Can air travel be made any more uncomfortable?

The answer is a tentative yes.

Cattle class could take on an entirely new meaning in air travel if Airbus goes through with its latest wheeze.

According to a report in the International Herald Tribune, the European plane maker is floating the idea of standing-room only at the back. Passengers in the standing section would be propped against a padded backboard and held in place with a harness.

I can recall a day when air travel had a certain aura of glamour--you wore lipstick on the plane-- but that era is long gone. Even before all the sham "security" came along, the airlines had managed to create the ambiance of a Greyhound bus station.

Now they are trying for a new level: they want to replicate the New York City subway during rush hour. Before the trains were all air-conditioned.

I'm going to quit flying if they hire panhandlers to circulate among the passengers, selling free "newspapers."

Thanks to Tinkerty tonk.