman show", its exactly that.
If the US byt way of the TSA creates enough "friction" it keeps people at home, where they can subject there faithful to as much paid-for propaganda as possible.
Travelling, and the associated getting out of your comfort zone, learning, experiencing, helps to teach us all empathy, it puts a face to the evil "others" out there on the wrong side of tracks so to speak
For Fack sakes, please dont let that tyrannical government get you or anyone else down!
I will say, I had to go through the Houston airport on my way to Costa Rica, I will do anything I can to stay clear of that place. I was wildly shocked at how people treated one another!
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taprider
3 weeks, 3 days ago
Didn't Trump say he wanted a golden dome over USA?
At first I wasn't disappointed to not make the cut for a bikepack event in Arizona this spring, because it avoided a moral dilemma (the belief that Canadians should cancel their trips to the USA). But now I'm thinking that having lots of polite Canadians visiting the US, shows that we are good people and not the enemy, and not someone puppy or kitten-like the yanks would be happy shoot (no matter what their leader tells them to do).
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Fat_Tony_NJ
3 weeks, 3 days ago
I think he actually requested a golden shower. I hear there's a video tape!
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taprider
3 weeks, 3 days ago
and MAGA South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem bragged about shooting her dog
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Shinook
3 weeks, 3 days ago
There was discussion of a "golden dome" in a congressional address a few weeks ago among a lot of other new/off the wall things - like the WH office of shipbuilding.
He seemed to think it was necessary for missile defense and correlated it to Israel's iron dome, but - at the moment at least - no one in Canada or Mexico are launching unguided rockets into the US. It's a little hard to decipher what the intent or goal was, but it was mentioned.
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Karl Fitzpatrick
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Welcome back to Aotearoa, Mike.
My feijoa tree is pumping at the moment and the trails are finally getting some rain.
FWP indeed.
Enjoy and rant not.
🫶🏽
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Velocipedestrian
3 weeks, 3 days ago
Welcome back, leave us some fiejoas.
Here for the rally / Nelson Enduro / whatever they're calling it? If you have a bit of extra time in that part of the country I'll throw out a strong recommendation for the Old Ghost Road.
Or if you're moving around more, do stop by Welly to inspect the trails / party at CubaDupa / drink coffee etc.
You're even welcome to drop a PM to find a friendly local. Have fun!
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BarryW
3 weeks, 3 days ago
If you guys end up riding together and it results in something I get to read then I'll count to this article as a win.
Do it Mike!
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Karl Fitzpatrick
3 weeks, 3 days ago
I'd happily tag along if Welly is on Senor Mike's itinerary.
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fartymarty
3 weeks, 3 days ago
That gets a big Thumbs Up from me.
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BC_Nuggets
3 weeks, 2 days ago
Thinking of bike-packing solo this summer. My family is driving me fucking insane. Seriously just might get on the bike with a pack on my back and some shit duct-taped to my frame and forks and ride. Not sure where. Probably to a ferry terminal...then flip a coin or a pancake. If I do I'll write. I'll send you my manuscript. My manifesto. The remains of my half eaten pancake with heads scribbled on one side.
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tomsmyth
2 weeks, 3 days ago
This might be the most appropriate comment to a Ferrentino piece I've read so far!
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Isaac L.
3 weeks, 4 days ago
All the extra TSA faff is just another tax on the honest. I don't think it makes us a whole lot safer but it does take up a lot of time and angst.
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Koelschejung
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I think air travel is crap worldwide, not just in the USA. Airport terror in the form of Dawn of the Dead-inspired duty-free zones, crowds in all their glory, annoyingly lengthy security checks, and then the actual pleasure of flying in a monstrous sardine can. We don't even need to talk about the emissions. Unfortunately, I love foreign countries and cultures and don't have the time to travel exclusively by train or ship, so I sometimes have to resort to this misery. The journey is definitely not the destination here.
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Brad Nyenhuis
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Sorry Mike, I gotta go with CK on this one.
Personally, in our current world, I'm not that unhappy someone is x-raying the carryons that are flying at 30K feet with me and my family.
You mention how everyone in Mexico and New Zealand seemed so much more relaxed. Think that's because life is so much easier there? Are their seats wider? Their onboard food better? Their WiFi faster?
Probably not. I'd wager that it's far more attributable to their dramatically lowered sense of entitlement than we have here.
My $.02
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Jerry Willows
3 weeks, 3 days ago
just got back from a trip to Mexico and it was super easy to spot the "Americans"...
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Toxic-Toast
2 weeks, 2 days ago
The idea that life is easier in another country is definitely taken too far by a lot of people. One example of that is people thinking life in England is so much better - healthcare is more accessible, bigger focus on community, whatever it may be. But other places have their issues, too. Nobody's home is perfect.
The vibe of people being more easygoing when we're traveling is definitely partly projection. Because we're traveling, and we're there to experience new things, have an open mind, explore, we project some of that onto the people around us - vacation is fun, and the world seems happier to us when we're happier ourselves.
The solution for me is to focus on fun at home. It's astounding how much of a difference there is between doing the same activity on a chill weekend vs a stressful workday.
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Dave Smith
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I used to fly with my bike a lot.
I don't miss the anxiety of a lost or damaged bike but the feeling of tires turning up fresh-new-to-me dirt is something that I wistfully think about every time I visit my storage locker and have to shift my Evoc bag aside.
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Timer
3 weeks, 2 days ago
That’s the worst! The times I had to fly with my bike, the constant anxiety about the bike arriving in time and in one piece massively diminished my desire to ever do it again. Thankfully when the bike didn’t arrive on time, it was on the way back. Still very annoying but at least no ruined riding trips.
Sold the evoc after a while and haven’t missed it. Aided by the luxury of living within driving distance of the Alps and Pyrenees.
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Morgan Heater
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I'm would be perfectly content recreating within two hours of driving of my house nearly indefinitely, I think.
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taprider
3 weeks, 3 days ago
make that a five hour drive, it is too expensive and crowded around here
and rainy
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Morgan Heater
3 weeks, 3 days ago
5 hours gets me to Pemberton, which is pretty great, but I'm pretty ok riding, skiing and climbing in the I-90 corridor and highway 2 and sleeping in my own bed most nights.
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fartymarty
3 weeks, 4 days ago
One of the joys of living in Europe is you can drive to most places - even for those of us stuck on the Brexit side of the channel. We did a trip to Alpe d'Huez last year and it was great. Chuck the bikes on the roof and off you go.
PS - Mike have a feijoa for us. It's one thing I really miss about NZ.
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Velocipedestrian
3 weeks, 1 day ago
Why is it fiejoas seem to be so exclusive to NZ? It's not like they're native...
Though I discovered last year they're related to pōhutukawa and guava.
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cxfahrer
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I remember my travelling experiences quite positive.
My first time to US, as a toddler, barking all over the grand staircase of the Rotterdam cruise ship.
Squeezed in the space behind the backseat of a VW Beetle on summer holidays to Denmark (a two days drive back then).
Hitchhiking across Europe, stuck in nowhere, creepy people watching you.
Trains that were hours late, no connection home.
On the shuttle bus to Malta airport stuck in the biggest traffic jam, scrolling on the phone for possible later flights.
What would traveling be without remembering all those at the moment quite unnerving experiences? I think traveling is about doing something that you did not plan, or at least not that way, or that you are not used to - and those moments burn deep down your memory.
At least that's what the WhatsApp greetings from a friend said: "NZ - good times to remember" (insert the usual fotos and selfies from Roturoa etc here).
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ReformedRoadie
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Of all the people who have been "canceled" to one degree or another...
Louis CK is by a long way the one I miss the most.
It just occurred to me that I spent almost an entire trans-Atlantic flight watching his FX show.
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BarryW
3 weeks, 4 days ago
It’s interesting how when truly bad behaviour comes to light with comedians we aren’t supposed to find the material funny anymore. But we all find out any/all actors are pieces of garbage and the films are still enjoyed.
Weird double standard.
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Timer
3 weeks, 2 days ago
The discussion is as old as art itself. Can and should we separate the artist from the work? Because, let’s be honest, artists tend not to be saints. And the share of criminals, or otherwise horrible people among them is surprisingly high.
I’m more on the side of separation. With artists from earlier eras, this is easy. I was introduced to the amazing works of Wagner by a staunch social democrat who would have thoroughly detested the artist in life. Looking at a painting by Egon Schiele, my enjoyment isn’t diminished by what he may or may not have done outside of painting.
With living artists who might gain wealth or power from me watching their work, it’s not always quite as easy.
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BarryW
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Hey Mike, I get the frustration but something I’ve learned in my life is that I get to choose what pisses me off and that doesn’t.
I find air travel perfectly fine, and as someone that wears an insulin pump, and a glucose sensor I am ALWAYS dealing with enhanced screening and with a good attitude it’s not even a hassle.
I last flew to Palm Springs for a few days in mid December and the entire experience was . . . Fun, easy and no hassle nor mental anguish. And I got pat down, and I got my bag searched and I had to get up ridiculously early to then sit and wait forever. Still was a great day because that was what I chose for it to be.
I also thought we were digging through the unpleasant to have an uplifting bit about the New Zealand trails/riding/culture. Kind of bummed by the straight up complaining rant. Well written though it may be . . .
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Darius Long
3 weeks, 3 days ago
This comment has been removed.
bushtrucker
3 weeks ago
The craziest thing about the US is just how great people think it is. Toured around for 7 months in 2014. Visited a lot of beautiful places and met some of the nicest people ever. It's an amazing country no doubt. But I was also shocked at the amount of inequality and just how run down everything was. Can't imagine it's gotten a whole lot better since.
Australia isn't without it's problems either — and trending in the wrong direction — but hey we got free healthcare and a fairly stable government. And better weather than Canada ;) If ya ever looking to book a one way flight Mike ya more than welcome here. Bring that Kelpie with ya!
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PowellRiviera
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Thanks Mike. I have only flown a couple times in the last decade as well. The thought of being stuck in a grounded plane for hours with my small kids keeps me on the ground. I find it so strange that something that was pleasant in the 90s has gotten so much less enjoyable today.
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Fat_Tony_NJ
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I have to fly to Europe from the US 4-6 times a year. It's brutal - the security, the airports, the plane... all of it. And I don't even get to bring a bike.
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XXX_er
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I have been reading in A.merica's quest for an isolationist country that people from everywhere SO do not want to travel stateside the airlines have had to juggle flights.
As for the question should I pack duct-tape ?
IME don't carry cable ties and/ or duct tape/ a U-lock or anything you could use to tie up the cabin staff in carry-on after packing the bikes into cardboard shipping boxes OR they could be confiscated,
I had already spent 5 K on the bike touring trip trip so whatever take them
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Cr4w
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I flew overseas to ride a year ago. It was indulgent for sure and a huge PITA as my big bike barely fits in an EVOC travel bag (because of course no one has an XXL bike for rent). Nonetheless it was awesome. Trails in the other place were barely as good as the trails back home but culturally it was different, locations were different, food was interesting, and being chauffeured to unfamiliar trailheads, given some basic navigational instructions then just going for it was amazing.
I loved it and will definitely do it again. But the expense and the hassle/risk of putting my bike on the plane will definitely keep me from doing it very often. When the weather at home sucks, going to ride someplace new and warm and not having to commit to any of the planning or route-finding or menu planning of a road trip is awesome. Take me to new places to ride then feed me something great and put me to bed, repeat.
Flying with a bike is a total privilege. And it's not like I'm ever going to the US again. Flying from Canada to other places isn't all that terrible but you definitely have to pick your battles. It's an adventure when you don't do it too often.
The future is looking increasingly uncertain these days so I'm intent on getting in these experiences while they are still available. I've got 5 other places I want to ride and hopefully I can visit them before WW3 kicks off.
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GrundleJ
3 weeks, 4 days ago
I get the general complaining aspect, airline travel is not as easy or stress free as it used to be, but there is a ton of ignorance in between the lines of your opinion piece aside from the acknowledged hypocrisy.
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JT
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Mike, I'm afraid your return tickets just got upgraded with the SSSS note on the bottom for your return flight due to this article.
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Alex
3 weeks, 1 day ago
Hated seeing the SSSS on my boarding pass - used to call is "Super Special Secret Security". More of a PIA.
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BC_Nuggets
3 weeks, 2 days ago
I never fly with a bike. Rent one at the destination. I just bring riding gear and basic tools, tire gauge and shock pump.
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Brian Tuulos
3 weeks, 4 days ago
Ironic you post the Louis CK clip about people who can't endure a little bit of hardship in exchange for the miracle of flight/travel, yet your moaning about the gauntlet of TSA. Was removing your shoes and standing in line hard?
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Fat_Tony_NJ
3 weeks, 3 days ago
I think there's a joke in there about Louis and the word "hardship", but I'm not the commedian around here.
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[email protected]
3 weeks, 1 day ago
It's not really so much the requirements (shoe removal, laptop removal etc,) as the manner in which these imperatives are communicated. The majority of TSA agents that I have encountered have been aggressive and surly and drunk on power. As an example - in my experience, it seems highly variable whether shoes need to be removed or if electronics need to be extracted from carry-on baggage. This can change from week to week. This is not an exaggeration. I have experienced it. God help you if you are at all confused about the protocol. You stand a high likelihood of being berated, demeaned, admonished by the attending TSA agent. And, do not even think about engaging in anything that even sightly resembles pushback (such as explaining that the protocol was quite different 6 days prior) as it is sure to make an arduous day significantly more so. I share the sentiment that the efforts of the TSA in "keeping us safe" are of dubious value but even setting that aside, I am loathe to want to sign up for paying a premium to be abused.
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Kos
3 weeks, 4 days ago (below threshold)
Well, flame suit on, but I also remember when travel, and your columns, were mostly enjoyable.
Not that I disagree, but I’d have liked to see a reversal in how you apportioned the ratio of complaining to describing the NZ riding.
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4Runner1
3 weeks, 3 days ago (below threshold)
Why does nsmb think we care so much about their editors’ travels? I could care less that you had a rough go getting on a plane. Give me a break.
Like Dennis stated, nsmb readers are mostly American. I guess this is where the $ is.
This Canadian has better things to do.
Bore. Ing.
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