Up in the Air: Mask Police, Hot Coffee and the Absurdities of Flying

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Live from Vegas, with COVID: The Absurdities of Travel

Why did the mask rule disappear the moment you stepped onto the jet bridge? In this episode of The Absurdists, Mary Murphy joins Marlo Anderson from Las Vegas, hoarse and fighting COVID (yes, really), and picks the topic: the absurdities of travel. It starts with the mask police on a nearly empty plane and six-foot floor markers that end right where everyone squeezes onto the jet bridge.

From there it’s a tour of everything strange about flying: the passenger who summoned the captain during a delay, the bag of chips that took over a cabin, egg salad that sails through security while a bottle of wine doesn’t, cheesy baby handprints on a good suit, and why airlines still hand out hot coffee in turbulence (Mary makes the case for sippy cups for adults). Then it’s TSA PreCheck versus Clear, cutting the line with an escort, and boarding groups A through F.

Along the way: Mary’s first cruise, why a road trip beats flying, LA traffic and the CBS job Mary turned down over the commute, a “shortcut” to Reno that took all day, road trip oddities and national parks, and where buses rank on the list.

The Absurdists, where logic takes a back seat. Season 1, Episode 6 with Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy.