A Delta Connections flight, operated by Pinnacle Airlines, was canceled out of upstate New York late this week. Big deal, you say, the Northeast was hit by (yet another) big snowstorm at the end of the week; lots of flights were canceled. Well, this is true, but weather wasn’t a factor in this particular instance.

Mechanical problems? Drunk pilot? A bomb threat? An unruly passenger? You’re getting warmer, but, no, none of these was the reason the Rochester-to-Atlanta flight was dropped. Instead, as the plane returned to its gate after a passenger suffered a panic attack, a “spat” apparently broke out between two female flight attendants. The pilot, in ”an abundance of caution,” according to a Pinnacle spokesman, made the decision to cancel the flight. The 75 passengers said they were told they had to get off the plane because the stewardesses were fighting (can you imagine hearing that announcement coming over the speakers?!), and they were found alternate travel arrangements.

We’ve all heard all kinds of stories, some of them quite bizarre, about altercations aboard planes that have led to flights being diverted, emergency landings and the like. This is the first I can recall where a fight between crew members led to this kind of action. The airline spokesman said this was a verbal, not a physical, argument; but apparently it was of such a scale that the pilot felt it was best to ground the flight. I really find that remarkable, as well as dismaying.

Of course, we don’t know (and probably never will) the whole story and its background. Perhaps the captain had flown with these attendants before, perhaps there was a history of unpleasantness between them, and perhaps he had had enough and felt drastic measures were necessary to put an end to it. (The two attendants have been removed from duty pending an internal investigation.) But doesn’t it bother you that two individuals who work in the service sector could not be professional enough to carry out their duties in a civilized manner? Their personal animosity and the captain’s means of handling it inconvenienced a great many people. Ironically, their behavior, in the pilot’s mind at least, was a threat to the safety of that flight — safety which it is their assigned duty to secure.

It leads me to ponder, as I have occasion to do too often these days, the increasing lack of public civility on display everywhere, from the U.S. Capitol to city council meetings, from the grocery store check-out line to . . . the airport. Sometimes it seems that people take their social cues from Jerry Springer instead of Emily Post. I know from reading the many letters to Global Traveler and blog comments here that our readers, many of whom travel the world and interact with a variety of cultures, practice and understand the value of courtesy and respect for others, even when others’ lifestyles or opinions don’t align with their own.

Maybe that’s the solution: Folks who have become too insular and self-centered need to get out and travel more. They need to mingle with their fellow human beings from all walks of life and practice the art of getting along with those different (and yet oh-so-alike, fundamentally) from themselves. That’s assuming, of course, that their flight to a new destination isn’t canceled due to dueling flight attendants.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Well, I’ve finally gone and done it. I have entered the social networking scene by creating my own Facebook page. Truth be told, I didn’t actually create it on my own. No, daughter Jenny, who for years swore she would likely die if I ever did so, was the one who actually encouraged me to take the plunge and guided me through the process. She managed to convince me by pointing out that several of my siblings and in-laws, nieces and nephews and high school and college pals had their own online profiles, and I could more easily keep in touch with them and they with me if I joined in. Another benefit is that while she’s in Europe, I’ll be able to check her page for updates on her travels and view photos she posts (I do expect some personal emails as well, though!).

Just a few days before she left, we sat down at my computer and she explained to me about creating a profile, “friending” people, replying to comments on my wall and all the rest. The next thing I knew, my email inbox was flooded with notices telling me who’s friended me, posted a comment, or responded to a thread and . . . WHAT??!! Already, only a few days into this new venture, and I am swamped with all kinds of input (and I haven’t even got all the Christmas stuff put away — I have no time for this!!). Jenny tried to give me a few more pointers and threw in a little Facebook etiquette: “If someone asks to friend you, you should accept. I don’t think you should “poke” anybody, though.” (What does that mean? Is it obscene or rude or does she just think it isn’t “age appropriate”?) Then, off she goes back to Chicago en route to Europe for two months, leaving me to fear I’m going to deeply offend someone by either inadvertantly ignoring a friend request or committing some horrible Internet faux pas.

Do you sense panic setting in? You are very astute! Actually, I believe this is just a temporary reaction to my introduction to a particular corner of the Web I’ve happily managed to ignore up to now. I always resent the time it takes me to wrap my head around new technology (and my ignorance until I feel I’ve conquered it). I have already seen the benefits and enjoyed this additional link to friends and family, but I can also see where it could become a time-consuming monster if I let it.

Updating my own wall and viewing and commenting on others’ could gobble enormous amounts of time alone, but I’ve also gotten a glimpse at some of the “apps” or role-playing types of programs associated with Facebook that one can lose oneself in. Both of my girls have “farms” where they raise and harvest crops, and I’ve seen where others apparently run “restaurants.” Sorry, I’ve got a real garden, and that takes enough time as it is; and figuring out what’s for dinner tonight is as close to running an eatery as I want to get. Who has the time to do all this? College students with boring classes? Homebound invalids? Maybe, but apparently working people and busy young mothers, too. I seriously cannot fathom the appeal there at all. Perhaps it’s just a bit of escapism, but I’d rather read a book or see a movie for that!

I’m looking forward to reading an article in an upcoming issue of Global Traveler which will examine the social networking phenomenon. With my tech expert gallavanting around Europe, I’ll be in need of a little additional guidance to get me through this traumatic experience.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

I live in Chicago and have heard the horror stories about New York.  However, I travel to New York a few times a year, and I have never had a bad experience with New Yorkers. 

Over 10 years ago, I was in New York for the first time to run the New York Marathon.  I could not have been treated any better.  I was not an Elite Runner, so it wasn’t like I was getting special treatment.  New York and the citizens just welcomed all runners with open arms. 

A few months ago, fellow GTer Louie and I decided to take the subway from LaGuardia to our hotel in Times Square.  While we were looking at the big transit map, two NY police officers approached us to offer their assistance.  Within a few minutes, we were on the right train headed to Times Square. 

Last time, we were trying to take the subway from Central Park to the Affinia Hotel.  It was a Saturday, which led to some confusion about the train schedule.  Panos Kappos, a musician playing in the subway, offered his unsolicited help.  He explained the train situation and played some great music while we waited for our train. 

My friends and I were at the first game between the Mets and the Yankees at new Yankee Stadium.  This heated rivalry is the perfect setting for chaos.  However, the crowd was lively without being unruly.  There were several fun debates about which team was better, but nothing got out of hand.  It was a great example of class from fans of both teams. 

New Yorkers have given me plenty of suggestions on restaurants — from great pizza places and delis to fine dining.  I can honestly say they have never steered me wrong. 

I don’t know where all of those horrible stories originate.  I hope I never come across any such situation.  If the past is any indication, I don’t expect to have anything but a great time while in New York.

–John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

One of my favorite movie lines of all time is from Cool Hand Luke: “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” As intoned by the nasty chain gang captain, it really meant, “For some reason you have failed to follow my rules, and now you will be suffering the consequences for not attending more carefully to my message.” I’ve used the quote often, but usually not (I hope) with that same subtext. I’ve said it to my husband, my kids, my siblings and even my students when I felt the frustration of sensing that I was not making myself clearly understood.

That quote was running through my head today as I surveyed the landscaping work in progress in our unfinished back yard. This is the first time I’ve been able to build a garden from scratch, and I’m not willing or able lay sod or to install an irrigation system, retaining walls and a patio. So we hired a young man and his landscape construction firm to do all the work. David lives just down the street and has worked on several of the yards in our neighborhood, so we’ve been able to see the good work he does. After talking over what we wanted to do and walking through the space to establish where things were going to be placed, we signed a contract and waited for the work to begin. I think it was right about there where the failure to communicate (adequately) started.

 Although I’m a neophyte at working with landscape and construction workers, I’ve heard and seen enough to understand that it isn’t always possible to stick to a hard-and-fast schedule. This is a busy time of year for outside work (even in the slow housing market), and there are several tasks to be accomplished, each with several steps in the process and often with different crews working from day to day. Still, I did expect that at the very least I’d be given a head’s up the day before someone would be showing up to work, and then that someone actually WOULD show up and accomplish something. I also thought that when they were done for the day (whether at 10:30 am or 4:30 pm), someone would knock on the door and let me know they were leaving, let me know what had been done and what the next step would be. Right now I’m sure those of you who are more experienced than I with this sort of thing are probably shaking your heads and saying, “Geez, she IS an innocent, isn’t she?”

Luckily, I work from home and am here most of the time, so I’ve been able to step outside and correct where the line of a rock wall will run or how far out I expect a flower bed to curve. I stood outside today, though, looking at my lower-than-I-expected rockery and the underwhelming depth of the topsoil in the beds and wondered if the guys figured they were actually done with those projects or were going to return to finish up . . . at some point. (I fearfully suspect the former.) Will I be home to catch them when they return so I can express my concerns and make sure I get what I want before they move on to something else?

And so, my sense that “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” I need to communicate to David my concerns and also my expectations for future communication on his part. As is the case almost always, the failure falls on both parties’ shoulders, and the solution will also rest with both. It’s a scenario that each of us faces, whether at home or in business or social situations, over and over again. The key, it seems to me, is recognizing the need to express our wishes and concerns clearly as soon as possible instead of “letting it slide” but continuing to let the issue fester and grow.

I guess I have a phone call to make first thing Monday morning!

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Global Traveler has joined the world of social marketing. For breaking news, special offers and much more, fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @ Gtmag!

Last weekend my husband and I decided to take a break from unpacking boxes and a score of other chores related to moving in to our new home. As we drove to a nearby movie theater to take in a screening of Public Enemies, Harry rubbed his jaw ruefully and remarked that he hoped he wouldn’t meet anyone he knew while we were out. He had foregone shaving that morning, something he likes to do on Saturdays (especially in the summer) when he doesn’t plan on going anywhere in particular that day. I think it allows him a nice break from the workday routine and emphasizes the relaxed and unfocused nature of a day away from the office. Nevertheless, the rather public nature of his job (superintendent of a local school district) makes him want to present a neat appearance when he’s out and about, even on his days off. Thus his brief fretting over his slightly scruffy cheeks.

I assured him he didn’t look too disreputable and then jokingly reminded him that he was merely sporting what has become the de rigueur look for all today’s handsome young Hollywood studs; in fact, he actually needed another day or two’s growth to really have the look down pat. His response — a derisive snort and a roll of the eyes — said clearly that he didn’t believe he was of the right age or physique to pull off that fad. To be honest, it is true that what I guess may look rakish and virile on a face with a square jawline, well-defined cheekbones and a dare-devil gleam in the eyes can appear on a gentleman of a certain age as tired and frumpy. (Personally, I’m not that enamored of that whiskery fashion even on the young and stunningly handsome; I can’t help but think how scratchy that would feel!)

It got me wondering whether that somewhat disheveled look would really be acceptable anywhere in the business world except in the fashion and entertainment industries. No matter how fit, handsome or well-dressed a man might be, could he walk into a board room or important business meeting sporting a two-days’ growth on his face and expect to be greeted as a serious individual? As he presented his business plan or merger proposal, wouldn’t his audience be wondering what was the reason behind such an obvious slip in personal hygiene? I really wouldn’t know, as my work doesn’t normally take me into such situations, but I’m sure our GT readers can testify to what is considered acceptable business dress and grooming these days.

How about it? Are any of you seeing the stubbled look cropping up anywhere in the world in typical business settings? What are your thoughts on this trend? I’d be curious what both the gentlemen and the ladies have to say!

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader