Gross may be correct that because coast to coast flights save so much time their customers are willing to put up with the countless indignities and time wasting shoe searches.

But many are choosing to avoid the shorter and mid range flights. Next week I will leave from the St. Louis area to the Detroit area for several days worth of business. Its about 1 1/2 hours by plane give or take a few minutes. If I travel by plane my expenses will be paid.

I am driving my own vehicle because I simply refuse to subject myself to the indignity of the stupid preflight rules that now exist in this country, in fact I refuse now to fly anywhere that can be reached by land. Yes the airlines are making more money, good for them. They will not get any of mine.

Last year, in one of these so called efficient smaller planes I was fortunate enough to share a row of seats with two women who easily weighed 700 pounds between the two of them. I literally sat sideways in the seat while still having the overflowing cellulite hanging over the tops of my legs. The woman by the window smelled as if she hadn't bathed or taken care of any other hygene in months. The woman to my left was not understanding of my plight and the fact that the side of my head was pressed to within about two inches of hers.

It was easily the longest hour and a half of my life. Had that plane been delayed I would have had to leave it as there were no empty seats to move to. In fact a hijacking and crash to my death would have been welcome half way through that nightmare, It took three trips to the chiropractor to straighten my back

Yes it will be approx. a ten hour drive, compared to two hours of being treated like a criminal, sequestered in an area where service and food is at highway robbery prices, packed like sardines in tiny aircraft and then forced to sit or taxi at both ends for at least 1/2 hour, or more if the weather is bad, a 1 1/2 hr flight, then wait for another 1 or maybe two hours for my bags at the other end, add another hour or so for the rental car hassles and then still have to drive to my hotel its just not worth it.

Sorry Airlines you are not worth it to me, even when someone else is paying, I will travel in the comfort of my own familiar automobile, use my cell phone at my leisure, listen to whatever entertainment I choose at my own volume selection, stop and get decent food at reasonable prices in a relaxing environment at mine own liesure. I will arrive at the hotel perhaps a little tired from the drive but not 1/2 as stressed as if I had used the services of an airline company.

A nice thing about living in the middle of this continent, there are few places I cannot reach within about 24 hours or less by car. If i get tired all I have to do is to remember the stench of that one huge woman whose body fell all over the top of mine where I had no escape. And there are now thousands upon thousands of convienence stores that sell good ole black coffee, cheap.