One of the most compelling stories of the last week is the thousands of travelers who are stranded in either Europe - trying to get to the States - or in the States - trying to get to Europe. I hope that if I were caught in that situation, I would have enough money somewhere to spend a couple more days exploring and partying, but sadly not everyone was that lucky this time.
A chance remark on NPR caught my attention tho. The reporter mentioned in passing that altho the airline companies were having problems getting the right sized planes to the right airports on both sides of the pond, they had plenty "parked in the Mohave". "What?" says I.
It turns out that there is indeed an airplane graveyard in the Mohave Desert where airline companies send planes that they no longer use - both those that are ready to be cannibalized for parts and those that they just aren't currently using. Hard for us mere mortals to imagine that it is cheaper to just park a plane than to operate it. Guess the economics of flight really are different.
I admit I thought this through a little bit, in case I was in such a situation. I think I would find myself a nice convent -- isn't Europe crawling with them? Youth Hostels for the Not Young. And they would have let me stay there in exchange for some chores. Then I would write a book about it and it wouold be a sensation, starring Diane Lane. I went too far again, didn't I?
ReplyDeleteActually, no, I think that's a plan! I was just thinking a couple of day-trips to places that weren't on the original itinerary (with much money charged on the already overloaded credit cards), but I think this has lots more promise.
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