Globalize Me

First off, I just have to say, I took the Delta Shuttle between Washington and New York this weekend and it was wonderful. I got to relax in comfortable terminal while sipping free coffee and reading my free Washington Post before getting on a 50 minute flight where I was actually fed. Had I had my laptop with me I would have been online for free and writing about the experience right then and there. It was such a great flying experience, I would do it everyday if it weren't so incredibly impractical, expensive, and environmentally bad.

Anyway, I was sharing this story of the joy of the Delta Shuttle and discussing Globalization, specifically The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, with some friends and I heard a great story about what our world is coming to:

Wife was flying to visit some family and the weather was horrible. Flights
have been delayed and cancelled all day, but so far her flight is fine.
She is sitting in the airport talking to Husband on the cell phone.
Husband decides to check the status of Wife's flight. To both of their
surprise, the airline's website shows the flight as cancelled. Husband
tells Wife to get up to the counter and get on a new flight before they announce
the cancellation in the airport (which they haven't done yet). Still on
the phone, Wife goes up to the counter while Husband checks flights
online. Wife asks at counter if there are any seats on the next flight and
is told "No." Meanwhile, it has been announced that the flight is
cancelled and there is now a huge line behind Wife at the counter. Husband
says to her, "Ask them about seat 9B." So Wife says to employee, "I
understand seat 9B is available." The employee remarks, "My, you are
correct, I don't know how I missed that. Let me get you on that
flight." Husband watches online as seat 9B disappears from the list of
available seats online.

I was amazed when I heard that story. I am not so surprised that it can be done, but that it was done. It is one of those things I need to keep in my bag of tricks. The world truly is getting "flat." Anyone, anywhere can find out almost anything they want and use it to help themselves or others. Three cheers for the internet, cell phones, and airline employees who know when they are beaten.