More to the point, why do we put up with this shit?
Sometimes, I don't. Last time I went cross country, I drove. Six days, 4500 miles (round trip), and brought back a 1 ton van full of stuff from my folks' house before they sold the house. Considering I'm used to traveling without luxuries for the oil patch, and had couches to crash on in Fargo and Ohio, that meant only two days of truck stop naps in the van. Not bad, about the same cost as flying, (without what the freight would have cost). Under 5 over, and always use turn signals. Light check before I left. No hassles, except a bad crankshaft sensor in Missouri (replaced in about 15 minutes once the parts place opened up), and bad fuel in Western MD/PA (don't use Sunoco there). Otherwise, a relatively uneventful trip.
I only fly when I am pressed for time. But that's why I got the Pre-check number to avoid most of the pro forma search stuff.
Besides, it makes us 'safe', dontcha know. (Except for the people on the ramp. and maintaining the planes, and the ATCs, and...)
