Coffee, Tea or ________?

Airline passengers who endured a two-day trans-Atlantic odyssey with sewage overflowing from stopped up toilets have received an apology from Continental Air Lines for "poor conditions."

Talk about an understatement!

However, understatement is usually the rule of thumb when commercial enterprises are forced to make apologies for poor service, inferior products, "poor conditions" and the like.

According to what one passenger told television station KING in Seattle, only one of the restrooms was partially working. The passenger also said that the flight attendants kept serving meals, while sewage was flowing in the aisles, but told the passengers not to eat too much -- as if anyone could. The rational must have been "less food consumption, less bathroom activity."

Apparently the problem arose on a flight from Amsterdam to Newark on June 13, but it only got as far as Shannon, Ireland, to stop for "repairs." The flight resumed the next day but on the leg from Shannon to Newark the "problem" arose again. Upon landing in Newark it was determined that the cause of the "problem" was that someone had attempted to flush latex gloves.

Most of the time one can just walk away from unpleasant situations, but need I say that this was a problem from which one could not walk away without a parachute. I digress, but this kind of reminds me of the movie about snakes on a plane. I cannot fathom anyone wanting to see that movie.

I remains to be seen what action some passengers might take or what Continental does when it finally realizes that "poor conditions" does not adequately cover this situation.

On your next flight there are three questions that must be asked before one gets on a plane, "What are the conditions of your lavatories?" "Are there any doctors, nurses, clean freaks or anyone else who may have packed latex gloves?" and "Are you carrying any snakes?"

Enjoy your next flight.