Traveling is Nuts

Hi all,

It feels like I've been anywhere but home this entire summer as I jumped from location to location for many different reasons.  I've been to 6 states alone in the last couple of months, and now that I'm back in my own home and kitchen I am thankful.  Traveling may be hard on the tummy, but that's just one problem.

It's nuts.  It's those damn peanuts on planes.

I know, I know what you're thinking: Another whiner and complainer trying to take away my plane peanuts.  Doesn't she know that those peanuts are the only reason that I get on a plane?  If they switched to pretzels, I'd damn near drive everywhere!

It's not as if I truly care what anyone eats as long as I don't have to eat peanuts, but in such a small, confined space complete with re-circulated air, flying becomes a dangerous gamble.  Depending on the amount of nut-eaters around me, I may have a very small reaction.  Recently though, I've had several bad experiences on planes.

We'll start with a big problem I had flying Southwest- they gave every passenger about 3 or more packets of peanuts.  There was such an overwhelming amount of peanut dust and smell flying through the air because of Southwest's "generosity" I couldn't breathe.  When a passenger starts to turn green, has trouble clearing her airways, and feels like she's going to pass out, I think it's time to re-evaluate the worth of other passengers' beloved peanuts.

Now what would those peanut fanaticals say in response to my plight?  Don't fly lady, if you're allergic!  For some people who don't travel as much, that may be an option.  But it's not for me.  I wish those nut zealots would just consider that if they could just make peace with pretzels, I could breathe.  Another human being could breathe normally.

I've signed countless petitions for airlines to fly nut-free throughout the years.  Although some have definitely complied, others, like Southwest have not.  I had no control over what airline I flew when I had to get on that Southwest flight (because of the location), but they had control of what they could have chosen to serve on the flight.

It's not just the people eating the peanuts that causes a problem either.  I flew Delta as well during my months of travel, and when I boarded one of my flights there were peanuts all over the floor and riddled about everywhere.  Because of tight airline schedules, companies don't really clean anymore between flights.  So now, its not only the peanut air, it's the peanutty chairs, tables, and even windows.  Getting rashes from sitting on a flight isn't any better than not being able to breathe.

Listen, whenever I can I fly peanut-free airlines, but it's not always an option.  The economy has changed the competition and less airlines fly to less places.  Sometimes, you only have nut airlines to choose from.  It seems like an age-old complaint: stop serving peanuts on airplanes!

It's just too easy to not serve peanuts, and that's why I don't understand why they still do.