If there’s any form of transportation I trust the most when it comes to potential theft, it’s flying. If anyone is going to steal something, it’s harder for them to do it on a plane because they’re trapped there for a few hours. Sure they can plead innocent, but it’s easier to find the culprit on a plane than on a train, a bus or a subway where people get off frequently (and in NYC, I, unfortunately, mean that literally and figuratively.)
As you may have gathered from my posts about always keeping an eye on my backpack, I’m very protective of my laptop. When it comes to using it on a plane, it can be a little tricky because:
I have tendonitis in my wrists and the seating is not exactly “ergonomically correct.”
It’s nearly impossible to have a drink the airline offers because there’s nowhere to put it.
I can’t put the tray table down. I can’t squeeze it in the seat back pocket and it’s risky to wedge it between my hip and the armrest, so I have to get resourceful.
I drink a ton of water (so much that Auntie thinks I’m going to slip into a coma after seeing a segment on The Today Show about BYU students chugging it as part of a fraternity hazing ritual.) I have yet to OD on water, but I pretty much always want it, especially on a plane where you get dehydrated.
Since you never know when you’ll hit some turbulence (aka Shakes on a Plane) or have a passenger hit you (see my blog about the CU Next Tuesday from my last flight), I put my drink as far away from my laptop as possible - on the floor. I place the cup between my feet and hug it so it doesn’t spill.
I’m such a risk-taker.
To me this is not just a trust exercise, but an exercise in good judgment. I mean why risk all of the aggravation with possibly spilling liquid on it. It’s not like United’s got a random bag of Rice-A-Roni lying around for you to drop your laptop in to soak up all the liquid.
Yesterday I decided to mix it up a little and not put my cup full of water on the floor. I closed my laptop and held it in my hand. Is that still risky? Of course. Did I chug it so I could get back to my work? You know it. Is this the biggest lesson in trust I’ve learned? Absolutely not, but at least I’m aware of how often trust plays into my life choices.
Will I change these habits on a plane? “Water” you talking about? ;)
Are you worried about liquids spilling on your computer? Do you carefully place them far away from your devices or are you not paranoid about it? Tell me below and if you like what you read, please subscribe below. Thanks!