Althouse: "The trouble with drinking is sipping. Give us water only because we'll drain that quickly."

June 17, 2020

"The trouble with drinking is sipping. Give us water only because we'll drain that quickly."

"The same principle will be applied to all aspects of life. Anything you might savor contemplatively will be withdrawn. You will have periodic gulps, and in between, nothing."

I wrote, at Facebook, responding to a post by my son John, which quoted a CNN article: "Many airlines are limiting drink options to water only. As face masks must be kept on other than when passengers are eating and drinking, it's a way of ensuring passengers are lingering over their refreshments for no longer than necessary."

36 comments:

Temujin said...: For those of us who used to fly regularly, the water was the only thing palatable. Although I did used to see people begging for a second pack of Biscoff cookies or that swell pack of 8-10 peanuts on Delta Airlines.; 6/17/20, 8:15 AM
Howard said...: This is just another small step on the long slide down into the abyss of communism; 6/17/20, 8:17 AM
RNB said...: A major purpose of food and drink on airline flights is precisely to distract you from fretting about your situation (i.e., confined in an aluminum tube being thrown through air too thin to breathe at just under the speed of sound). So the cabin crew are happy to have you dawdle, just so they can get your trash collected before the plane begins descending.; 6/17/20, 8:17 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: People can, as far as I’m aware, still bring their own food and drink on board. I had to fly in early May and the woman across from me had her mask around her neck the whole flight while she slowly munched on trail mix and sipped a giant Starbucks. 🤷🏼‍♀️; 6/17/20, 8:25 AM
Expat(ish) said...: I am not looking forward to flying for work again. Or taking our trip to Uruguay later this year - 30 hours of travel safety theater. With security theater stops on each end. Ugh.

-XC; 6/17/20, 8:36 AM
gilbar said...: if only!
IF ONLY! there was SOME SORT of mechanical device, that would be perfect for this

some sort of long, hollow cylinder, made out of a polymer; where, one end would go into your vessel, and the other end would stick underneigh your mask and into your mouth
Then you could (maybe!) reduce the pressure in your mouth, causing the fluid to move up from the vessel, into your mouth

it's REALLY surprising that no one has invented such a contraption; 6/17/20, 8:36 AM
Fernandinande said...: "The same principle will be applied to all aspects of life. Anything you might savor contemplatively will be withdrawn. You will have periodic gulps, and in between, nothing."

The poetical melodrama, it burns!

"Many airlines are limiting drink options to water"

Which means that many are not, and that same principle will be applied to all aspects of life. Anything you might savor contemplatively will be offered.; 6/17/20, 8:39 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Sounds like being in prison. You will eat and drink ONLY what we deem appropriate. No enjoyment is allowed.; 6/17/20, 8:44 AM
Mark O said...: Delta is ready when you are.; 6/17/20, 8:49 AM
rcocean said...: Hole in the mask for straws? Possible solution. Another? Stewardesses with stop watches and mallets.; 6/17/20, 8:50 AM
stevew said...: What will they do if I take off my mask mid-flight for too long? Civil disobedience. I suppose my name will be added to a no-fly list or something.

Truly farcical.; 6/17/20, 9:11 AM
Big Mike said...: From Instapundit:

A new report released by the Independent Restaurant Coalition estimates that 85 percent of small restaurants will be closed by the end of 2020. Those that are able to survive were either lucky enough to have a slush fund or are buoyed by a corporation that shares their profit. Under the current phased approach to reopening, however, independent restaurants are not going to make it.; 6/17/20, 9:16 AM
mikee said...: When will the first lawsuit over COVID-19 infection on an airline be filed?
And will a waiver signed by the passenger avoid that?; 6/17/20, 9:18 AM
Wince said...: I'm the opposite. I sip boring water and guzzle a "tasty beverage".

"Chartreuse, the only liqueur so good they named a color after it!"; 6/17/20, 9:19 AM
LYNNDH said...: Just another way for the airlines to screw the passenger. This would save them money, bottom line.; 6/17/20, 9:27 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: flying in a petri dish metal tube is like prison. no matter the frills or lack of.

It was that way before the covid.

Airlines make money by cutting corners and the big corner they cut was cleaning the aircraft in-between flights.
Ever notice? The flights land, they unload passengers and mere seconds later, the next batch are corralled people march on like cattle. moo.

I remember back when the airlines DID clean the aircraft between flights. it would take 10-15 minutes. Time is money and that got the chop. Now the flight attendants and charged with doing it and they don't do a very good job.

It must be a coincidence, but I often get sick after airplane rides.
A year or two back, the woman in back of me was yacking yacking yacking - al while she was hacking hacking hacking... during an early morning flight. The rest of us were quiet and annoyed by her endless yacking. Too early for that crap. Anyway - she was also obviously SICK.
I sat right in front of her and what do ya know - I got sick a day later.

People are gross.aircraft are gross. I love get there fast and take it slow, but getting sick is hardly worth it. Screw these dumb ideas and sanitize the damn airplanes once in a while. Clean the kid-butt smear slobber off the windows. Vacuum a bit. Wipe down surfaces with germ-killing spray.; 6/17/20, 9:37 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: If you are sick on a plane - you should be required to STFU.

Talking while sick spreads virus. If you do not obey - you should be given a parachute and a push out the back door.; 6/17/20, 9:41 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Howard - communism would be the demoratics, you know - your party - taking over the airline business. TSA for cows. Making it "free" and then driving the whole thing into the ground.; 6/17/20, 9:42 AM
n.n said...: Masks with integrated straws... or hold group protests for a politically congruent cause. #HateLovesAbortion; 6/17/20, 9:44 AM
Anthony said...: I just flew (American) and they handed us a bag with a bottle of water and a cookie in it. I took off my mask to eat a sandwich I brought on, and could have brought on a bottle of soda (which I did on the next flight) but the vending machine didn't work.

PHX was pretty empty but CLT was hopping with people. BWI was similarly pretty empty.

You can tell they're not all that serious about masks since you can take it off to eat and drink and such, plus no one's checking if whatever mask you have on actually does anything -- which 99% don't, and mine even less.; 6/17/20, 9:50 AM
Howard said...: I guess the straw is too complicated of a piece of machinery for you people to operate; 6/17/20, 9:59 AM
Francisco D said...: RNB said...A major purpose of food and drink on airline flights is precisely to distract you from fretting about your situation

Exactly!

As a frequent flyer, it seems to me that the only reason to partake of airline offerings is to kill time, especially on longer flights. Now that we can play games or read books on our phones, there is less need for the airlines to offer us distractions.; 6/17/20, 10:01 AM
Sebastian said...: "You will have periodic gulps"

Of whatever your overlords allow.; 6/17/20, 10:11 AM
cubanbob said...: The airlines should be re-regulated. That way the cheap seats with the unwashed masses would travel by charter flights or Greyhound bus. The regular airline seats would be wider and more spacious and with less passengers, more spacing and much cleaner planes. Flying in the early 70's was definitely better. Often times you could get a whole row for yourself. And they served food which oftentimes wasn't bad.; 6/17/20, 10:11 AM
Jupiter said...: Since the masks don't actually do anything, maybe they could just have you hold one hand in the air while you hold your drink with the other. Just to signify that you are conscious of your drinker's privilege, and not getting too comfortable.; 6/17/20, 10:14 AM
Nichevo said...: Howard said...
This is just another small step on the long slide down into the abyss of communism

6/17/20, 8:17 AM

Gosh, are you trolling? Sadly, so you took language in popular discourse is on the decline. Communism or no communism, this is certainly a step towards dystopia. I don't know whether all dystopias are communistic but that seems the way to bet.

This is more directly reminiscent of Soylent Green. I don't know whether that reflected a communist or socialist society, but it certainly is not a great thing and I guess you're happy about it. That figures.; 6/17/20, 10:18 AM
tim maguire said...: mikee said...
When will the first lawsuit over COVID-19 infection on an airline be filed?
And will a waiver signed by the passenger avoid that?

Typically, waivers are to discourage people from calling a lawyer in the first place ("There's nothing I can do. I signed a waiver.") They usually don't carry much weight in court because the company still has to take basic precautions--and "basic precautions" are written in such a way that it's virtually impossible to perfectly follow them. A good lawyer can always find a hook to hang the case on.; 6/17/20, 10:52 AM
PM said...: Airline Head Does Mr Burns with Hands.; 6/17/20, 11:52 AM
Gk1 said...: This is totally fine with me. They always want to do the bar minimum anyway and their food was always terrible. It will begin to break down when the first class people demand special treatment to justify their 40% markup for being in the same metal tube.; 6/17/20, 11:58 AM
J. D. Canals said...: I'm calling BULL$HIT on this. Airlines can't afford the loss of revenue from alcohol sales.; 6/17/20, 12:35 PM
gilbar said...: How Strict Are Airlines About Face Masks in Flight?; 6/17/20, 1:46 PM
Jim at said...: The chances of me never again setting foot on an airplane increase with each passing day.; 6/17/20, 2:11 PM
Gk1 said...: I flew a month ago and found the mask policy on Alaska airlines was just for show. You put it on when you take your seat on a half empty flight. Then once you see people a few rows over slip it down around your neck that's it for the rest of the flight or take it off altogether like I did. Flight attendants won't bother to enforce it unless someone's making a stink and even then it won't be much.

I am hoping the self appointed Karen's stay home until masks are no longer required. It would make things so much easier for everyone involved.; 6/17/20, 2:31 PM
effinayright said...: cubanbob said...
The airlines should be re-regulated. That way the cheap seats with the unwashed masses would travel by charter flights or Greyhound bus. The regular airline seats would be wider and more spacious and with less passengers, more spacing and much cleaner planes. Flying in the early 70's was definitely better. Often times you could get a whole row for yourself. And they served food which oftentimes wasn't bad.
****************

Yeah. The government would DEFINITELY make things better. Fewer seats and passengers would DEFINITELY make the airlines better. Screw the stupid idea of profitability! Screw the even-more stupid idea of lower prices allowing the average guy to fly home to see his relatives!!

SNORT; 6/17/20, 3:01 PM
Michael said...: CubaBob

Except pricing today is on a par with 70s pricing. Nominal prices. Cheaper today for coast to Than in 1979.; 6/17/20, 3:55 PM
Bunkypotatohead said...: "it's REALLY surprising that no one has invented such a contraption"
Someone did but it killed a couple sea turtles, so no straw for you!

They should just hook us up to an IV with demarol and some nutrients. We'd arrive at our destination refreshed and a few ounces lighter.; 6/17/20, 4:46 PM