Having just come back from what was otherwise a delightful trip abroad, I started stewing about the lousy return flight I took.

Why was this experience the absolute worst part of the trip, surpassing the bad plumbing and other inconveniences that I suffered?

That flight is emblematic of the five reasons flying sucks:

(1) Flying wastes time. Having to check in hours before a flight is unnecessary. When you calculate this lost time, along with what it takes to drive to an airport, park the car, and catch a shuttle, it makes driving to your destination, if it is within 300-400 miles, seem more convenient.

(2) The airline made me wait 5 hours between connecting flights, although TWO earlier flights were available. Undoubtedly, they did this because I was traveling on a discounted fare, and they could market the more convenient flights at higher fares.

(3) The flight crew embodied the worst in service workers. They were authoritarian and not subject to supervision and oversight. They insisted on invoking "rules" that they made up on the spot regarding the use of overhead compartments.

(4) Every bathroom on the plane malfunctioned, yet the crew did not apologize once for the inconvenience to passengers.

(5) Having drifted off to sleep, my shoulder must have intruded a few inches into the service aisle before I heard a rude warning, "Look out!" which was immediately followed by a pounding taken from one of the wide hips of the flight attendant.

When airlines believe that they can not only inconvenience you, waste your time, subject you to spurious rules and regulations, ignore your involuntary bodily functions, and physically abuse you, all with impunity, you just have to say, flying sucks.

I have absolutely no sympathy when these companies hit the skids and fall into bankruptcy.

They, and their workers, deserve to be mothballed, and the sooner the better.