Friday Bitch & Brag
September 15, 2023 - The Travel Edition
Exclusive for paid subscribers: the Corinne Channel is a roundup of what I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to over the past week. This list will be included at the end of each Friday Bitch and Brag.
In case you missed an older Friday Bitch & Brag, you can check out the index here.
Gather round, kids! I’m visiting with family and have lots to share about my travels up here, so I’ll add bonus items in addition to bitching and bragging.
Bitch: Every time I fly out of BWI, it seems TSA has shut down the security checkpoint closest to the Southwest bag check-in, and I end up walking down the concourse muttering about their inefficiency…
Brag: …but then I discovered TSA had updated their equipment at BWI. My ID was scanned along with my face, and the conveyor belt system for carry-on scanning was updated with bigger bins so that all your items will fit into one bin, AND I didn’t have to take out my liquids bag or my electronics. Everything went much faster, even if I had to take off my shoes.
Bonus Item: The guy behind me going through the body scan got dinged for potential metal in the groin area, and the display screen next to the machine showed a little red dot on the groin of a stick figure drawing to indicate the issue. We were laughing about the scan results, as was the attractive young woman right behind me, and I joked to the guy as we all waited for our bags on the conveyor belt, “It’s the new dating app: Tinder by TSA.” After I got my bags, I saw the guy walking off with the woman who’d been behind me in line, and I don’t know if they had already been traveling together, but it’s possible the TSA made a love match.
Bitch: BWI updated their bathrooms near my gate and a huge sign on the wall said NOW OPEN, but there was tape and cones all around the entrance. It wasn’t necessarily clear whether or not the bathrooms were actually open and several people tried to enter, only to get yelled at by some of the construction workers finishing up the renovations. It got to the point that there was an announcement by a nasty-sounding voice over the loudspeaker telling folks that the bathrooms were closed. Here’s a thought: cover the damn signage saying NOW OPEN with an opaque tarp until you’re actually ready to allow people to use it.
Brag: The new bathrooms were really nice, with individual stalls and VACANT/OCCUPIED signs above the knob. Everything was automated from the flush mechanism to the paper towel dispenser. I told Pops about them via text.
Bonus Item: There was an empty seat between me and the woman in the window seat on my nonstop flight to Detroit. I love when that happens.
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Bitch: Yesterday I rode for 10+ hours in the car from Ohio to Canada with my Aunt Leigh* and Uncle Jack*—the trip would have taken less time if it hadn’t been for road work in Michigan (which they need, don’t get me wrong) and a backup on Mackinac Bridge because some genius decided it was a good idea to close down to one lane and allow cars to go 45 mph, but trucks could only go 20 mph. Um, how does that work if there’s only one lane?
Brag: This is my third trip to be with Aunt Leigh & Uncle Jack since spring 2021, and Leigh always has a stack of clothes for me to go through and try on. I end up taking home some cute things, like comfy t-shirts, sweaters, lounge pants and nightgowns. When we get back from Canada I have a few pairs of shorts to try on.
And now for this week’s media wrap-up on The Corinne Channel:
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