Cell Phones in the Stratosphere

On recent flights between NYC and Chicago, I soaked up the few fleeting hours of being out-of-touch with the world below. No internet. No cell phone. No Twitter or Facebook. I caught up on work, did some reading, attempted a couple crossword puzzles, slept, and thoroughly enjoyed the gentle hum of the engines and soft conversations among fellow passengers.

Flying this past weekend made me reflect on a recent article I came across in the Times two weeks ago; the possibility of in-flight cell-phone usage. Already, some foreign carriers have permitted passengers to use cellular and other personal devices to make and receive calls at 37,000 feet, (so far, there have been surprisingly few complaints). However, it doesn't seem as if domestic flights will hop on the bandwagon anytime soon. On-board domestic flight surveys regularly show that the majority of passengers would be opposed to in-flight cell phone calls. Likewise, legislation is currently pending in Congress that would ban voice communication using wireless devices on commercial flights. Domestic carriers ARE, however, rapidly installing on-board WiFi (usage available for a nominal fee).

As someone who witnesses poor cell phone etiquette on a daily basis, I'd rather not spend 5 hours flying cross-country being forced to listen to Joe Schmo in the seat behind me, joining in on his office's hour-long conference call. I'm an optimistic individual and believe in the genuine empathy of the human race, but a plane provides one with very limited personal space...and with that, limited ways of shielding oneself from unwanted disturbances. Sometimes, it's hard enough as is.

I do believe the majority of passengers would take the extra effort to be quiet and respectful. However, phones will undoubtedly ring out because they weren't initially turned to "silent," and that select few, whether due to poor hearing, aggression, or lack of manners, will conduct their personal conversations without consideration of the person helplessly trapped next to them. That's enough to make this frequent flyer perfectly content with being off-the-grid for a while when in the Stratosphere.

If the Shoe Fits...

A recent article published in today's issue of The New York Times brings to light a startling scientific discovery: "Women wear shoes that cause pain."

What? We do? The horror! The horror!

The study, sponsored by the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, concludes that,"...smart shoe choices paid off in the long term: women who had mainly worn supportive footwear like sneakers or athletic shoes in their younger years cut their risk of common foot pain later in life by more than half, compared with women who had worn shoes that gave average support, like hard-soled or rubber-soled ones."

Which basically means, all those women who must have looked killer standing on the subway platform in 4-inch heels back in the 1980's are now hobbling around in Easy Spirit, giving wistful glances towards the Bloomingdales Shoe Department sale rack.

Now. I'll be the first to admit that I currently own - wait, let me stand up and count - one, two, three...yes, THREE pairs of heels that will rip my pinky toes to shreds around mile two of walking. These are just the uber-painful ones. Then, there are my heels with longer known pain-thresholds. For example, my wedges are pain-free up until ten NYC Avenues, but my gladiator Kenneth Coles can take me dancing into the night. I reserve my safe-haven "commuting" Sperry Topsiders for the trek to work and spontaneous weekend excursions.

Sadly, an ill-fitting or poorly designed pair of heels can cause even the most graceful, well-dressed woman to walk like a Velociraptor. Yet, oddly enough we keep coming back for more. Is it the height-enhancing, leg-lengthening, instant-pant-hemming, or outfit-matching attributes that make said pump so desirable? While I will outwardly laugh at any woman putting herself through a premeditated painful shoe circumstance, (ie: trekking through 6 inches of snow, in 10 degree weather, in open-toed stilettos), we all have our tolerance levels for the ultimate look.

Might I add, the last phrase of the article matter-of-factly states: "When it comes to shoes, men make much better choices...fewer than 2 percent wore bad shoes."

p.s. For your next evening out, here is a great preemptive strike on blisters: rub Body Glide around back of heel and pinky toe area. Reduced friction = reduced number of blisters. And of course, a few bandaids can go a long way.