Back on the Plane Gang, Part II
Posted by Pete Robbins on Jul 5th 2020
Took my chances on a big jet plane
Never let them tell you that they're all the same
I may be the dumbest man in America, but I really have an urge to fish, and I’m feeling well, so I’m headed to America’s last frontier of Alaska. I mean, I’m not inviting the virus to attack me – anyone non-professional who welcomes “herd immunity” needs to be reminded that some viruses – like the one that causes chickenpox/shingles and the worst kinds of herpes – stay in your body forever, popping out at inopportune times.
But I can’t live in a bubble, and right now my bubble is expanding westward.
It helps that we’re flying Alaska Air, which in my experience is a conscientious carrier (not the bad kind of “carrier”) that has developed a protocol around the virus. They also allow you to roll over your tickets for up to a year up until the time of the flight. Nor does it hurt that Alaska effectively requires us to get a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of entering the state, or else quarantine ourselves for 14 days. Furthermore, I’ve watched every video possible and scoured every travel site for tips on how to minimize exposure. I’m traveling with gallons of sanitizer, lots of disinfectant wipes, and still have time for Amazon Prime to deliver a full body condom.
Is it stupid? I don’t know.
Is it totally rational? I don’t know that, either.
It’s somewhere in-between, and even if I do get sick or don’t get sick, that’s not necessarily indicative of the quality of my decision making. Hell, I’m not even taking a risk for my first love – bass – but rather to go to a state that effectively has none of them. Still, I really became enamored of the Bristol Bay region last year, and after telling Hanna about it for 12 months it seems almost unfair to deprive her for 12 more, so we’re getting on the big bird.
