What irritated me about that is that right in front of me in line there was a guy on crutches with a cast from his hip down and they made no effort to accommodate him.

There was no special line? When I was on crutches (and much less dramatically injured), I got taken to the front of lines pretty much every time I flew.

The times I've noticed I'm flying with celebs, they've been treated in a pretty standard VIP way -- same as, it seemed, Admiral Class (or airline's equivalent) -- they (except Bradley Cooper, who had none) grabbed their own bags, or had a retinue for it.

Though, I can't lie, there was this one time my father had the High Commission car pull up to the plane and take us to a room where we waited while someone not us got our bags and processed our customs and immigration while we had tea and biscuits. Most of the rest of the time he'd just meet me at the gate and take me to the front of lines.

I think by "jaded" he means "unimpressed with my celebrity."

Yeah, that's just skeevy as hell.

I was thinking about defending the desire to be with someone "non-jaded" but after reading the full context, I think, not.

Yeah, without the quote I could see who it was meant in a non-skeevy way, but after the quote.... ::shiver::

He got a phone call from Drew Carey, who was listening to the station on the Disneyworld radio network while he was packing after his vacation, and felt so sorry for the host that he decided to call and give the man an interview.

This is why I love Drew Carey, even if I don't really like his show any more.

Speaking of express luggage handling and Disney (and flying, which is sort of on-topic, right?), did y'all see that Disneyworld is doing a special program with a few airlines that, if you're staying at one of their resort and you put a special tag on your luggage before leaving your hometown airport, you don't have to wait for it in Orlando--it'll get delivered directly to your room. Same thing on the way back--you check out and hand over your luggage at the front desk, and then you don't have to worry about it until you get back home.

Out of the many good ideas that Disney has had at their parks and hotels over the years? That may be the best. I would so pay money for that service.

From the Chicago Tribune:

The nearly 20 resort hotels within the Walt Disney World complex in Florida have announced a new no-hassle baggage system for both inbound and outbound travel that will begin May 5. And, for 18 months, you won't even have to pay for it.

Here's how it works. You can arrange your accommodations at a Disney World hotel the way you usually do—through a travel agency, online, as part of a package or whatever—and you must fly to/from Orlando International Airport on American, Continental, Delta/Song or United/Ted.

Then, 10 days or more before departure, reserve your "Disney's Magical Express" transfer in Orlando. Disney will send you special tags to apply to your baggage.

When you check in your bags at your home airport, that's the last time you see or handle them until they arrive at your hotel room. On arrival at Orlando, you go right past the baggage claim and head for the Disney shuttle to your hotel. The "Magical Express" folks will claim your bags and deliver them to your hotel.

On departure, you can get a boarding pass and check your bags for the flight in the hotel lobby—whenever you leave your room, but at least three hours before departure time. You don't have to see or handle them again until you arrive back at your home airport.

The new service is especially helpful on your return if you have an 11 a.m. checkout time and an evening flight home.

I bolded that one bit because that's the first time I noticed it--does that mean that you don't have to check-in at the airport? How cool!

There was no special line?

No, but this was about 15 years ago. Maybe Customs has seen the light since then. It was was also during a period when Customs was severely understaffed, so I understood the rest of us having to wait.

Note to self: become a celebrity so I can smuggle contraband through customs hassle-free.

become a celebrity so I can smuggle contraband through customs hassle-free.

Was it Diana Ross that didn't work for?

On my flight back from England in 2003, Virgin Atlantic bumped me up to first class (which I'm still kvelling about) and I was directed to a discreet little "first class" security line which was much shorter than the regular.

I still had to walk like a mile (I'm not kidding, and I'm used to walking goodly distances, too) to my gate from there, and mix with the hoi polloi until we boarded, but by gosh and golly I got Special Security Treatment because I was a First Class passenger.

(Let me pause to reflect that, in fact, a large number of the 9/11 hijackers flew first class.)

Was it Diana Ross that didn't work for?

And Aaron Sorkin, just as his celebrity was at its most recent apex.