September 8, 2023 • 33 mins
Ever wondered what goes behind the scenes of creating a luxury travel experience? Join us as we pull back the curtain with our guest, Ashish, as we delve into the world of luxury adventure travel and hotel stories. From the opulent facade to the chaotic back-of-house operations, we share our insights from a recent encounter at a luxury hotel in Philadelphia. It's a fascinating glimpse into an often unseen side of the industry, and we assure you, it's okay to appreciate the effort that goes into crafting these experiences.
We also tackle the familiar chaos and frustration of airport experiences. With Ashish's expert insight, we aim to make sure that these are aspects you won't have to worry about when planning your travels. But it's not all about the logistics. We also discuss the unique experiences of traveling with children. Ashish's personal story of surviving a flight to Costa Rica with my one-year-old daughter will resonate with many parents out there. Amidst the judgmental stares and challenges, we emphasize the importance of patience, understanding, and not letting others dampen your travel spirits.
As we wrap up, we consider the value of teaching our children respect and understanding towards others. This isn't just about creating better travel experiences; it's about shaping their character and worldview. We also touch on the intricacies of the airline industry and how people from various countries and backgrounds communicate effectively while ensuring passenger safety. Stay with us as we look forward to more enlightening discussions about the travel industry in our upcoming episodes.
Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of The Intrepid Traveler podcast! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please rate and review our show to help us reach even more aspiring travelers. Don’t forget to check out our website, visit us on Facebook, Instagram or follow us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on our latest epic travel adventures!
Use the following links when planning your own travel!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Have you ever wondered how the pros put
together epic, tailor-madetravel adventures?
Welcome to the IntrepidTraveler Podcast.
I'm your host, robin Klein, andI'm going to explain to you
just how that is done during myconversation with today's guest.
When it comes to luxuryadventure and expedition travel,
the possibilities are endless.
(00:29):
In each episode, you'll hearfrom an expert in his or her
field about how theseexperiences, and more, are
created.
This episode of the IntrepidTraveler is brought to you by
Klein and Co Travel Consulting,a luxury adventure and
expedition travel planningcompany specializing in
un-Googleable experiences.
(00:49):
You can find us on the web atKleinandCoTravelcom.
On Instagram at Klein and CoTravel, we have a private
Facebook group you are welcometo join.
You can find us on LinkedIn orcatch the video version on
YouTube.
With that said, let's welcometoday's guest.
So Ashish and I have decidedwe're having so much fun doing
(01:11):
these episodes together thatwe're going to do it somewhat
regularly, and I hope thatyou'll enjoy listening to them
as much as we enjoy recordingthem.
We'll have one of these aboutonce a month, and the subject
matter will be what not to worryabout in travel.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Enjoy.
Welcome back.
This is Ashish and time foranother episode of what Robin,
what's it called?
What you shouldn't freak outabout?
Absolutely right, this is partof our monthly episodic feature
on our podcast.
I love having Robin as a guest.
Those of you who watched thefirst one, you saw that we had a
(01:50):
lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Wait, wait, wait.
I'm going to interrupt you here.
This is not a guest thing, thisis like no this is not.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right, that's right
.
Get it right, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, she's just right.
This is not even this point,not even a guest.
I mean, robin's been on thispodcast so many times.
I've been on her podcast somany times that, this point, we
might as well be co-hosts, whichwe technically are, so don't
freak out, right right, exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Well, let's wait for this one monthly thing.
We still have our.
We each still have our ownseparate things as well, but
this is a great co-hostingopportunity and I love being on
Robin's podcast.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Robin's got a podcast .
What's it called Robin again.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
The.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Interpreter Traveler.
I love her podcast.
Those of you who did theirlistening should check it out.
Her podcast is really coolbecause she gets a deep dive
into the inner workings of theindustry, Just kind of give you
a backstage view of the industry.
We see this beautiful, polishedproduct at the front.
It's sort of like walkingthrough a four seasons.
Right the front is amazing.
You're at the back of the houseand you go wow, this doesn't
(02:52):
look anything like the front.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Yeah, you figure out what it takes to actually make
it all work yeah, that's right.
Or when you get to go in akitchen at a Michelin-starred
restaurant.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Well, actually, you know what?
Let's start there, because thisjust happened to me.
I know this wasn't on our list,but I'm going to add it right
now Because we roll like that,because we roll like that so
things we shouldn't freak outabout.
So, general managers of hotelswho don't want you to see the
clutter behind the scenes, Iactually made this mistake and I
(03:23):
was on that.
I was at a luxury hotel inPhiladelphia.
I walked in, you know, theelevator had a line to go up to
the rooftop terrace.
So a couple of us were likewe'll just take the stairs.
And, you know, lisa Bain waswith me and Don Martinsen was
with me, and what could possiblygo wrong with those stairs?
Oh yeah, right.
So we went climbing up thesestairs and I was like, wow, this
(03:43):
is a beautiful hotel.
And I opened the door and Iliterally stopped and I go.
What just happened?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Like did you enter the Twilight Zone?
It was like bars and everything.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I literally looked at Lisa and I said when did we end
up at Alcatraz?
Yeah, I was supposed to not.
And so we started to hike upthese stairs and I think we
climbed 20 floors.
We walked up 20 floors and gotall the way up and we get out on
one floor and I guess there wasa manager who was there who was
mortified that we came in.
So we had to explain to him andsay, please don't worry.
Look, we work in this industry.
(04:16):
We know how cluttered the backof the house is.
You just want to tell you thatthe front of the house is
amazing.
Yeah, it is, it is absolutelyamazing, it's great.
And he said no, no, no, youcan't be back here, you can't be
back here.
He then proceeds to tell usthat he could get in trouble for
us having us there.
So I couldn't help myself.
I actually have to respond andI say there's a row of metal
(04:39):
staircases here and Any one ofthem I could get, I could get
cut on this metal in atechnoshop.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
But that's not a proge.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
That was very nice to do to him, but that's okay, or
if I fall off these stairs, beover, hit my head on a rail to
here.
That's not a problem, butbecause I saw messing like
around you're gonna get introuble for that.
So I feel, lisa, I said do me afavor throw me down that flight
of stairs right now that way.
Oh, we left it there.
Of course she didn't.
Thank goodness, you know, wehave people on listeners over.
(05:10):
Listeners are Industry focus.
Well, and we tell them you knowwhat First thing I learned about
social media about, you know,hotels, this it's okay to see
people to see you sweat.
In fact, it's a great thing itmeans they can see the effort
that goes into it.
You know the blood, sweat andtears that goes into the
finished product.
It's okay to let people seethat.
It's a great thing.
(05:31):
If the back of the house is asclean as a part of the house,
there's a problem cleanlinessyou still want.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
a little bit of chaos is okay, hey that's fine yeah.
I can't, I'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I was.
There was a hotel in India thatI went into and I went to the
back of the house there again.
By accident, I see I seem totrespass these places a lot.
I Walked into this place and Isee VIP.
I see my name next to VIP.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
So of course, you knew something was wrong right
there.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Clearly I was newly married and my wife actually saw
that and she's like here's thebest part.
It didn't say my full name, itsaid a, she's Patel, because my
wife's made me this.
But tell so, I'm a VIP and mywife, I parent that took her
last name.
So of course my wife sees thatand she just has an ego trip.
(06:24):
She looks at me, she goesthat's the way it's gonna be,
just exactly it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Yeah, and you.
That's why you've been happilymarried for so long.
Any hotel hotel stories you'vegot oh my gosh, listen, I have
got so many hotel stories andnot not necessarily like bad
ones, but my brother is actuallya GM of big at one of the
bigger hotel chains that we allknow and has been in the hotel
(06:53):
business Industry since he wasin high school, like started as
a ballet parking cars at theRitz Carlton in Tyson's corner
in Virginia and has now been inthe industry for 30 plus years.
So yeah, yeah, we could go downthat rabbit hole, but.
But maybe we'll save that foranother time.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I just want to find out.
Message me which hotel he is,so I can go trespass the back of
the house of that hotel too.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Well, I'll say this he is such a neat freak, like
like it just you.
Probably in his hotel the backof the house looks the same as
the front.
Wow, he is like one of thesepeople that you know.
He walks into my house and helike starts reaching up a way up
high and like running hisfinger along edges and seeing if
there's dust and stuff likethat, and I'm like just no, no,
(07:41):
no, no, not in my house.
You know, in your hotel you doit too on.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
But so so in here with that stuff in my house.
You, you will laugh, as Iactually had a friend do that in
my house, came in and was likeoh well, it was what's happening
over here and I don't when look, wow, we keep our house very
clean, but it's still, and so hestarted showing that and I
stopped him and I gave him mycalendar.
He goes what are you showing me?
I said 200 of these days I'mnot home.
(08:06):
Yeah, my wife works full-timeas well, so unless you plan on
serving as a housekeeper for us,I'm not sure what you're
actually doing with that whiteright.
Right, oh, that was that.
Yeah, yeah, you know yeah, goahead.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Sorry guys, All right .
Speaker 2 (08:23):
So okay, let's, let's , let's let's jump in Now that
I've got a right.
So we've got a phone iscompletely off.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Let's move on to what we're not freaking out about.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, in the world of travel this week?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah, and shall I kick us off?
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
It's clear, clearly I'm I'm off in the weeks, that I
yeah, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Well, you know, it wouldn't be the same if you
weren't.
We're coming back to.
We're coming back to what we'retalking about here and that for
me today, anyway, it's theweather.
Yeah, after.
So this is being recorded June30th of 2023, and last week was
(09:05):
kind of earlier this week, Ishould say, was kind of
pandemonium in the airline worldanyway, because of storms and
things that were rolling through, and you know that is something
that none of us have anycontrol over and people
absolutely Flip out about it inairports, and you know, I'm
(09:28):
gonna get to here in just asecond.
I had that.
I understand like thefrustration, the aggravation and
all of that is isunderstandable, but it's it's
not anything that anybody can,can do anything about.
And when those storms rollthrough and they ground those
planes, you know that'sdefinitely a case of you'd
rather be on the ground wishingyou were in the air than in the
(09:50):
air wishing you were on theground.
Yeah 100% that's out, and I hada couple clients that got stuck
in Atlanta overnight.
You know, not much fun becausethe hotels fill up really fast
and then you're having to sit inthe airport all night and then
you know there is that overflowright now.
Problem with we don't have asmany flights back online still
(10:10):
as we did, you know, prePandemic I had a situation one
time where I had spent the nightin the Detroit airport and
luckily I did get out prettyearly the next day.
But you know when those flightsthe next day are already fully
booked.
And then they're trying to dealwith the issues of people that
had were canceled from the nightbefore and they're trying the
(10:32):
air traffic controllers, we'retrying to get it all squared
away and they're trying to geteverybody rebooked.
I mean, it's, it's really toughand tensions run high and sleep
deprivation does not help, butit is one of those things that,
like freaking out about it isnot gonna change it.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
No, you know what you know it's, it's, it's funny you
says, because I just I was justup in Canada with my, with my
family, just quick, get away upto the ice fields in Western
Canada.
And You're right, I mean youknow there was.
There were some issues thatpeople flying back to the
eastern part of Canada becauseof, because of weather and
because of the Smoke from thefires and different parts the
(11:12):
country and what I did.
You're right, you can't controlany of it and yet the freaking
out part is honestly because yousaw it happen at the airport.
I I draw a direct correlationto this right.
So you talk to any airlineright now.
They cannot find people fastenough to ratify new union
agreements.
They're hiring people I meannot by the tens, by the hundreds
(11:35):
and they're trying to bring itand the line they're trying to
skirt is qualified people versuswarm bodies.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
So the people who freak out the most are the ones
who actually complain about theunderstaffing.
But they're the cause, right,they're the cause.
I mean yeah it's like seeing,it's like literally it's like
Going to somebody's house beforeyou have children, seeing this
in children that are basicallyjust, absolutely just monsters
and going.
(12:03):
Forget it.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I don't want kids you know or thinking you could do a
better job and apparent youknow what?
I'm the perfect parent.
I don't have children, but I'mthe perfect parent.
So you, yeah, this.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, yeah, you should do this exactly like this
same thing with with this, andit's fun.
And again, right, with thosesame people that that freak out
are the ones who sit there justberate this poor gate agent and
berate this these.
It's not their fault.
There's a line that's a milelong, yes, and there, and could
you imagine Coming to work andyour job for that day is to be?
(12:39):
yelled at by every single personlike that Really, I mean for
words.
Did I tell you my story inCanada from last time about the
gentleman that pushed me out ofthe way, that I mentioned that
to you?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
I think we did talk about that on the last episode.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
So this was time around coming back, it almost
happened again and it was noteven somebody pushing, but it
was just somebody huffing andpuffing and whatnot and getting
on the plane and you know what.
What are you doing?
And they were freaking outabout, about this and something
you couldn't control.
You would have had a momentwhen we were flying back from
Columbia, this last trip, thatthe trip that I wish you were on
(13:15):
.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
And I wished I was too.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yes, exactly right, but this is what happened.
We're taking off and it wasn'tthis wasn't even weather, but it
could have been right.
So weather was rolling in themorning flying back to Florida,
and so there was there was a youknow, when we're taking off
there was a chance of like getdelayed a bit.
So there was obviously peoplewho were just antsy.
You were in Cartagena, flyingback and I don't know why you're
antsy?
because you're in Cartagena,you're in Columbia.
(13:39):
The worst that happened is youget to stay one more day in
paradise, right?
It's not like it's the otherworld, right?
So I guess one of the one ofthe people back there so he was.
He was in front of us in theline for the you know, getting
the back tax back for stuff hebought and he's freaking out
opening his bag.
Sports spouse is about to crybecause he's berating her and
(13:59):
whatnot, and he then looks overto Vicki our Vicki yeah.
I speak English, I know whatyou're saying, don't talk about
me.
And so I looked at him and saidsir, please calm down, she's on
your side.
Yeah, she's just telling youthat.
She's just telling us that thatshe feels sorry for you.
She's a sympathetic to yourdon't, don't, okay?
Well, karma's karma.
(14:19):
So we were taking off and wherewe on the runway, this is what
happened taking off, about tohit max speed, to take off, and
all of a sudden the brakes go on.
Okay, I thought something brokeon the plane.
I literally thought somethinghad broken.
I thought that we were about tohit something.
Yeah, and all of a sudden thepilot comes on says prepare for
a rival.
What, what?
(14:40):
We haven't taken off yet.
Was it that we did?
We, I worked to Florida.
What happened?
Yeah, yeah, it was back thegate.
Turns out that that samegentleman was in the back
verbally harassing and I thinkof us Abusing his wife.
Wow, he's unacceptable, right?
Speaker 1 (14:54):
I mean, yeah, they're acceptable, so good on, the
pilot got everybody off and saidwe're taking him off the plane
and I didn't know who he was.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
I saw the bags coming out the panel go.
Oh, that's him.
Wow, that's the same guy.
I remember those bags and itwas.
He was freaking out about theweather Because we're delayed.
It manifested itself into this.
This just tired at the anti, atthe, at the the line to get
your, your VAT tax back.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Yeah, and then?
Speaker 2 (15:20):
it manifested itself even further into this monster
who treats his wife In a waythat I can't even imagine.
Yeah, on an airplane, in frontof everybody thinking there's no
repercussions.
This man's now removed off theflight.
Who knows when he actually getson another flight to come home.
He's now delayed a whole notherday, at the very least because
(15:41):
he could, because he freaked out, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Well, I hopefully let his wife go without him.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
I mean so so surprisingly.
I mean, if I was there I wouldhave been like see you, sweetie.
I know I was like I exhaled her,but the kids were there were
kids there that have her kidswere watching him do this as
well.
So they all were taken off andI was like, yeah, you know what,
I think I'm, I think you'restaying in Columbia, or I'm
staying in Columbia, you goahead and go, yeah, right, but
but it was, yeah, it was it, butit all, it all manifested
(16:09):
itself, brought a simple plan ofnot having self-control.
So think you're spot on, likeyou know, yeah, what you?
You said the key thing youcan't control it, yeah, and if
you can't control it, I tellpeople all the time you're going
through airports, just askyourself two questions If you
can control it, then control.
What actions can you take tofix it?
Right, if it's something inyour control, then do something
(16:31):
about it.
But if you can't control it andnobody around you can control
it, unless you've got a directdial to the almighty, I think
you kind of have to just sitback and say you know, I mean,
it's there.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
That's exactly right, that's exactly right.
The lack of planning on yourpart does not constitute the
emergency on my part.
So when that kind of personcalls their travel agent or the
airlines or the person at thedesk, or whatever.
So either they might have cuttheir trip too short going home,
or might not have allowed themenough time getting there, or
(17:11):
whatever the case may be, thenyeah, yeah Well, that's a good
phrase, say it again.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
That's a really good phrase.
Say it again.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
The lack of planning on your part does not constitute
an emergency on my part.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I'm using that If you haven't trained my friend I am.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
I wish I could say that I came up with that, but I
didn't.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Well, I'll tell you what On this podcast, we're
saying you came up with it.
Now we haven't recorded it intoevidence.
You came up with it.
It is now officially enteredinto evidence.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Well.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I'll take credit for this yeah look, if you trade
market, you need any kind ofevidence for the patent.
Just let me know we have thisreporting All right, sounds good
.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Okay, so what's on your list?
What's on your list?
What are you not freaking outabout Mind's traveling?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
with families.
Mind's traveling with kids,with families.
Okay, so I travel with my kids,so I travel with my kid, with
my wife and family, right?
So I'll take you back and mykids are great travelers now,
but I have zero tolerance forpeople who pretend like they
were doing something horriblywrong because our kids are
crying on an airplane.
Okay, you know that person whojust looks at you with disdain
(18:20):
as if I have like a little keychain in the back of my kids.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
They're like turn on the crying.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
You know, here we go All right, yeah, let's go and
wait those people over there.
So I'll take you back to whenmy daughter was one.
We were flying to Costa Ricaand the air pressure was
bothering.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It was the first time on her plane.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Now my son mind you was a pro at this point.
Now when I say pro, here's whatI mean.
Okay, If you fly on JetBlueright now, they charge you for
your headphones.
My son is single heavilyresponsible for that.
They used to give headphonesfor free until they handed back
a whole bunch of headphones inpieces and then, after that
point, they're like okay, wecharge my headphones, look at
them and I go this is all you'redoing.
This is your problem when youget older.
(18:59):
I am making sure everybodyknows that this is your doing.
If you're paying two dollarsfor headphones.
It's because of you, and he wasproud of himself, yeah.
You know, but when you travelwith kids, they're curious.
You know we think about when wewere growing up.
Planes were a novelty, meaningthey were new, it was getting on
a plane.
(19:19):
It still is a novelty, right it?
still is something really cool,but it was something like.
You know, air travel is not aswhat was, something like it was
more reverence than it is today.
Right Today, it's like almostlike an air taxi in certain
cases.
For kids, it's not just the airtravel, it's the free wifi,
it's the, it's the entertainment, it's everything around, and
(19:40):
then there's just so much goingon they're taking in.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
And so you know, you have this but when you have a
young child.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
So I had my, my one year old daughter flying to
Costa Rica.
She's this is years ago, she's11 now, and she was crying on
the flight from Miami to SanJose.
She's screaming on the planebecause then I'm trying to
comfort her my wife is almost intears because she's mortified
so I said, let me have her.
And I'm holding her and she's,you know, trying to comfort her,
trying to give her something.
(20:07):
You know you make them just,you know, suck on a bottle or
something.
You can't just give them apiece of gum and say, here, chew
this, you know, especially whenthey're one, yeah, I mean I'll
try.
I'll try, but I mean I would I'mthe guy.
I'm the guy who gave mydaughter hot sauce when she was
like one by accident.
So so I mean I did by accident,it wasn't on purpose.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I promise so that's good, that's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Yes, that was like.
It was like it was touching hergums and whatnot and rubbing
her rubbing her gums becausethey were hurting her and then I
realized that my fingers werein hot sauce.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
And I was like, oh yeah, they're only going to hurt
, yeah, so back to the ears,back to the ears, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
So so the this woman this must have been in her
fifties, I think.
She looks over at me, justkeeps staring like oh you know,
and I'm looking at her and I'mlooking at my wife.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Now my wife is basically crying.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
At this point, you know, and I'm like, okay, hold
on.
So I picked my daughter up, Ihand her to.
This girl does lead.
I go here, you go.
She goes.
What are you doing?
I go.
Clearly, you know what.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
No, how to fix it.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
So here, oh my gosh, this oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I said no, you keep looking atus and you keep looking.
My wife is not crying becauseof how you're staring at her.
It's not.
I'm sorry that she's botheringyou.
I'm sorry that my daughter, myone-year-old daughter, who still
has no control over emotions,is bothering you.
I'm sorry that I brought her onthis airplane, but since you
(21:34):
are an experienced mother hereand she just goes no, no, no, no
, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Isaid okay, well then, all right,
if that's the case, then do youmind?
Yeah, you know, and I explainedto her.
I said you know, kids, adults,we all sense judgmentalized.
We can sense it comes off likelike a spear through you know, a
(21:57):
knife through butter or spearthrough Whatever, and I said
kids experience it as well.
I said her pressure is there.
The minute I started doing that, the amazing thing the men I
started, you know, talking tothis lady and getting her to
stop looking at us.
All of a sudden, my daughterstopped crying.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
She started tension, tension eased yeah, which you
kids sense it as well.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
So traveling with kids, I just I tell people you
know, look, when they're older,like I'm pretty strict with with
my kids, I you know.
Well, just just this last tripit was getting my daughter to
say thank you for somethingbecause she was complaining
about something Like what to say?
You have no right to complain,you should be saying thank you,
and it was there.
But when they're younger andwhatnot, it's to not let some of
(22:39):
those judgy eyes bother you.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Well, yeah, I mean that's the difference between
misbehaving or somebody beingill-behaved and somebody being,
you know, in pain or afraid, orit's right, something like that.
I mean that's, that's a totallydifferent thing.
I mean I'm gonna have adifferent.
I'm definitely gonna have adifferent reaction to a parent
that's letting their kid, likeBang the you know what, out of
(23:02):
the back of my seat for sixhours.
Then I am to one who has acrying child because the
pressure is bothering their ears.
So your spot you can?
you can control the kid that'skicking the seat.
Well, yeah, in theory.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
No, no, you can't.
I'm gonna tell you how I did,but go ahead Duct tape.
I did much better than that Iwas able, so Well, mm-hmm.
So we had this kid that I, andagain that that parent, that
wasn't paying attention.
Like it's, it's as you said,it's a difference between you
know, having your children beautonomous and actually
(23:38):
supporting them, and and be withthem Then letting them run, run
, just completely wild.
Well, we were flying from HongKong to India 747.
This is my mother and my wifeand I were flying there and this
kid I haven't had kids yet thiskid gets up off.
To see how this kid was sittingin the exit row was beyond me.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
But you know, does that see?
That doesn't have anything todo.
Yeah, that must have been.
That must have been a long timeago.
It was a long before they made,before they made those hardened
fast rules.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, which needed to be back then.
So this kid gets up, startshanging on the handle for the
emergency door.
Oh like and not hanging on thepart that says close, hang on
the part that says push here toopen.
Okay, listen.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
So that goes in the category of things you should.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Here's what I did.
I Basically I basically startedflagged off my attendance.
Somebody came over says no, no,no, no, no it's, and luckily
before.
I could everybody else for medown about it.
Yeah, so now this is.
This is the part that getsinteresting.
This kid was probably five, sixyears old, so now he keeps.
You know, he's sitting rightacross from us and he keeps.
Basically, he's a little toyand he keeps putting it on my
(24:49):
shoulder and I'm just, I'mtrying to mind, I'm busy, I'm
like what, what gives you theright to get in my personal
space?
Yeah, and his mom is justoblivious.
Yeah, she's reading something,what not?
So now nobody's looking.
I, I take the little toy that'sin his hand and I very gently
smacked out of his hands.
So it goes flying the farther,the plane right, and then I put
my headphones on open mymagazine and pretend like
(25:11):
nothing's ever happened nothingis like.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
It's like the.
What were they in Madagascar,the little?
So the lemurs nothing to seehere.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Well, this is so.
Of course, I have my head foropen just a little crack just to
see what's about to happen,because I that way, if I
Something happens, I'm gonnahave to explain to my family why
I just got in trouble like Itold you why you got arrested by
the and then taking the jailupon landing.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Told you last time I am probably I do for some sort
of a but whooping in an airportsomewhere.
I've done enough things topeople just just being a smart
aleck.
When they do dumb things tojust you know, if I do ever
something ever does happen whereI get in trouble, I'm gonna say
I probably deserve this.
I'm hoping it doesn't, butstill.
But so all I hear is this momjust going.
(26:02):
You know the kid go, mom, mom,that man took this toy and threw
my toy over there.
What not, I don't know.
This kid was like you know,he's touching my shoulders, toys
like I can't take 10 more hoursof this.
I'm like, oh, come on, juststop and I tried telling him to
stop and whatnot.
His mom clearly was anything.
So all I hear, all I hear ishis mom going.
(26:22):
What have we said about youlying about people and lying
about things?
You should not lie.
At that point half of me islike and take that.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
And half of me was like oh, I feel really bad now.
Yeah right, Do I let him takethe fall or not?
I let him take the fall.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
I let him take the fall.
You know what?
I let him take the fall.
I normally wouldn't, but thatkid deserved it.
That was a kid that wanted togo to the mom and say, when this
kid grows up and goes to highschool, you should be a bit
worried.
Like it was, like he's going tobe.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
he's going to respect Like you've got to have respect
for people.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
You've got to, at that age, travel the kids,
letting kids be curious but, letthem be respectful.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Yeah, what a good word for all of us.
It doesn't matter what age weare, as soon as you're old
enough to understand that, beingrespectful of those around you,
no matter what the situation,because we all know air travel
is trying a lot of the time andwe just have to do the best we
(27:35):
can.
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Nothing more you can do besides that.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
That's exactly right Keep your eye on the prize,
you're getting where you want togo in a record amount of time.
If you lived 100 years ago, itwouldn't be happening.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
That's exactly right.
No, that's exactly right.
And look, we're lucky that weget as you said, we get to fly
in these planes or planes, butat the end of the day you step
back and you think about howmuch to come.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
These are steel tubes , these are steel tubes with
engines in them.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
It's one of these things where we have to take a
step back and understand justthe way we talk about the back
of the house on hotels.
It's not an easy job to run anairline by any stretch.
If it was, everybody would doit.
Logistics and you see airlinesmelt down doing weather patterns
where their flights are allstuck somewhere, cruise time out
(28:25):
and whatnot.
You see now the union contractnegotiations.
It's not an easy job and wetalk about the moving parts of
our industry.
Imagine the moving parts theyhave and they have an antiquated
air traffic control system todeal with as well.
Yet it still happens and wecan't get passport control
(28:46):
unified on airports.
But airlines have it down whereyou get off of one tower, get
onto a different tower, theother different tower, contact
this tower and the entire timeyou're flying from Timbuktu to
Los Angeles.
You're in contact with somebodythe whole way and you're
talking to people in differentcountries who are you speaking
(29:08):
the exact same coded languageand it's just, oh, it's amazing
If you ever fly.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
It's like a giant machine with a gajillion cogs
all running at the same time,and when one of them breaks,
then the whole thing starts to.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Yeah, then stuff all apart, it's exactly If you ever
fly United.
They have this one thing that Iwish all airlines had, and it's
not a reason to give up loyaltyto anyone airline.
But and I did this one time Iwas flying them, I think at
where to where?
I think it was just somewherein the US, and so on one of
their channels.
(29:47):
You can hear the air trafficcontrol.
The communication from thebetween the air traffic control.
I kept that on the whole time.
Yeah, I was.
I have ADD when it comes totraveling.
I'm watching something on TV,I'm doing something, I'm doing
work and I'm listening to thisall at the same time.
Yeah, and I'm listening.
And it was literally.
I think we're flying from.
You know, it wasn't US, it wasactually from London.
We left London talking toHeathrow Tower, then talking to
(30:10):
So-and-So Tower, then hittingsome tower in Canada, then
hitting some tower in the US,then hitting some tower in
Chicago, then hitting some.
It was literally one after theother, and every one of them was
, you know, united.
Da, da, da.
And then the pilot respondedyou know, heading 260, climb to
3,400,.
You know, 3,400, climb to 4.
(30:32):
Think about that.
You're dealing with people,some people in the metric system
, some people in the imperialsystem, and yet everybody's
dealing on, you know, 34,000feet 40,000 feet.
Everybody's speaking the samelanguage.
Yeah, we can't even ordercoffee in that uniform way, and
yet these guys are flying theseadvanced pieces of equipment
with uniform language.
It's incredible.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Yeah, very good, very good point, very good point.
Absolutely, absolutely so.
So we will reconvene next month, yes, and we'll see what kind
of fodder the travel industrygives us between now and then.
And come with our next topics.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
I'm sure it's going to be a lot.
It's good there's not ashortage of materials.
I mean, as David Letterman said, that's exactly right, that's
exactly right.
And if we run our materials asDavid Letterman has.
If you always have stupid humantricks, we can always talk
about that.
Oh my gosh, yeah, OK.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Well, let's wait till we run out of stuff before we
turn that down that path.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Well, Robin, as always, it is great having you
host this podcast.
We're co-hosts.
We are co-hosts.
There you go.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
This is our co-episode.
So you'll find it on my podcastas well as on yours.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Yes, so the Intrepid Traveler and Sustainable Voice
both podcasts, several casts onboth places.
Check out both podcasts.
Check out Robin's podcast aswell as, of course, you're
listening here as well but checkout the Traveler.
Traveler it's a really greatpodcast and really, again, it's
about getting behind the scenes.
These are the things that thisindustry deals with in order to
make travel seamless.
(32:02):
So when you're on your nexttrip and you're having an
amazing time, think about thispodcast and all the things that
go behind the scenes, Beyond thelaughter, beyond everything
else, the stress that goes intothe scenes with one common goal
of just making sure you'resmiling.
So that's really key, Robin.
Any closing remarks before wesign off.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
No, I think it's all good.
Just think about, just worryabout the things you have
control over.
That's all that's exactly right.
Don't give the rest of itrent-free space in your head.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
I love it.
That's exactly right.
Better words than ever spoken.
So, as Robin said, don't giveit rent-free space in your head.
Be respectful.
Till next time.
Stay tuned, guys.
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
That wraps up today's episode of the Intrepid
Traveler.
Thank you for tuning in andthank you to today's guests for
joining me.
I'll be back again in two weekswith another exciting episode
featuring another guest with astory that is sure to pique your
interest.
Please subscribe to theIntrepid Traveler on your
favorite listening channel andgive us a review.
(33:05):
Once again, today's episode hasbeen brought to you by Clining
Co Travel Consulting, a luxuryadventure and expedition travel
planning company specializing inun-Googleable experiences.
Have you ever wondered how the pros put
together epic, tailor-madetravel adventures?
Welcome to the IntrepidTraveler Podcast.
I'm your host, robin Klein, andI'm going to explain to you
just how that is done during myconversation with today's guest.
When it comes to luxuryadventure and expedition travel,
the possibilities are endless.
(00:29):
In each episode, you'll hearfrom an expert in his or her
field about how theseexperiences, and more, are
created.
This episode of the IntrepidTraveler is brought to you by
Klein and Co Travel Consulting,a luxury adventure and
expedition travel planningcompany specializing in
un-Googleable experiences.
(00:49):
You can find us on the web atKleinandCoTravelcom.
On Instagram at Klein and CoTravel, we have a private
Facebook group you are welcometo join.
You can find us on LinkedIn orcatch the video version on
YouTube.
With that said, let's welcometoday's guest.
So Ashish and I have decidedwe're having so much fun doing
(01:11):
these episodes together thatwe're going to do it somewhat
regularly, and I hope thatyou'll enjoy listening to them
as much as we enjoy recordingthem.
We'll have one of these aboutonce a month, and the subject
matter will be what not to worryabout in travel.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Enjoy.
Welcome back.
This is Ashish and time foranother episode of what Robin,
what's it called?
What you shouldn't freak outabout?
Absolutely right, this is partof our monthly episodic feature
on our podcast.
I love having Robin as a guest.
Those of you who watched thefirst one, you saw that we had a
(01:50):
lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Wait, wait, wait.
I'm going to interrupt you here.
This is not a guest thing, thisis like no this is not.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right, that's right
.
Get it right, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, she's just right.
This is not even this point,not even a guest.
I mean, robin's been on thispodcast so many times.
I've been on her podcast somany times that, this point, we
might as well be co-hosts, whichwe technically are, so don't
freak out, right right, exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Well, let's wait for this one monthly thing.
We still have our.
We each still have our ownseparate things as well, but
this is a great co-hostingopportunity and I love being on
Robin's podcast.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Robin's got a podcast .
What's it called Robin again.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
The.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Interpreter Traveler.
I love her podcast.
Those of you who did theirlistening should check it out.
Her podcast is really coolbecause she gets a deep dive
into the inner workings of theindustry, Just kind of give you
a backstage view of the industry.
We see this beautiful, polishedproduct at the front.
It's sort of like walkingthrough a four seasons.
Right the front is amazing.
You're at the back of the houseand you go wow, this doesn't
(02:52):
look anything like the front.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Yeah, you figure out what it takes to actually make
it all work yeah, that's right.
Or when you get to go in akitchen at a Michelin-starred
restaurant.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Well, actually, you know what?
Let's start there, because thisjust happened to me.
I know this wasn't on our list,but I'm going to add it right
now Because we roll like that,because we roll like that so
things we shouldn't freak outabout.
So, general managers of hotelswho don't want you to see the
clutter behind the scenes, Iactually made this mistake and I
(03:23):
was on that.
I was at a luxury hotel inPhiladelphia.
I walked in, you know, theelevator had a line to go up to
the rooftop terrace.
So a couple of us were likewe'll just take the stairs.
And, you know, lisa Bain waswith me and Don Martinsen was
with me, and what could possiblygo wrong with those stairs?
Oh yeah, right.
So we went climbing up thesestairs and I was like, wow, this
(03:43):
is a beautiful hotel.
And I opened the door and Iliterally stopped and I go.
What just happened?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Like did you enter the Twilight Zone?
It was like bars and everything.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I literally looked at Lisa and I said when did we end
up at Alcatraz?
Yeah, I was supposed to not.
And so we started to hike upthese stairs and I think we
climbed 20 floors.
We walked up 20 floors and gotall the way up and we get out on
one floor and I guess there wasa manager who was there who was
mortified that we came in.
So we had to explain to him andsay, please don't worry.
Look, we work in this industry.
(04:16):
We know how cluttered the backof the house is.
You just want to tell you thatthe front of the house is
amazing.
Yeah, it is, it is absolutelyamazing, it's great.
And he said no, no, no, youcan't be back here, you can't be
back here.
He then proceeds to tell usthat he could get in trouble for
us having us there.
So I couldn't help myself.
I actually have to respond andI say there's a row of metal
(04:39):
staircases here and Any one ofthem I could get, I could get
cut on this metal in atechnoshop.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
But that's not a proge.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
That was very nice to do to him, but that's okay, or
if I fall off these stairs, beover, hit my head on a rail to
here.
That's not a problem, butbecause I saw messing like
around you're gonna get introuble for that.
So I feel, lisa, I said do me afavor throw me down that flight
of stairs right now that way.
Oh, we left it there.
Of course she didn't.
Thank goodness, you know, wehave people on listeners over.
(05:10):
Listeners are Industry focus.
Well, and we tell them you knowwhat First thing I learned about
social media about, you know,hotels, this it's okay to see
people to see you sweat.
In fact, it's a great thing itmeans they can see the effort
that goes into it.
You know the blood, sweat andtears that goes into the
finished product.
It's okay to let people seethat.
It's a great thing.
(05:31):
If the back of the house is asclean as a part of the house,
there's a problem cleanlinessyou still want.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
a little bit of chaos is okay, hey that's fine yeah.
I can't, I'll never forget.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I was.
There was a hotel in India thatI went into and I went to the
back of the house there again.
By accident, I see I seem totrespass these places a lot.
I Walked into this place and Isee VIP.
I see my name next to VIP.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
So of course, you knew something was wrong right
there.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Clearly I was newly married and my wife actually saw
that and she's like here's thebest part.
It didn't say my full name, itsaid a, she's Patel, because my
wife's made me this.
But tell so, I'm a VIP and mywife, I parent that took her
last name.
So of course my wife sees thatand she just has an ego trip.
(06:24):
She looks at me, she goesthat's the way it's gonna be,
just exactly it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Yeah, and you.
That's why you've been happilymarried for so long.
Any hotel hotel stories you'vegot oh my gosh, listen, I have
got so many hotel stories andnot not necessarily like bad
ones, but my brother is actuallya GM of big at one of the
bigger hotel chains that we allknow and has been in the hotel
(06:53):
business Industry since he wasin high school, like started as
a ballet parking cars at theRitz Carlton in Tyson's corner
in Virginia and has now been inthe industry for 30 plus years.
So yeah, yeah, we could go downthat rabbit hole, but.
But maybe we'll save that foranother time.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I just want to find out.
Message me which hotel he is,so I can go trespass the back of
the house of that hotel too.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Well, I'll say this he is such a neat freak, like
like it just you.
Probably in his hotel the backof the house looks the same as
the front.
Wow, he is like one of thesepeople that you know.
He walks into my house and helike starts reaching up a way up
high and like running hisfinger along edges and seeing if
there's dust and stuff likethat, and I'm like just no, no,
(07:41):
no, no, not in my house.
You know, in your hotel you doit too on.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
But so so in here with that stuff in my house.
You, you will laugh, as Iactually had a friend do that in
my house, came in and was likeoh well, it was what's happening
over here and I don't when look, wow, we keep our house very
clean, but it's still, and so hestarted showing that and I
stopped him and I gave him mycalendar.
He goes what are you showing me?
I said 200 of these days I'mnot home.
(08:06):
Yeah, my wife works full-timeas well, so unless you plan on
serving as a housekeeper for us,I'm not sure what you're
actually doing with that whiteright.
Right, oh, that was that.
Yeah, yeah, you know yeah, goahead.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Sorry guys, All right .
Speaker 2 (08:23):
So okay, let's, let's , let's let's jump in Now that
I've got a right.
So we've got a phone iscompletely off.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Let's move on to what we're not freaking out about.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, in the world of travel this week?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah, and shall I kick us off?
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
It's clear, clearly I'm I'm off in the weeks, that I
yeah, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Well, you know, it wouldn't be the same if you
weren't.
We're coming back to.
We're coming back to what we'retalking about here and that for
me today, anyway, it's theweather.
Yeah, after.
So this is being recorded June30th of 2023, and last week was
(09:05):
kind of earlier this week, Ishould say, was kind of
pandemonium in the airline worldanyway, because of storms and
things that were rolling through, and you know that is something
that none of us have anycontrol over and people
absolutely Flip out about it inairports, and you know, I'm
(09:28):
gonna get to here in just asecond.
I had that.
I understand like thefrustration, the aggravation and
all of that is isunderstandable, but it's it's
not anything that anybody can,can do anything about.
And when those storms rollthrough and they ground those
planes, you know that'sdefinitely a case of you'd
rather be on the ground wishingyou were in the air than in the
(09:50):
air wishing you were on theground.
Yeah 100% that's out, and I hada couple clients that got stuck
in Atlanta overnight.
You know, not much fun becausethe hotels fill up really fast
and then you're having to sit inthe airport all night and then
you know there is that overflowright now.
Problem with we don't have asmany flights back online still
(10:10):
as we did, you know, prePandemic I had a situation one
time where I had spent the nightin the Detroit airport and
luckily I did get out prettyearly the next day.
But you know when those flightsthe next day are already fully
booked.
And then they're trying to dealwith the issues of people that
had were canceled from the nightbefore and they're trying the
(10:32):
air traffic controllers, we'retrying to get it all squared
away and they're trying to geteverybody rebooked.
I mean, it's, it's really toughand tensions run high and sleep
deprivation does not help, butit is one of those things that,
like freaking out about it isnot gonna change it.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
No, you know what you know it's, it's, it's funny you
says, because I just I was justup in Canada with my, with my
family, just quick, get away upto the ice fields in Western
Canada.
And You're right, I mean youknow there was.
There were some issues thatpeople flying back to the
eastern part of Canada becauseof, because of weather and
because of the Smoke from thefires and different parts the
(11:12):
country and what I did.
You're right, you can't controlany of it and yet the freaking
out part is honestly because yousaw it happen at the airport.
I I draw a direct correlationto this right.
So you talk to any airlineright now.
They cannot find people fastenough to ratify new union
agreements.
They're hiring people I meannot by the tens, by the hundreds
(11:35):
and they're trying to bring itand the line they're trying to
skirt is qualified people versuswarm bodies.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
So the people who freak out the most are the ones
who actually complain about theunderstaffing.
But they're the cause, right,they're the cause.
I mean yeah it's like seeing,it's like literally it's like
Going to somebody's house beforeyou have children, seeing this
in children that are basicallyjust, absolutely just monsters
and going.
(12:03):
Forget it.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I don't want kids you know or thinking you could do a
better job and apparent youknow what?
I'm the perfect parent.
I don't have children, but I'mthe perfect parent.
So you, yeah, this.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, yeah, you should do this exactly like this
same thing with with this, andit's fun.
And again, right, with thosesame people that that freak out
are the ones who sit there justberate this poor gate agent and
berate this these.
It's not their fault.
There's a line that's a milelong, yes, and there, and could
you imagine Coming to work andyour job for that day is to be?
(12:39):
yelled at by every single personlike that Really, I mean for
words.
Did I tell you my story inCanada from last time about the
gentleman that pushed me out ofthe way, that I mentioned that
to you?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
I think we did talk about that on the last episode.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
So this was time around coming back, it almost
happened again and it was noteven somebody pushing, but it
was just somebody huffing andpuffing and whatnot and getting
on the plane and you know what.
What are you doing?
And they were freaking outabout, about this and something
you couldn't control.
You would have had a momentwhen we were flying back from
Columbia, this last trip, thatthe trip that I wish you were on
(13:15):
.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
And I wished I was too.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yes, exactly right, but this is what happened.
We're taking off and it wasn'tthis wasn't even weather, but it
could have been right.
So weather was rolling in themorning flying back to Florida,
and so there was there was a youknow, when we're taking off
there was a chance of like getdelayed a bit.
So there was obviously peoplewho were just antsy.
You were in Cartagena, flyingback and I don't know why you're
antsy?
because you're in Cartagena,you're in Columbia.
(13:39):
The worst that happened is youget to stay one more day in
paradise, right?
It's not like it's the otherworld, right?
So I guess one of the one ofthe people back there so he was.
He was in front of us in theline for the you know, getting
the back tax back for stuff hebought and he's freaking out
opening his bag.
Sports spouse is about to crybecause he's berating her and
(13:59):
whatnot, and he then looks overto Vicki our Vicki yeah.
I speak English, I know whatyou're saying, don't talk about
me.
And so I looked at him and saidsir, please calm down, she's on
your side.
Yeah, she's just telling youthat.
She's just telling us that thatshe feels sorry for you.
She's a sympathetic to yourdon't, don't, okay?
Well, karma's karma.
(14:19):
So we were taking off and wherewe on the runway, this is what
happened taking off, about tohit max speed, to take off, and
all of a sudden the brakes go on.
Okay, I thought something brokeon the plane.
I literally thought somethinghad broken.
I thought that we were about tohit something.
Yeah, and all of a sudden thepilot comes on says prepare for
a rival.
What, what?
(14:40):
We haven't taken off yet.
Was it that we did?
We, I worked to Florida.
What happened?
Yeah, yeah, it was back thegate.
Turns out that that samegentleman was in the back
verbally harassing and I thinkof us Abusing his wife.
Wow, he's unacceptable, right?
Speaker 1 (14:54):
I mean, yeah, they're acceptable, so good on, the
pilot got everybody off and saidwe're taking him off the plane
and I didn't know who he was.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
I saw the bags coming out the panel go.
Oh, that's him.
Wow, that's the same guy.
I remember those bags and itwas.
He was freaking out about theweather Because we're delayed.
It manifested itself into this.
This just tired at the anti, atthe, at the the line to get
your, your VAT tax back.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Yeah, and then?
Speaker 2 (15:20):
it manifested itself even further into this monster
who treats his wife In a waythat I can't even imagine.
Yeah, on an airplane, in frontof everybody thinking there's no
repercussions.
This man's now removed off theflight.
Who knows when he actually getson another flight to come home.
He's now delayed a whole notherday, at the very least because
(15:41):
he could, because he freaked out, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Well, I hopefully let his wife go without him.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
I mean so so surprisingly.
I mean, if I was there I wouldhave been like see you, sweetie.
I know I was like I exhaled her,but the kids were there were
kids there that have her kidswere watching him do this as
well.
So they all were taken off andI was like, yeah, you know what,
I think I'm, I think you'restaying in Columbia, or I'm
staying in Columbia, you goahead and go, yeah, right, but
but it was, yeah, it was it, butit all, it all manifested
(16:09):
itself, brought a simple plan ofnot having self-control.
So think you're spot on, likeyou know, yeah, what you?
You said the key thing youcan't control it, yeah, and if
you can't control it, I tellpeople all the time you're going
through airports, just askyourself two questions If you
can control it, then control.
What actions can you take tofix it?
Right, if it's something inyour control, then do something
(16:31):
about it.
But if you can't control it andnobody around you can control
it, unless you've got a directdial to the almighty, I think
you kind of have to just sitback and say you know, I mean,
it's there.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
That's exactly right, that's exactly right.
The lack of planning on yourpart does not constitute the
emergency on my part.
So when that kind of personcalls their travel agent or the
airlines or the person at thedesk, or whatever.
So either they might have cuttheir trip too short going home,
or might not have allowed themenough time getting there, or
(17:11):
whatever the case may be, thenyeah, yeah Well, that's a good
phrase, say it again.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
That's a really good phrase.
Say it again.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
The lack of planning on your part does not constitute
an emergency on my part.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I'm using that If you haven't trained my friend I am.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
I wish I could say that I came up with that, but I
didn't.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Well, I'll tell you what On this podcast, we're
saying you came up with it.
Now we haven't recorded it intoevidence.
You came up with it.
It is now officially enteredinto evidence.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Well.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I'll take credit for this yeah look, if you trade
market, you need any kind ofevidence for the patent.
Just let me know we have thisreporting All right, sounds good
.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Okay, so what's on your list?
What's on your list?
What are you not freaking outabout Mind's traveling?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
with families.
Mind's traveling with kids,with families.
Okay, so I travel with my kids,so I travel with my kid, with
my wife and family, right?
So I'll take you back and mykids are great travelers now,
but I have zero tolerance forpeople who pretend like they
were doing something horriblywrong because our kids are
crying on an airplane.
Okay, you know that person whojust looks at you with disdain
(18:20):
as if I have like a little keychain in the back of my kids.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
They're like turn on the crying.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
You know, here we go All right, yeah, let's go and
wait those people over there.
So I'll take you back to whenmy daughter was one.
We were flying to Costa Ricaand the air pressure was
bothering.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It was the first time on her plane.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Now my son mind you was a pro at this point.
Now when I say pro, here's whatI mean.
Okay, If you fly on JetBlueright now, they charge you for
your headphones.
My son is single heavilyresponsible for that.
They used to give headphonesfor free until they handed back
a whole bunch of headphones inpieces and then, after that
point, they're like okay, wecharge my headphones, look at
them and I go this is all you'redoing.
This is your problem when youget older.
(18:59):
I am making sure everybodyknows that this is your doing.
If you're paying two dollarsfor headphones.
It's because of you, and he wasproud of himself, yeah.
You know, but when you travelwith kids, they're curious.
You know we think about when wewere growing up.
Planes were a novelty, meaningthey were new, it was getting on
a plane.
(19:19):
It still is a novelty, right it?
still is something really cool,but it was something like.
You know, air travel is not aswhat was, something like it was
more reverence than it is today.
Right Today, it's like almostlike an air taxi in certain
cases.
For kids, it's not just the airtravel, it's the free wifi,
it's the, it's the entertainment, it's everything around, and
(19:40):
then there's just so much goingon they're taking in.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
And so you know, you have this but when you have a
young child.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
So I had my, my one year old daughter flying to
Costa Rica.
She's this is years ago, she's11 now, and she was crying on
the flight from Miami to SanJose.
She's screaming on the planebecause then I'm trying to
comfort her my wife is almost intears because she's mortified
so I said, let me have her.
And I'm holding her and she's,you know, trying to comfort her,
trying to give her something.
(20:07):
You know you make them just,you know, suck on a bottle or
something.
You can't just give them apiece of gum and say, here, chew
this, you know, especially whenthey're one, yeah, I mean I'll
try.
I'll try, but I mean I would I'mthe guy.
I'm the guy who gave mydaughter hot sauce when she was
like one by accident.
So so I mean I did by accident,it wasn't on purpose.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I promise so that's good, that's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Yes, that was like.
It was like it was touching hergums and whatnot and rubbing
her rubbing her gums becausethey were hurting her and then I
realized that my fingers werein hot sauce.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
And I was like, oh yeah, they're only going to hurt
, yeah, so back to the ears,back to the ears, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
So so the this woman this must have been in her
fifties, I think.
She looks over at me, justkeeps staring like oh you know,
and I'm looking at her and I'mlooking at my wife.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Now my wife is basically crying.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
At this point, you know, and I'm like, okay, hold
on.
So I picked my daughter up, Ihand her to.
This girl does lead.
I go here, you go.
She goes.
What are you doing?
I go.
Clearly, you know what.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
No, how to fix it.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
So here, oh my gosh, this oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I said no, you keep looking atus and you keep looking.
My wife is not crying becauseof how you're staring at her.
It's not.
I'm sorry that she's botheringyou.
I'm sorry that my daughter, myone-year-old daughter, who still
has no control over emotions,is bothering you.
I'm sorry that I brought her onthis airplane, but since you
(21:34):
are an experienced mother hereand she just goes no, no, no, no
, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Isaid okay, well then, all right,
if that's the case, then do youmind?
Yeah, you know, and I explainedto her.
I said you know, kids, adults,we all sense judgmentalized.
We can sense it comes off likelike a spear through you know, a
(21:57):
knife through butter or spearthrough Whatever, and I said
kids experience it as well.
I said her pressure is there.
The minute I started doing that, the amazing thing the men I
started, you know, talking tothis lady and getting her to
stop looking at us.
All of a sudden, my daughterstopped crying.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
She started tension, tension eased yeah, which you
kids sense it as well.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
So traveling with kids, I just I tell people you
know, look, when they're older,like I'm pretty strict with with
my kids, I you know.
Well, just just this last tripit was getting my daughter to
say thank you for somethingbecause she was complaining
about something Like what to say?
You have no right to complain,you should be saying thank you,
and it was there.
But when they're younger andwhatnot, it's to not let some of
(22:39):
those judgy eyes bother you.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Well, yeah, I mean that's the difference between
misbehaving or somebody beingill-behaved and somebody being,
you know, in pain or afraid, orit's right, something like that.
I mean that's, that's a totallydifferent thing.
I mean I'm gonna have adifferent.
I'm definitely gonna have adifferent reaction to a parent
that's letting their kid, likeBang the you know what, out of
(23:02):
the back of my seat for sixhours.
Then I am to one who has acrying child because the
pressure is bothering their ears.
So your spot you can?
you can control the kid that'skicking the seat.
Well, yeah, in theory.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
No, no, you can't.
I'm gonna tell you how I did,but go ahead Duct tape.
I did much better than that Iwas able, so Well, mm-hmm.
So we had this kid that I, andagain that that parent, that
wasn't paying attention.
Like it's, it's as you said,it's a difference between you
know, having your children beautonomous and actually
(23:38):
supporting them, and and be withthem Then letting them run, run
, just completely wild.
Well, we were flying from HongKong to India 747.
This is my mother and my wifeand I were flying there and this
kid I haven't had kids yet thiskid gets up off.
To see how this kid was sittingin the exit row was beyond me.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
But you know, does that see?
That doesn't have anything todo.
Yeah, that must have been.
That must have been a long timeago.
It was a long before they made,before they made those hardened
fast rules.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, which needed to be back then.
So this kid gets up, startshanging on the handle for the
emergency door.
Oh like and not hanging on thepart that says close, hang on
the part that says push here toopen.
Okay, listen.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
So that goes in the category of things you should.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Here's what I did.
I Basically I basically startedflagged off my attendance.
Somebody came over says no, no,no, no, no it's, and luckily
before.
I could everybody else for medown about it.
Yeah, so now this is.
This is the part that getsinteresting.
This kid was probably five, sixyears old, so now he keeps.
You know, he's sitting rightacross from us and he keeps.
Basically, he's a little toyand he keeps putting it on my
(24:49):
shoulder and I'm just, I'mtrying to mind, I'm busy, I'm
like what, what gives you theright to get in my personal
space?
Yeah, and his mom is justoblivious.
Yeah, she's reading something,what not?
So now nobody's looking.
I, I take the little toy that'sin his hand and I very gently
smacked out of his hands.
So it goes flying the farther,the plane right, and then I put
my headphones on open mymagazine and pretend like
(25:11):
nothing's ever happened nothingis like.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
It's like the.
What were they in Madagascar,the little?
So the lemurs nothing to seehere.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Well, this is so.
Of course, I have my head foropen just a little crack just to
see what's about to happen,because I that way, if I
Something happens, I'm gonnahave to explain to my family why
I just got in trouble like Itold you why you got arrested by
the and then taking the jailupon landing.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Told you last time I am probably I do for some sort
of a but whooping in an airportsomewhere.
I've done enough things topeople just just being a smart
aleck.
When they do dumb things tojust you know, if I do ever
something ever does happen whereI get in trouble, I'm gonna say
I probably deserve this.
I'm hoping it doesn't, butstill.
But so all I hear is this momjust going.
(26:02):
You know the kid go, mom, mom,that man took this toy and threw
my toy over there.
What not, I don't know.
This kid was like you know,he's touching my shoulders, toys
like I can't take 10 more hoursof this.
I'm like, oh, come on, juststop and I tried telling him to
stop and whatnot.
His mom clearly was anything.
So all I hear, all I hear ishis mom going.
(26:22):
What have we said about youlying about people and lying
about things?
You should not lie.
At that point half of me islike and take that.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
And half of me was like oh, I feel really bad now.
Yeah right, Do I let him takethe fall or not?
I let him take the fall.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
I let him take the fall.
You know what?
I let him take the fall.
I normally wouldn't, but thatkid deserved it.
That was a kid that wanted togo to the mom and say, when this
kid grows up and goes to highschool, you should be a bit
worried.
Like it was, like he's going tobe.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
he's going to respect Like you've got to have respect
for people.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
You've got to, at that age, travel the kids,
letting kids be curious but, letthem be respectful.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Yeah, what a good word for all of us.
It doesn't matter what age weare, as soon as you're old
enough to understand that, beingrespectful of those around you,
no matter what the situation,because we all know air travel
is trying a lot of the time andwe just have to do the best we
(27:35):
can.
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Nothing more you can do besides that.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
That's exactly right Keep your eye on the prize,
you're getting where you want togo in a record amount of time.
If you lived 100 years ago, itwouldn't be happening.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
That's exactly right.
No, that's exactly right.
And look, we're lucky that weget as you said, we get to fly
in these planes or planes, butat the end of the day you step
back and you think about howmuch to come.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
These are steel tubes , these are steel tubes with
engines in them.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
It's one of these things where we have to take a
step back and understand justthe way we talk about the back
of the house on hotels.
It's not an easy job to run anairline by any stretch.
If it was, everybody would doit.
Logistics and you see airlinesmelt down doing weather patterns
where their flights are allstuck somewhere, cruise time out
(28:25):
and whatnot.
You see now the union contractnegotiations.
It's not an easy job and wetalk about the moving parts of
our industry.
Imagine the moving parts theyhave and they have an antiquated
air traffic control system todeal with as well.
Yet it still happens and wecan't get passport control
(28:46):
unified on airports.
But airlines have it down whereyou get off of one tower, get
onto a different tower, theother different tower, contact
this tower and the entire timeyou're flying from Timbuktu to
Los Angeles.
You're in contact with somebodythe whole way and you're
talking to people in differentcountries who are you speaking
(29:08):
the exact same coded languageand it's just, oh, it's amazing
If you ever fly.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
It's like a giant machine with a gajillion cogs
all running at the same time,and when one of them breaks,
then the whole thing starts to.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Yeah, then stuff all apart, it's exactly If you ever
fly United.
They have this one thing that Iwish all airlines had, and it's
not a reason to give up loyaltyto anyone airline.
But and I did this one time Iwas flying them, I think at
where to where?
I think it was just somewherein the US, and so on one of
their channels.
(29:47):
You can hear the air trafficcontrol.
The communication from thebetween the air traffic control.
I kept that on the whole time.
Yeah, I was.
I have ADD when it comes totraveling.
I'm watching something on TV,I'm doing something, I'm doing
work and I'm listening to thisall at the same time.
Yeah, and I'm listening.
And it was literally.
I think we're flying from.
You know, it wasn't US, it wasactually from London.
We left London talking toHeathrow Tower, then talking to
(30:10):
So-and-So Tower, then hittingsome tower in Canada, then
hitting some tower in the US,then hitting some tower in
Chicago, then hitting some.
It was literally one after theother, and every one of them was
, you know, united.
Da, da, da.
And then the pilot respondedyou know, heading 260, climb to
3,400,.
You know, 3,400, climb to 4.
(30:32):
Think about that.
You're dealing with people,some people in the metric system
, some people in the imperialsystem, and yet everybody's
dealing on, you know, 34,000feet 40,000 feet.
Everybody's speaking the samelanguage.
Yeah, we can't even ordercoffee in that uniform way, and
yet these guys are flying theseadvanced pieces of equipment
with uniform language.
It's incredible.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Yeah, very good, very good point, very good point.
Absolutely, absolutely so.
So we will reconvene next month, yes, and we'll see what kind
of fodder the travel industrygives us between now and then.
And come with our next topics.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
I'm sure it's going to be a lot.
It's good there's not ashortage of materials.
I mean, as David Letterman said, that's exactly right, that's
exactly right.
And if we run our materials asDavid Letterman has.
If you always have stupid humantricks, we can always talk
about that.
Oh my gosh, yeah, OK.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Well, let's wait till we run out of stuff before we
turn that down that path.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Well, Robin, as always, it is great having you
host this podcast.
We're co-hosts.
We are co-hosts.
There you go.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
This is our co-episode.
So you'll find it on my podcastas well as on yours.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Yes, so the Intrepid Traveler and Sustainable Voice
both podcasts, several casts onboth places.
Check out both podcasts.
Check out Robin's podcast aswell as, of course, you're
listening here as well but checkout the Traveler.
Traveler it's a really greatpodcast and really, again, it's
about getting behind the scenes.
These are the things that thisindustry deals with in order to
make travel seamless.
(32:02):
So when you're on your nexttrip and you're having an
amazing time, think about thispodcast and all the things that
go behind the scenes, Beyond thelaughter, beyond everything
else, the stress that goes intothe scenes with one common goal
of just making sure you'resmiling.
So that's really key, Robin.
Any closing remarks before wesign off.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
No, I think it's all good.
Just think about, just worryabout the things you have
control over.
That's all that's exactly right.
Don't give the rest of itrent-free space in your head.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
I love it.
That's exactly right.
Better words than ever spoken.
So, as Robin said, don't giveit rent-free space in your head.
Be respectful.
Till next time.
Stay tuned, guys.
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
That wraps up today's episode of the Intrepid
Traveler.
Thank you for tuning in andthank you to today's guests for
joining me.
I'll be back again in two weekswith another exciting episode
featuring another guest with astory that is sure to pique your
interest.
Please subscribe to theIntrepid Traveler on your
favorite listening channel andgive us a review.
(33:05):
Once again, today's episode hasbeen brought to you by Clining
Co Travel Consulting, a luxuryadventure and expedition travel
planning company specializing inun-Googleable experiences.
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