Defense of the Commercial AIRLines

American comedians always joke about the torment of domestic flights in the United States. Since the Twin Towers collapsed in New York City in 2001, the evolution of jokes and airplanes have evolved. At first protocols were supposed to protect Americans from terrorist attacks - from box cutters to remote bombs hidden in the shoes and underwear - and now these preventative measures are a nuisance. It’s hard to bridge these points to my experiences in Japan since most of my commercial economic flights have been pleasant. One microcosm is the design of the plastic trays attached to back of the JAL seats. I never noticed how they were designed for convenience. 
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After extending the tray from the back of the chair, like origami, the tray folds two ways, and the depression where you place your cup of apple juice appears twice - or even three times if you counted the cup holder that can be materialized when the tray locked in its original setting. Folding the tray halfway creates more private space if you want to enjoy your beverage comfortably with your legs stretched under the chair in front of you. Unfolding the tray completely allows you to work in a narrow vicinity. On travels I write on a 9.7 inch by 10.2 inch ipad with a logicool bluetooth keyboard, but the tray seems capable of holding eight pounds - certainly my textbooks, novels and can beverages. Even though I sat in an economy seat on a domestic flight, I felt all the amenities as if I were travelling internationally.
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I thought the details that went into an object or artwork was a portent of the experience. On this flight from Tokyo to Okinawa I haven’t even mentioned the television screen embedded to the back of the seat, the hours of entertainment on the JAL television program, and the kindness of the flight attendants to allow my friend to use my check-in weight (twenty kilograms) so that she could transfer all of her items from Okinawa to Canada in a single trip and without overcharge. I also didn’t mention my penchant for American avarice when they removed or negotiated flyers from their purchased seats so they could gain the largest profits. Perhaps America could learn from Japan that a person’s travelling experience doesn’t have to be a point of humor.

John Tang - 6 February 2022