Page:The Fun of It.pdf/139

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THE FUN OF IT
115

on arrival looked like spinach decorated with silver ribbons.

Some ice cream met a somewhat similar fate. A manufacturer in New York was to supply the des­sert for a luncheon in Philadelphia. At nine o’clock the packed boxes were put aboard at New­ark Airport, and the plane left on schedule. Un­fortunately someone forgot to remove them at the Philadelphia stop and they went merrily on to Washington. There they were held while inquiries were made up and down the line as to where they belonged. After some delay, they started back to Philadelphia. I do not know just what subsequent travels the ice cream made, but about six thirty it turned up in a liquid state at the place where the luncheon had been—mute testimony to airline effi­ciency.

The most routine blunder, at least in the begin­ning, was to sell the same seat to two persons. When eleven passengers appear at the last moment for a ten place plane there is an element of embar­rassment.

With the New York, Philadelphia and Washing­ton Airway, as with all others, weather really held the whip hand. Under certain conditions it is im­possible to fly, as I have explained. When planes had to remain on the ground, schedules were can­celled and passengers reluctantly turned over to the railroads.

However, the bugaboo of weather is being pro­gressively overcome. Experiments are continuously