Airplane Culture.

My boyfriend recently told me that while flying I should get into "baggage" mode. He went on to explain that while traveling you should consider yourself as a piece of luggage, not as a human being, and will therefore be far less excitable when the unexpected happens during your journey. I am, by nature and nurture, an excitable creature so this task was incredibly daunting. But, Paul is a rational person and I value his opinion, so I thought it was worth a try. However, mere moments after hanging up the phone with him, I was approached by a man of about 30 at the airport bar. Surely, even the finest Luis Vutton suitcase does not get hit on while rotating on the carousel belt. I was out of baggage mode, and concentrating on how to look busy with merely a pen and a boarding pass. Airport bars, in truth, repulse me to the very core of my being. The clientele are mostly lonely men travelers desperate for female companionship, and women like myself trying desperately to avoid them. I would like to think that a band of gold on my left hand would prohibit this sort of thing from happening, but I've been told that this does little to deter men on the prowl. What is it about airports that intensify a feeling of sexual desire uncontrollable by social guidelines? Is it the friendliness of airlines staff upon check in? Is it the build up of anticipation while you wait to pass airport security? Or is it simply the idea of being beside a total stranger for 7 hours on an international flight in coach where the only thing separating you is a nylon seat belt? Baggage mode or not, it is simply impossible to ignore the emotions that are in an airport. The joy of seeing a loved one, the sadness of leaving someone behind, the frustration in a delayed or canceled flight, and even the excitement of a casual encounter in a men's bathroom.