Airline Problems

Airline Problems

In my last years as a nursing supervisor, I came across many learned articles saying that what the public really wanted from nurses was for them to look like nurses – starched white cotton uniforms, white stockings, sensible shoes -- and a tri-corner hat.

Not being against fetish wear as a rule, though finding it difficult to consistently remember to wear underwear myself, I thought … wow.

I also thought, as a male nurse, the uniform would be hard for me to pull off. And it kind of pissed me off as well.

My first thoughts were – I went to school, trained hard, worked as an apprentice for years. I also have the power of life and death – a doctor can make you sick, but a bad nurse can kill you.

And I was really comfortable wearing my pajamas (scrubs) to work every day.

On reflection, I have come to realize that what the public wants IS fetish wear.

In hospitals, those in the know treat the families as much as the patients. For the patient – they are busy being sick, but the families get called out of nowhere to enter a system they know nothing about that has consequences like death, disability and altered vacation plans. It’s like joining the Greek Orthodox Church – lots of strange 2-D paintings and unleavened bread in a language that sounds like spitting.

It’s no wonder people want the rituals of Fetish – like in times of terror – people will sell their children’s souls for a little magical structure.

Which leads us to the U.S. Airlines.

When a Southwest flight goes over my head – and in San Jose that is all the time, I get pissed. What is a bus doing in my backyard? Why is this trailer trash of an airline dominating my city?

When I flew to Gatwick last year and looked out the long window at all the international flights I felt ashamed to be an American. Big 777’s and Jumbo’s of the foreign airlines towered over the dinky 767’s flown by the U.S.

Where is the romance, the adventure – the common courtesy? Where’s the glory, the grandeur of it all – are we really reduced to an air bus country --A third world group of planes that can only survive by cutting service to less than bone? Where is the national pride, or is that even the point anymore?

I think that air travel has become too safe for us – it’s an interchangeable commodity –like corn or laptops, it’s become the hum-drum daily fabric of background noise. Why dress up for nothing, why pay extra, why care – why notice at all?

I guess we need to look at air travel in a different way – sort of like a colonoscopy – something we need to purge for, get a ride to, get doped up, sit around and wait, be uncomfortable for what seems like hours – then get driven hope in a stupor to recover in a bed until the next day.

Or, we can continue to deregulate – cut back on maintenance on the planes, cram more planes into less space until we starting crashing more often -- at least enough to bring the sense of danger and death back.

Then, maybe, we can get the flight attendants into black leather fetish wear like the nurses.