There Were No Baggage Fees Before 9/11
Hi, I’m Gabrielle Blair and this is my newsletter. It’s completely free to access and read, but if you feel so moved to support my work, please consider a paid newsletter subscription: just $5/month or save money with the $50/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Founding Member at $75. Thank you! Seriously, thank you. Support from readers keeps this newsletter ad and sponsor-free.
Hey there. How was your week? Are you feeling those September vibes? Maybe you picked up a new notebook, or sharpened some pencils? Made some plans for the fall?
Tomorrow marks 20 years since September 11th. Earlier this week, in discussions about that day, I saw someone ask: Wait… there were no baggage fees before 9/11?!?!?!
Are you old enough to remember what air travel was like back then? The last flight I took before 9/11 was on August 2, 2001. I had a long flight to New York with my 2-year-old, Maude, and 4 year old, Ralph. I was also 8 months pregnant. Not an ideal time to fly, I know!
But we were moving to NYC so my husband, Ben Blair, could do his PhD at Columbia, and his semester would start just a few weeks later. Ben wasn’t flying with me, because he had left a week earlier, driving a truck of our belongings across the country (with the help of my brother Jared), in time to meet me and the kids when we landed.
When it was time to head to the airport, Grandma and Grandpa Mac came with me to help out. Neither of them had plane tickets, but they walked with me right to the gate — no special permission needed. Then (and this is amazing to me) Grandpa Roger was allowed to COME ON THE PLANE WITH ME to help get the kids and car seats settled. Once we were all set, he said good bye and left the plane.
It was so civilized and made so much sense. I still miss it.
What about you? Any memories of travel before 9/11? Beyond travel, are there other things that changed for you? I know there’s lots of commentary about September 11th this week — have you read anything (or listened to anything) that was especially good?
(If you're curious, 3 weeks after my flight with the kiddos, on August 25th, our third baby was born. Then 3 weeks later, on September 11th, the world changed forever. And a couple months after that, I had a full mental breakdown — big move? new baby? 9/11? who knows!
We couldn't afford a doctor, so my brother-in-law, a psychiatrist, diagnosed me over the phone and mailed me a box of patient samples of Wellbutrin. Happily, the drugs worked. Once my head was right, I got a job as a Senior Art Director at Draft, and loved working in Manhattan. The end.)
Here Are A Few Things I’ve Wanted to Share With You
-I wrote a new Twitter thread. It’s about LDS doctrine and abortion, and it brings up questions about how odd it is that Mormons care so much about this topic. I heard from a lot of people who aren’t Mormon, but who read it and found it really interesting and applicable to other religions as well. I hope you enjoy it. (I also expanded it as an essay and put it on Substack for paid subscribers — but the free version is available on Twitter.)
- A straight-up delightful essay about a man hiking through the Alps with his pregnant wife, two young kids, and a donkey. (References to the nativity story do come up and they are charming.)
-I feel this tweet so much. How do you convince someone of the value of compassion?
-Related, an opinion piece about unvaccinated people and scarce ICU beds. It mentions the term “compassion fatigue” which is new to me. How are you feeling about the reports of unvaccinated people using up resources and preventing cancer patients from getting timely medical care?
- A satisfyingly spicy essay from Meg Conley. It starts with eat-the-rich vibes and then goes DEEP into the history of kitchen design and how it intersects with sexism, racism, communism and more.
-Half of my family recently read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Have you heard of it or read it? We can’t stop talking about it.
-I was arguing with a man on twitter this week. He was insistent that the new Texas abortion restrictions are just an example of compromise between both political parties. I couldn’t fathom the idea of compromise in this context. One party wants to take away rights from women. The other party doesn’t. Where in the world does he think the compromise should be? I feel the same way about voting rights — this tweet sums it up nicely:
-Loved learning this little language tidbit:
-Reported this week in the NYTimes: The richest 1% evade $163 billion a year in taxes they legally owe but just don't pay. To be clear this isn't referring to raising taxes on the wealthy. This is true right now. Under current legal code they owe, but haven't paid $163 BILLION each year. (And just imagine if we were taxing them at the rates we should be taxing them.)
-Hahaha.
-An exploration — with research backed up by data — into what has caused American polarization over the past two decades. (Hint: Fox News makes an appearance.) This article was fascinating and I learned a ton.
-Really enjoyable thread about ham and cheese and how we wouldn’t have hardback books without them.
-Easy DIY: Make This Industrial-Chic Cement Pencil Holder.
Feel free to share your thoughts in response to anything above. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
kisses,
Gabrielle
Actually baggage fees started in 2008 with maybe an airline or two in 2007. 9/11 changed flying in many many ways but it did not produce baggage fees. It did produce fear and anxiety in travel. Something that continues to this day.
I tell everyone I meet to read "Project Hail Mary". The audiobook was particularly enjoyable. Also in a similar vein to the article about the donkey is a fantastic book called "Running With Sherman" (donkeys, elite athletes, mental health and Amish people! What more could you want?)