airlines are getting tough with people who bring roller bags on plane

[MurrayDelph]

94. This is why I stopped flying unless there is no other way to get there

I used to commute regularly between San Jose and Los Angeles to teach five-day seminars, and would rather use a rental car (or my own) both ways than fly.

No matter where you are flying, it is a minimum of five hours to get there, once you factor in the commute time to the airport (have to make sure you allow time for traffic), the check-in time (my artificial knee always sets off the magnetometer, so I get "special" attention), the wait for the plane, the boarding, the flight, the mad rush to disembark, the waiting for luggage (if it shows up at all), the time to pick up keys at the rental counter (Oh, I'm sorry; that comfortable compact car you reserved isn't available, so we are "upgrading" you to an uncomfortable, badly-made gas-guzzler. No, don't thank us), and then the drive to your actual destination.

Now, I am retired, and drive between northern Oregon and Los Angeles regularly, and still prefer it to flying. It takes 18 hours of driving through some of the prettiest parts of the country, I can leave when I want, stop when I want, eat when I want, get up to pee when I want, take as much of my stuff as I want, and even factoring in the cost of the gasoline and a room, it's cheaper than flying (and even moreso when I use the Prius instead of the CRV).