Rant

What can I say that I haven't said already?  Travelling sucks. After taking off an hour late, the pilot tells us that it is due to unexpected heavy traffic in Istanbul. We are not in Istanbul. We are in Essex. And isn't the traffic in Istanbul according to a widely publicised and highly organised schedule, so hardly "unexpected" ? Did some unscheduled jumbo from Jupiter block the runway?  Has someone not already decided that the scheduled amount of air traffic is manageable?  Perhaps the training for air traffic controllers should include a mandatory period in a High School as the timetable creator for 1000+ teenagers with only one music room, three science labs, one gym and a games field.  Airport traffic should be a doddle in comparison.  

The flight from home to home only takes 3.5 hours but it takes a whole day to do it, wrapped in a swathe of discomfort, frustration, noise and irritation.  An unwilling participant in the whole "hurry up and wait" style of people management akin to herding livestock that is C21st international air travel.  Why tell me to "go to departure lounge' (and hurry up my pint) if when I get there I am told I will have to wait for a further 60 minutes for boarding ?  While I'm on the subject of "that which irritates me enormously when travelling", I declare here and now that when I rule the world. people who do any of the following will be humanely disposed of. 
People who: 
1. are in the 'bag drop only' check in queue who are so seriously overweight (their luggage that is!!) that they have to go through the whole Excess Baggage payment' choreographed routine of "yes you do" "no I don't" "yes you do" "no I don't" "yes you do, really do, really do....." dance. Or worse. Open their suitcases and start shuffling their stuff between bags or wearing it, while I tap my foot. Dance on.
2. have so much extra hand luggage that there is no room in the overhead storage locker for my one bag anywhere within range of my seat. 
3. block the aisle while sorting out what toys they want from their hand luggage bag before storing their bag in the overhead locker - oblivious to the long line of passengers waiting to get to their own seats. 
4. upon landing, stand up the moment the plane hits the ground and before the seat belt sign is switched off. Why do you do it? You can't get off the plane, it's still actually moving.  Although, it could perhaps be arranged ....
5. immediately upon landing turn on their phones to call everyone they know to say they have landed. Duh .....

Thanks for listening.
G'night all from a rainy but not cold Istanbul, I had a great week in Essex. back to school tomorrow and regular wifi to catch up on journals :)