Ahh, the signs of the Spring are everywhere: The weather is slowly getting warmer, snow is thawing, beautiful flowers are starting to bloom and there are fewer overcoats falling from the overhead spaces on trains and airplanes.
Oh yeah, one other thing … airports and hotels are jammed with Spring Break students.
The timing is amazing. Just about the time we business travelers have recovered from the nightmare of year-end-holiday-business-travel, then we get slammed again.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike vacation travelers. On occasion, I get to be one myself. It is just really annoying to be traveling on business, prepping for that career-defining sales call, when everyone else on the plane, train or in the hotel room next door is celebrating his or her own unique version of Mardi Gras.
So, why am I such a Grinch about other people’s vacations? Because nowadays, they happen all year long.
There is always a school district, university, or state school system that is on vacation, and Spring Break is absolutely the worst.
It never ends. I was recently in San Antonio … on business, of course … and had lunch in the airport. My waiter seemed particularly worn out, so I asked him what was wrong. He looked at me like I had two heads and replied “It’s Spring Break season, that’s what’s wrong, and I’m beat.”
I replied that at least it was over, and he could now relax.
“You don’t understand, that was the first one, the second one starts next week,” sighed the harried man. He was referring just to the local schools; out-of-state travelers came after that.
Which is exactly my point. There are very few days left in the year when we road warriors actually catch a break from the hordes of travel rookies who can make our days and nights a bit too challenging.
So take heart: All of these spring breaks will finally come to an end … by about the middle of May. Then we’ll have two bliss-filled weeks to recharge for the Summer onslaught!
What are your Spring Break travel horror stories?
“Practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors.”
– Excerpt, Charter of the United Nations
Doug Lipp is the author of Stuck in the Middle Seat.
