Frequent Flier
My Anxiety in Flight, After Free Fall in an Elevator
Published: December 27, 2010
Quote : I’LL be the first one to admit that I’m not a great frequent flier. It’s not just the delays and cancellations; it’s actually the process of flying.
Craig Woerz is a founder and managing partner of Media Storm.
Q. How often do you fly?
A. About three to six flights per month, all domestic.
Q. What’s your least favorite airport?
A. I don’t like any of them since I don’t like to fly. But if I had to pick one, it would be O’Hare.
Q. Of all the places you’ve been, what’s the best?
A. With all the domestic travel I do, I hadn’t ventured overseas. But two years ago, I went to Florence and all through northern Italy. It was amazing.
Q. What’s your secret airport vice?
A. I love my family and miss them when I travel, so instead of using airport or airplane Wi-Fi signals for work, I love to iChat with my kids. I know that’s not a vice, but maybe it is a guilty pleasure.
I used to be O.K. with it and even now, you’d never know I was a little fearful. But I am, although I know that flying is safer than other modes of transport.
About 10 years ago, I experienced free fall in an elevator. Everybody always talks about what they would do if they were in an elevator and it started dropping. Let me tell you, you do nothing. It all happens very quickly.
I was meeting my prospective client on the 37th floor. The elevator was crowded, but by the time we got close to my floor, I was the last person on. I had a weird feeling. Then the lights went out and the thing started dropping. The elevator stopped after it went down about 10 floors, and the doors opened and I got out.
People were milling around and I was told there was a malfunction. No kidding. Apparently, a fire alarm was triggered, and that was supposed to send the elevators down at a slow pace. This one just happened to drop more quickly.
I got back on the elevator, believe it or not, and went to my appointment to make my presentation. I didn’t tell the prospective client what happened, but he could tell something was wrong. I eventually did get his business. Ironically, he wound up being an employee a few years later.
So the elevator incident convinced me that heights and enclosed spaces really can be a bad combination.
To take the edge off of flying, I have a routine. I usually fly out of the same airports, which means I can go to the same coffee shops, clubs and often see the same ticket agents. Once on board, I’ll log on to Wi-Fi, if it’s available, and distract myself.
Still, weird things happen.
I was on a very turbulent flight last year. All of a sudden, the oxygen masks dropped down and the attendants flung themselves into their seats. I was a little freaked, but I put the oxygen mask on. I was a little more freaked when it didn’t fill up. I hit the wrong button. I wasn’t the only one.
After what seemed like an hour, but was really only a minute or two, the pilot came over the speaker system and told us that he had unintentionally hit the wrong control button while trying to send cooling air into the main cabin.
People who are relaxed on planes really have it made. But there is a point where you can be too relaxed. I was sitting next to a woman who actually took off her shoes and stockings and gave herself a little pedicure. That wasn’t fun.
Then there was a time a guy literally laid down in the aisle. I thought something horrible was happening. But then I was told he thought it would be “fun” if someone checked his blood pressure. I didn’t know you had to lie down for that, but I’m sure his was fine.
Good thing they didn’t check mine.
By Craig Woerz, as told to Joan Raymond. E-mail: joan.raymond@nytimes.com.
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