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Will Lyrics Soon Be: Come (Unbutton Your) Fly With Me?


Remember the Sinatra song inviting you to take to the air? The lyrics don’t mention the normal human need to use the onboard toilet while up there in the sky.

Airlines continue to create and hike all kinds of extra fees for flying. Therefore, a recent news item about a top airline official mentioning the possibility of putting pay toilets on passenger planes shouldn’t be surprising. His reason was to raise “discretionary revenue.” Hmm. Wouldn’t that better be described as “excretionary revenue”?

Of course, pay toilets are still flourishing in tourist cities around the world. When in Rome recently, we visited the Colosseum, and its toilets were coin-operated, pay-as-you-go. Also, in Paddington Station in London, it was similar rip-off. 

One newswriter said if they install pay toilets aboard flights, it could have a backlash effect of losing money for the airline. He predicted passengers would then avoid buying expensive drinks, so that they wouldn’t have to use the toilets while in flight.

To misquote a phrase by Sir Walter Scott, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we charge to relieve!”
London, UK: Fun Day Trips From The Big City PDF Print E-mail


London offers endless arrays of historic sites, monuments and museums. Once you’ve seen and done it all there, consider day trips out in the English countryside.

Here are five interesting day trips within easy access:

Windsor Castle, 30 miles, is the oldest and largest still-occupied castle in the world. It’s the Queen’s official residence. Windsor city is more than the castle, filled with museums and historic buildings. A tour of the Castle includes the Royal Collection of art masterpieces.

Visitors can climb 200 feet to the top of castle's Round Tower, with great views of the Castle and Windsor Great Park, the Thames River and London skyline. windsor.gov.uk     royalcollection.org.uk

Stonehenge: 90 miles, in Salisbury is an ancient circular monument of giant stones. Still a mystery to scientists, it’s believed to be a burial site. The stones and circles are lined up with annual sun positions. stonehenge.co.uk

Experience Shakespeare, 120 miles, in his hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon. It’s also home to the historic Royal Shakespeare Company, with frequent schedules of The Bard’s plays. stratford-upon-avon.co.uk

Hit The Beach: Brighton, 60 miles, is the typical, all-year English seaside resort, with piers, amusements, pubs, restaurants and pavilions. tourism. brighton.co.uk

Paris, France: (3 hours) The Chunnel train runs under the English Channel between England and France. The high speed rail service offers an easy day journey from downtown London to downtown Paris for a rexaxing meal and theater. Round trip fares start at about $150 roundtrip. eurostar.com

 
 
 
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