Joys of Flying
We are trying to go to Boston today to look at colleges. Carter came home all excited from a good day at school in anticipation of this fun long weekend. Even Russ was on time from the office and we got to the airport in record Friday afternoon traffic time. The airport is full of college students traveling on this long weekend. It appears to be some kind of college marketing rule that students flying through RDU be required to wear at least one item of identifiable college clothing.  
Apparently the weather in the Northeast is very bad so the flight coming into RDU was delayed. There is nothing I hate more than hurry up and wait. As Delta made a very slow roll to put us on the flight that was all ready and hour and a half late, we knew it was not a good sign. Sure enough once we were all strapped in and heating up from the lack of air conditioning the captain lets us know that our window of take off had been pushed back by another hour. So here we sit trapped and sardine like with the door open. The excitement of going to Boston has already worn off for Carter.  
Thanks to Russ always doing everything to get the exit row we at least have leg room. The flight attendant just brought us water in hopes that will keep us pacified. I went to put my tray table down to place my water on and she told me I was not allowed to use it since I was in an exit row. No where does it say I can’t use it.  
“Why can’t I use it while we are just sitting here?” I ask.
“You can’t because you are in an exit row.”
When I ask her what kind of emergency we are going to have sitting at the gate with the door open Carter gives me that, “Stop breaking the rules look.”

  
I opened my “Safe and Secure” instructions for exit row passengers and can’t find a rule about not using my tray table, but I came upon a disturbing message that “Exit Weight not to exceed 42 pounds.”

  
I start to look around for any infants and toddlers who are going to be the only ones I throw out the window in case of emergency. Of course the under 42 pound people would have no trouble fitting around my tray table if I were allowed to put it down. Maybe they want that extra room for the parents to come and throw their own child out the window.
Maybe this flying to look at colleges will make Carter want to go to school closer to home. Certainly driving on I-95 is looking better than flying.