Firework Facts, Flight Etiquette Fails & Maui Drives

In this special, relaxed, free-flow episode, Chris, Jen, and Ace step away from their traditional structure to tackle three distinct and entertaining segments filled with surprising facts, personal rants, and wild travel stories. The trio kicks things off by testing their knowledge on the massive scale and astronomical costs behind public and consumer fireworks. From there, the conversation shifts to a passionate debate over airplane etiquette, unpacking everything from the horrors of bare feet in the cabin to the ultimate rules of overhead bin space. Finally, Chris shares a nerve-wracking, hilarious tale of navigating two incredibly tight, dangerous, and legally questionable roads on the coast of Maui.

Three Pivotal Points

• The Explosive Scale of Fireworks: Chris challenges the group with trivia, revealing that the U.S. spent an astronomical $2.2 billion on fireworks in 2024—with $1.9 billion coming directly from backyard consumer sales. They also highlight massive displays, from Macy's 80,000+ shells to Dubai's world-record-setting 479,000-shell performance.
• The Ultimate Airplane Etiquette Breakdown: Prompted by recent travel frustrations, Chris polls the team on unwritten flight rules. Ace and Jen go to war over major cabin violations, fiercely arguing against passengers taking off their shoes and socks, spraying perfume in confined shared air, or improperly hogging overhead bins with small personal items.
• Surviving Maui’s Most Treacherous Roads: Chris recounts a white-knuckle driving adventure after back-to-back whale-watching tours were canceled. Despite multiple "road closed" and "falling rocks" signs, Chris and Frank pushed forward, navigating a rental car through dirt paths, one-lane mountain passes, and terrifying cliffside drops without guardrails to successfully see a local blowhole.

Website - www.chrisandjenitm.com

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Chapters

00:00 Travel Attire and Comfort Preferences

02:58 Airplane Etiquette: Armrests and Personal Space

05:59 Shoes On or Off: The Great Debate

09:01 Personal Grooming and Airplane Behavior

12:00 Hair Management and Passenger Awareness

14:58 Deplaning Protocols and Passenger Etiquette

16:53 Navigating Air Travel Etiquette

19:06 Understanding Travel Anxiety

20:22 Turbulence and Passenger Behavior

23:45 Innovative Concepts in Air Travel

‘Vienna Beats’

By Blue Dots Sessions

Licensed under a Attribution NonCommercial License

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

Have you ever looked around a crowded public space and just found yourself wondering, what's happened to basic common courtesy? Whether it's someone treating an airplane cabin like their own personal living room, or drivers treating a dangerous cliffside road like a four-lane highway. We are living in a wild, lawless era of public behavior. We love a good celebration and we sure love to blow things up. But at what cost to our collective sanity? Today on Chris and Gen, our hosts are breaking routine to bring you a relaxed, free-flowing triple feature. They're diving deep into the staggering billions spent on fireworks, tackling the ultimate cringe-worthy violations of airplane etiquette, and taking you on a white-knuckle, stress-inducing drive along the narrowest, guardrail-free cliffs of Maui. Are you guilty of breaking the plane rules? Or are you the one sitting there sweating out your nerves on the roadside? Let's get into it. Welcome to Chris and Jin in the morning, where self-care meets real life. Let's kick things off with a bang. We're diving straight into a conversation that started where Chris is dropping mind-blowing trivia about America's favorite way to celebrate her birthday. From secret pyrotechnic associations to the billions of dollars literally going up in smoke. Let's see how well Jen and Ace know their history. Let's talk about fireworks. Be grateful you get the chance to go to New York for the 250th fireworks.

SPEAKER_05 2:01

Oh, well, speaking of the I mean, yes, I probably could have been reading the outline again, but instead I was reading about fireworks.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_05 2:10

First of all, are you all aware that there is a Pyrotechnics Association of America? Yes. Of course, Ace, you know that.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

I mean, I'm not surprised by it, but I didn't know it, and I'm definitely not surprised that Ace did know it.

SPEAKER_06 2:24

Um Well, they also regulate what can be brought in and used as fireworks because the federal government um restricts certain uh mortar sizes and shapes because they could be used as weapons of war, and they don't want terrorists to bring in weapons of war, obviously, that are unregulated. I do appreciate that.

SPEAKER_05 2:46

Anyways, go on. Um, that there are roughly six roughly sixteen thousand community fireworks displays will take place nationwide on July 4th, which is a very large number.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

What's the number?

SPEAKER_05 3:03

16,000.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

Well, that actually seems like a much smaller number than I would expect.

SPEAKER_05 3:08

But the majority of the sales actually come through the small little things that people do, like in the backyard or out in the country.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

That I absolutely believe. And I think you've just forgotten now that you're in New York, how much people just set off fireworks where they're not supposed to.

SPEAKER_05 3:25

Oh no, they do that here too. I'm telling you, July 4th. Well, probably 3rd, 4th, 5th. It's all gonna be exciting.

SPEAKER_02 3:32

Makes me worry about my house.

SPEAKER_05 3:34

Okay. Um, how many shells do you think the Macy's New York City firework display uses?

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Uh 75,000. That's way too many. 75,000.

SPEAKER_06 3:48

I I thought Jen was gonna say 7,500, which is what my guess was. 80,000 plus.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Whoa! I was pretty darn close to it. How much? What like what's my prize?

SPEAKER_05 4:02

80,000 plus. We'll turn you into a mermaid for this episode.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

Do I win a new camper?

SPEAKER_05 4:12

You didn't go over, so yes.

SPEAKER_02 4:16

Why do I want a camper? I don't I don't I don't. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 4:19

She's not a camper, but she wants one. A crazy number. Um, how many do you think uh Washington, D.C. uses? 100,000? I have no idea. This one was surprising to me. Six to seven thousand.

SPEAKER_04 4:35

Whoa.

SPEAKER_05 4:36

Doesn't seem like enough. Um, the Las Vegas Strip, it cannot be confirmed, but the rooftop displays often rival the large-scale shows. So they have hit, they have been known to hit over 80,000 shells as well. Yeah, it's like it is a big we love to blow things up. We sure do. We sure do. How much do you think Americans spent on fireworks in 2024?

SPEAKER_02 5:08

Ooh, 2024. Coming back, we were not quite as as down from an economic standpoint. So I would say Americans probably spent around maybe 450,000. No, uh, maybe 800,000. Maybe maybe a couple million, maybe two million.

SPEAKER_06 5:35

It's covered all of our bases here.

SPEAKER_05 5:38

I'm sorry, contestant Jen, we're gonna need a final answer.

SPEAKER_02 5:41

Two millions. Two million's a final answer. Final answer is two million.

SPEAKER_05 5:44

Locking it in.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Locking it in.

SPEAKER_05 5:46

I said five million. 2.2 billion. Holy brilliant.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

I didn't win the campaign.

SPEAKER_05 5:53

With rough you no, with roughly 1.9 billion of that coming from consumer fireworks, which are those like DIY, make it your own.

SPEAKER_02 6:03

Uh-huh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:04

That is astronomical.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

We just think about the impact. If we just stop blowing stuff up. Or just half. Just half. If we just spend half. Okay, a quarter. We s like a feel it would feel better about a quarter. 500,000 would be the more appropriate.

SPEAKER_05 6:23

Where do you think the world's biggest firework? So the one biggest firework was launched.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Sorry, a quarter of two billion is is ha 500 million, not 500,000. Sorry, can you ask that again?

SPEAKER_05 6:40

The world's largest firework. Where do you think it was launched?

SPEAKER_04 6:47

The world's largest in Dubai.

SPEAKER_05 6:51

Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In 2020, it weighed 2,797 pounds and exploded in a 2,200-foot-wide bloom.

SPEAKER_06 7:05

It's like a car. It's like a a Miata shot into the air.

SPEAKER_05 7:12

But in 2014, Dubai set the Guinness World Record for the largest firework display, launching over 479,000 shells in under six minutes.

SPEAKER_02 7:21

Okay, well, I just want to be I just want to say like I've got some good logic behind my wrong answer.

SPEAKER_05 7:29

Do you want to share those or you're just like gonna I said Dubai on the biggest firework? Oh, and then it ended up being the display, yeah. True, true, true, true. When were fireworks first used in a Fourth of July celebration?

SPEAKER_02 7:45

Um, what was the first um on the first the first time, the first one? 1809.

SPEAKER_05 7:57

It was 1777.

SPEAKER_02 8:00

Okay, 1777, that because 1776, not 1808. 1777.

SPEAKER_05 8:06

That was gonna be my next guess.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

Um well I did say on the first anniversary.

SPEAKER_05 8:10

Yes, yes, yes, I did say where were they used?

SPEAKER_02 8:13

In um, I don't know, wherever the somewhere in that New England area.

SPEAKER_04 8:20

Philadelphia. Where did we incorporate what what happened in 1808? Because that's like a that's like a date that's like a important one. What do you think the most popular colors in consumer fireworks are?

SPEAKER_05 8:49

Red. That's one of them. There's three yellow.

SPEAKER_04 9:00

That would be a very important date. Blue. Um no.

SPEAKER_05 9:08

I'm gonna say yellow, yes, it's gold.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

It was the other thing.

SPEAKER_05 9:11

But can you tell the difference between gold and yellow in the fireworks?

SPEAKER_02 9:15

What was your question?

SPEAKER_05 9:16

What's what's your the three most popular colors in consumer fireworks? So far we have red.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Oh, red.

SPEAKER_05 9:26

And yellow or gold.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

And blue. Hello, nice.

SPEAKER_05 9:35

Green it is. Got them all.

SPEAKER_04 9:38

Well red, white, and blue.

SPEAKER_05 9:46

Fireworks are banned in certain counties for fire safety, but cities often offer safe and sane alternatives to keep the tradition alive. What safe and sane? S A N E sane.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

No, that's Sane.

SPEAKER_04 10:05

Sane. Is that a question?

SPEAKER_05 10:14

Well, there's the things that I that I bring to you for Fourth of July in fireworks.

SPEAKER_02 10:19

1808. It's a more important day. Abolition of Slade. Slate slave slade slave trade. That's why I know about it. Stuck up here.

SPEAKER_06 10:33

We are trading in the backyard sparklers for the unfriendly skies. Chris recently stepping off of a flight, and let's just say his inner peace was thoroughly tested by public behavior. Get ready because the crew is about to go to war over the unwritten laws of aviation. From the great armrest debate to the absolute horror of bare feet on a plane. Here's airplane etiquette.

SPEAKER_05 11:05

Um, okay, so as I was sitting on an airplane, I created some questions for both of you because.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_05 11:15

I found myself irritated, which I'm sure is shocking because I'm usually the most like chill, laid back, easygoing person, right, in the group.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Um but as I'm sitting there I mean, I know I'm not the most chill, laid back, easygoing person. That it's definitely not me. So is it that you're the most chill, laid back, easygoing in the group because of who the group is?

SPEAKER_05 11:43

Because I have figured out how to surround myself with people who make me look good. So my first question when traveling on an airplane. Let's just be specific here.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

When on an airplane.

SPEAKER_05 11:57

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Got it.

SPEAKER_05 11:58

What is your travel attire? As comfortable as well.

SPEAKER_02 12:01

It depends on what I'm doing. When I get off the plane. Am I going to a meeting? Then it's the most comfortable pair of pants I own that look meeting appropriate.

SPEAKER_05 12:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 12:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

It's definitely not a starched-collared shirt.

SPEAKER_05 12:19

I can't imagine you ever wearing a st starched-collared anything.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

I used to.

SPEAKER_05 12:27

That didn't that didn't like bother you?

SPEAKER_02 12:31

I mean, I used to do a lot of things that bothered me. I would have to just deal with it.

SPEAKER_05 12:36

I just sucked it up back then.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

I did.

SPEAKER_05 12:39

Okay. Next question. Well, the reason I asked that is because I saw so many people like in their athlet athleisure wear.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Okay, are you gonna be one of those people that says you can't wear sweats on a plane because I think you can wear sweats on a plane.

SPEAKER_05 12:55

I don't need to see every outline and curvature of your body as you're moving through the airport.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

Oh, that's what you're calling athleisure.

SPEAKER_05 13:04

Yes. Because that I the amount of people that I saw in like skin tight yoga pants, whatever, I saw way too much of people. Way too much.

SPEAKER_02 13:17

Don't you see that like at the park?

SPEAKER_05 13:18

I just close my eyes. At the park? No.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

People wearing their skin tight pants to run in?

SPEAKER_05 13:24

I don't know. Maybe it's that like I have like my I have a larger.

SPEAKER_02 13:31

I want your body to be like covered up because I don't want your skin to touch me or my seats.

SPEAKER_05 13:36

Yeah, that's I yeah. Okay. If in a row with a middle seat, who gets the armrests?

SPEAKER_02 13:44

The middle seat gets the armrest. Okay. Ace.

SPEAKER_06 13:49

Uh I don't know. I try not to touch people, so no armrests for you.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

Ace is actually like tries to fold himself into the least comfortable spot so that other people can be more comfortable.

SPEAKER_06 14:04

Same sees. So I don't really care who gets which armrest, because it's very rare that I get them.

SPEAKER_05 14:10

Yeah. I try to like make myself as small as possible.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

When Ace flies, he sits next to me, usually in the middle, and we lift the armrest between us. Oh, that's and use each other.

SPEAKER_05 14:21

A barrier. Frank and I sit on opposite, like same aisles, opposite side. So we both have an aisle. Which I prefer a window seat, which I know is not Jen's preference. But because I prefer to have like feel like I have that versus like in an aisle, the the people are walking up and down and they're bumping into you. Not a fan of it.

SPEAKER_02 14:42

I believe the last time I was in a window seat, I was flying back from Ireland on a red eye, and I sat on my box of water.

SPEAKER_05 14:53

Intentionally?

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Accidentally, because it was boxed water. Because in the the airports in Ireland, they're not all like, no, you can't take liquids through. So, you know, you just take your box because a box of water is more eco-friendly. But if it's next to you in the plane and you get up and you get back down and you sit on it, and then it oh breaks, and then you're just sitting in water. Water. I was also crying. And I had been watching a movie, and I was going through some stuff as well. And so here I am, like on this red eye, flying back in tears. The guy next to me is like so concerned about me. I sit on my box of water, all of a sudden everything is wet. I'm wet, he's wet, everybody's seat's wet. The lady comes, she's I'm crying. She's like, Are you okay? I think I have an extra seat cover. We can switch your seat out. It was I was a mess. That's my most recent window seat story.

SPEAKER_05 16:05

I feel like that has nothing to do with the seat that you chose and more of the spatial awareness.

SPEAKER_02 16:13

And more to do with me.

SPEAKER_05 16:15

Where you stored things when when you moved about the cabin.

SPEAKER_02 16:21

There's nowhere to put it.

SPEAKER_05 16:24

Where would you put it if you were in the Nile seat? I don't know. On the floor? No, you wouldn't. Speaking of floor.

SPEAKER_06 16:34

Shoes.

SPEAKER_03 16:35

Oh, they stay on or come off.

SPEAKER_06 16:37

Oh my god. Okay. I will go to war on this one. If you take off your shoes on an airplane, why don't you just take off your pants too? Like, if you're gonna go for it, just go for it. Like, what are you so nasty? You gotta be in public places and you're like, you know what I need? I need to let my feet out so everybody else can suffer.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

I have seen people take their shoes off and put their feet up on the seat in front of them. And it is I'm sorry, you should be wearing socks at all times when you're on a plane and in an airport. You should not be flying unsocked. Your naked toes should not be seen by anyone. They shouldn't be touching anything, they shouldn't be spreading. No one wants your athlete's foot. Keep it, keep it zipped up, and then those socks inside your shoes.

SPEAKER_06 17:26

And then they start picking their toes. They get in there and they like scratch between their toes. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh no. Especially ladies that wear their like fancy heels and they're like taking them off and they're rubbing their feet and like scratching between their toes. And I'm just like, that is so it's disgusting.

SPEAKER_02 17:45

No, I would say the one exception is if you're doing like an overnight flight or something and you get the little sock, the little the little plane socks to wear, you can take off your shoes and put on the little plane socks in like an overnight.

SPEAKER_06 18:00

If you're in first class, that's my only exception. If you're in first class, so there's so the different classes have different rules.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

You're gonna pay to have naked feet.

SPEAKER_06 18:09

Yeah, like because then you're all by yourself, you're pretty much alcove away, they make it kind of blocked off. No, not even business class. Depending on the case, typically business class has like two by twos.

SPEAKER_05 18:22

That's true.

SPEAKER_06 18:24

And I don't I'm I'm still in the same boat on two by twos. Like if you're sitting next to somebody, no, I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 18:29

But what if it's you and Jen?

SPEAKER_06 18:30

No, I don't care.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

If you're trying to sleep, you can take it.

SPEAKER_06 18:33

If Jen takes off her shoes, I will have words.

SPEAKER_02 18:36

Okay, well, I'm I don't want my feet to ever touch the it's a clean zone, dirty zone situation.

unknown 18:44

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:44

The only thing is first class and it's night, and you're like, hey, it's gonna be a four-hour flight, and okay, I'll I'll give it to you because it's first class.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

You have the live flat. That's what I'm talking about. Even if it's two by two. If you have the lie flat seat with your own little cubby area.

SPEAKER_06 19:00

Not two by two, though.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Because you don't enter on the same side.

SPEAKER_06 19:04

No. No, no, that's not what I'm talking about. In most business classes, they're just like two plush seats right next to each other.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

That's first class.

SPEAKER_06 19:14

No on a regular plane.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

Um talking like an overnight, if you have a lie flat seat, you can take it.

SPEAKER_05 19:23

Yeah, whenever we have flown from like coast to coast and go in business, like you get a lot you get a lie flat seat. But it is like what you're saying, Ace, where you have the two seats, like where the someone has to walk in and then the person has the aisle seat. So usually it's me and Frank sitting next to each other. And so, like, I will take off my shoes uh if I'm trying to sleep. But I also have like Ollie at my feet. So there's not like a lot of places to put shoes and bags and all of that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 19:52

If you're in the seat where you're it raises your legs up, yeah. You can take your shoes off. But you better have those little socky things on them.

SPEAKER_06 20:02

Not if you're sitting next to some person you don't know. I just find that rude.

SPEAKER_05 20:07

I would I I so we did not fly business this last time that we flew. We definitely were in um Economy? Economy. And it was like someone in the aisle got up and moved to let someone out, and they had no shoes on and no socks. And I was like, what is happening?

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Why am I eating through this?

SPEAKER_05 20:30

Sorry, I did not mean to turn this into a it just I I'm sitting there and I'm feeling like a little irrationally frustrated. And I'm like, am I the only one with these feelings? Like, what what is wrong with people? What is happening to the world? Okay. Can I ask one real quick? Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 20:50

If a lady is getting ready and we're getting ready to land and she puts on the perfume.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Oh no, no, no, no. No. You don't no you spray nothing.

SPEAKER_06 20:59

Like man or woman.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_06 21:03

And they're like, well, we're getting off the plane, and I'm just like, oh, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

No, no, no, no, no. That's like smoking on a plane.

SPEAKER_05 21:09

Donald, you don't spray right. You don't spray things in confined space like that.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

In Emirates, they walk through and spray their perfume through the plane before takeoff. And I get it, like they're trying to cover up some of the other smells and whatever, but I can't handle it.

SPEAKER_06 21:28

No, just like it combines to this awful. But what's funny, the reason I asked this I had a lady, I was on the aisle for some reason. Maybe Jen was with me and we were flying someplace. But a lady sat across the aisle from me. We were going to Ireland and it was she sat down looking like somebody else, and then by the time we got ready to land, she had done like full makeup, spritzed herself, like done the eyelash thing, and like full makeup. So she came in looking like somebody, and then she left looking like somebody. Completely different.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

I just whined the whole time. I was trying to sleep. I couldn't. It was horrible.

SPEAKER_05 22:07

So unlike it.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_05 22:11

Where's the laugh track? It didn't go for a while.

SPEAKER_06 22:19

Okay. Um. I'll leave it open.

SPEAKER_02 22:26

Nope.

SPEAKER_06 22:28

I'm so funny. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

No, you're not.

SPEAKER_05 22:31

Um watch yourself. Um, okay. If you have long hair, watch yourself. Do you flip it over the headrest? Um like whether there's a monitor or not, like a screen on whether or not. Like, do you flip it at the end?

SPEAKER_02 22:50

I'm asking obvious questions, Christopher.

SPEAKER_05 22:52

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

I think what you're doing is complaining about plain bad plane behavior, but doing it in the form of a question.

SPEAKER_06 22:59

But it's like not only that, but you don't know who's sitting behind you. Like, would you really want potentially somebody touching your hair and like every right to take your scissors out and just go. Or what if it's a little kid? And they're like grabbing on your hair. Like, why would you do that to yourself?

SPEAKER_02 23:18

Oh, yeah. Can I borrow a child? Anyone have a child?

SPEAKER_06 23:21

And they get their sticky hands all on your hair, and you're like, what is this?

SPEAKER_02 23:24

I don't hold it. I prefer the sticky haired ones. I don't hold the Ollie up and let the let Ollie eat the hair.

SPEAKER_05 23:33

I think Ollie would even be like, What are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 23:36

I think you're right.

SPEAKER_05 23:38

Um okay, so if you have a small bag, purse, or duffel bag, do you put that in the overhead bin or under your chair?

SPEAKER_02 23:47

Well, first of all.

SPEAKER_06 23:48

Under your chair.

SPEAKER_05 23:49

Whether or not they ask you to do it. Right. I do it anyway.

SPEAKER_02 23:52

If you have super long legs, you intentionally check your bag so that you can have one item that you put in the bin, I think you are totally good. Well, you don't put two items in the bin unless there's extra bin space.

SPEAKER_06 24:09

Agreed.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

But you can put one item in the bin.

SPEAKER_06 24:14

If you have in like the question was stated as a small purse or bag, not a oh, it's an overnight bag or something.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

But that's okay.

SPEAKER_06 24:23

I I disagree. I think those always go under the seat. I think that's common courtesy. I I, as a bigger person, would always put my backpack, which is a large backpack, under the seat in front of me, because I don't want to have to put my carry-on someplace else or check it because some stupid ass put their little purse up there, and then they've taken up the whole spot where a full carry-on can go. No, you you get that out of there, you put it under your seat, and you be a big person about it.

SPEAKER_05 24:56

See, traveling brings brings out a level of aggression in all of us. I don't know, like seriously, I would and then like having to sit and watch the people, especially from here to Kansas, having to w watch the struggle of deep planing was also extremely painful.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

People do not understand how it's like cattle. They just don't know how to cattle do it better.

SPEAKER_05 25:23

Cattle do it better. That's maybe that's our next shirt. Our next travel shirt. Cattle does it better.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

They do. I mean, people people do not understand the efficiency of exiting a plane. They have like no regard for the urgency of anyone behind them.

SPEAKER_05 25:43

Which given like I I also understand like there's limited amount of space and everyone has to use the same exit and like uh so on and so forth.

SPEAKER_02 25:51

Get your shit ready and yourself together.

SPEAKER_05 25:53

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

And don't hold up the entire You have a whole like the entire flight to prepare yourself mentally for what you need to do to get off the plane. That's what they should do. They show this like safety stuff. They should show like uh appropriate deplaning protocols before you land. Dear Deer Airlines.

SPEAKER_05 26:16

Dear airline training teams.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

The passenger bill of rights is currently at this moment being amended, and we demand, we demand that you start doing a demonstration of appropriate deplaning protocol five minutes prior to exiting the aircraft.

SPEAKER_05 26:45

That seems like not enough time.

SPEAKER_02 26:47

Twenty minutes prior to exiting the aircraft. When you're doing the final cabin check it and make sure everybody's wearing their seatbelt and got their computer put away and their tray table closed, you should be explaining deplaning procedures because people don't understand. They don't understand deplaning procedures. They really don't.

SPEAKER_06 27:13

I think they should leave the seatbelt sign on and until your row light goes off, nobody pays attention to the seatbelt sign anyway, so I don't think that that matters.

SPEAKER_05 27:24

My only argument to that is I'm usually one of the first ones to get up because we travel with Ozzy, so like I try to get it.

SPEAKER_06 27:30

But then you block the aisle. And then when the people in the front of you need to go back to get their bag because it's in the overhead that's behind you, now we've got a clog in the alleyway, which is the same thing. No, there is no going back to go. And you should wait until people get off the plane. But don't you see what I'm saying? Everybody just was required to stay where they're supposed to be, and then they get up, get their stuff, get off the plane. Like it's so much faster. It's organized, which is what you guys are asking for.

SPEAKER_02 27:56

As opposed to a giant mob where everybody tries to get up all at the same time and block the aisle, and then no one can really get off because it's a forced time to get off the plane, but I'm gonna walk five rows backward first and grab my bag instead of just waiting for everybody else to be able to exit and then go back and get their bag.

SPEAKER_05 28:15

But what Ace is saying is if if we exited by rows, then that would give those people the ability to go small amount of time to walk back, grab their stuff, and leave.

SPEAKER_02 28:25

What if they just made the planes a little bigger so that we all fit or put less seats on them?

SPEAKER_06 28:30

So there was more space. People would want to get up and stand in the rows, which blocks everything, anyways.

SPEAKER_02 28:36

What if we deplane out of all of the plane doors instead of just the one?

SPEAKER_06 28:44

I'm for that. Have a door in the back and a door in the front, sure. I think uh 747s, don't they have that? There's like a part for first class and business, and then another one for like the rest of the plane.

SPEAKER_02 28:59

The bigger planes do decline on on two exits.

SPEAKER_06 29:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 29:04

Alright, well, it's just nice to know, Ace. I appreciate the level of um uh fervency that you argued your points, because that's how I was feeling as I was watching all of this happen. And part of me is like, man, I I'm not usually quick to anger, but man, am I feeling frustrated as I'm sitting here struggling to be kind, which is our brand.

SPEAKER_06 29:32

And what I don't understand about traveling your identity. What I don't understand about travel is why no one thinks that what they do affects other people.

SPEAKER_05 29:44

So like that's I think a societal thing, not a just a travel.

SPEAKER_06 29:48

Well, yeah, but it seems to be like hyper-focused when you get talking about plane travel.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

I think it's because anxiety enters the picture. More people are at a heightened level of anxiety while traveling because you're put in situations where you have less space, you're you have less freedom, you're you know, all these things. You got fears of the plane gonna fall out, you gotta go go through 27 levels of security before you get onto the plane. Um, I think people just have more anxiety. So they have less capacity to be considerate. And a lot of them are starting from a lower considerate threshold.

SPEAKER_06 30:32

Here's a question for Chris. When there's air turbulence, what is the proper behavior?

SPEAKER_05 30:38

To sit quietly and hold it in, to yell or scream, or hold your hands over your head and go we I no matter how close I am to someone, I don't want them raising their hands yelling we in that close of a proximity.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

Um are you sure or unsure? Sure, unsure. Sure, unsure.

SPEAKER_05 31:06

Um mainly I just want people to do what the flight attendants tell them to do, because this time we did like hit a lot of turbulence on our way there. And it like for a while the plane was rocking and rolling and not in a fun way. Um but it was still amazing to me to see how many people are still like the fast and seat belt sign is on. They say they're suspending in-cabin services because the captain has asked them to take their seats. Meanwhile, people are still getting up, like run to the bathroom, to which I guess like I rather you go to the bathroom in the bathroom versus like that you're you want to sit next to someone who just peed themselves after we just listened to your whole water bottle story.

SPEAKER_02 31:46

If you did such poor planning that you peed yourself in the chair because you really couldn't hold it when you knew what was happening. I mean, there are a few exceptions to this, like if you get stuck, you know how they like make you go in the flight longer, you get stuck in the and then and then you get on the tarmac and they're like, Everybody leave your seatbelt on, but we're gonna sit here for six hours. Um, like I think you can break the rules then. But if you have done such poor planning, unless there is a a uh an extreme situation, if you have some medical something going on, you are sick, like don't have diarrhea in your chair. But you better be like if you are violating the rules in the moment of the plane, we're tr rolling down the runway to take off, and you're like getting into the into the bathroom, like you better be like about to have diarrhea or have water like urine running down your leg.

SPEAKER_05 32:54

Which case you don't need to go into the bathroom anymore.

SPEAKER_02 32:58

You better, because I mean I don't always plan appropriately. But like I'm an adult, I can hold it.

SPEAKER_05 33:09

I've traveled with you. Going through the airport, you like stop at several bathrooms.

SPEAKER_02 33:15

I plan appropriately. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 33:19

Okay, so what does everybody think of the new passenger areas that are standing only? I've not seen this. You haven't heard of this? No. It's been debated for a little while. It's not a thing.

SPEAKER_02 33:32

It's not a thing yet.

SPEAKER_06 33:33

No, it's not a thing.

SPEAKER_02 33:34

You said the new. The new like it's not a thing. It's just a concept.

SPEAKER_06 33:39

I think it's over in Ireland, it's like Raleigh or whatever. He like legitimately the guy who owns it, the he like legitimately tries to do like the most horrible of things. So you just fasten yourself to a wall? No, it's like there's a backboard and like a little like nudgy seat that your butt can kind of kind of rest on. Sounds bad. But you stand. Hold on, let me pull up the article. Ryanair. That's the one that it is. Ryanair out of Ireland. It is a controversial concept designed to increase aircraft aircraft passenger capacity by up to 20% for short haul flights. They resemble bicycle seats or a high stool that allows the passenger to lean or perch upon rather than fully sit. There's a demo of it here if you guys want to see it.

SPEAKER_05 34:32

No. See what I did there?

SPEAKER_02 34:41

Where's the where's the drumroll? Oh.

SPEAKER_05 34:46

That's okay. We're gonna work on it. We're gonna work on it. We're gonna get it.

SPEAKER_06 34:50

Buckle up and hold on tight because Chris is taking us on a white knuckle road trip through paradise. What started as a quest for whale watching tours quickly turned into a high-stakes, legally questionable guardrail free adventure along the sharpest cliffs of Maui. Will the rental car survive? Will Frank ever stop praying? Chris takes on the road to Hana.

SPEAKER_05 35:21

Okay, so we were supposed to go. Well, we were supposed to go on a whale watching um uh tour. And the first one that we booked, uh, Frank had found one that does like a raft that that way you can move faster. So like sorry.

SPEAKER_02 35:37

You were gonna get in a raft in the ocean with whales.

SPEAKER_05 35:40

Well, it's like one of the like rafts, the bigger things with the it was safe. It was safe to do that. Um so he books it, so we we we talked about it, and he's like, I think this is the best one to do because we can it can move faster. Like, as it's talking about like the differences between like doing the raft versus one of the bigger boats, the nice thing about the rafts is like as every all the different um drivers or are communicating or captains are communicating with one another, if if they start to see whales in a place, the raft can get there faster than the larger boat can.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

And so we um When we say raft, is this like an inflatable situation? Is it like made out of logs?

SPEAKER_05 36:26

It's not logs. We're not like uh in the Oregon Trail era, um, trying to navigate the waterfalls. Um so we so we're so we go for the raft one. And the bit I think so. Like it's so, anyways, the the big thing with it was like uh you have to be able to like basically climb down a ladder and step onto the raft. And so we book it, yeah. Fine, okay. So then after you booked it, I don't know why. I've just continued to think about it, and I was like, I really hope like I can hold myself up on a ladder to climb down because it's like just one that like potentially it's just like hanging from a dock, and I have to be able to climb down. Like, do I have the core strength for that? I have no idea. Um so that ends up, we get as we um get to Honolulu on Sunday, we get a text message saying that due to the weather, they've canceled it. And um, do they right? So, do we want a refund? Do we just want to book on another day? So I had said, can we please just get a refund? This was like our only day we were gonna have available. Um, and they were so nice, they were like, yes, we'll give you a refund. But also here's a link to some other um of the bigger boats that may still be going out. So I go to that, I find another one for us to go on, I book it, um, and we I get the confirmation in my inbox, like my real inbox. So then we have to be there. Well, because you have inbox, and then I have another, like, but it's like you have to click over to it. Yeah. Um and so we have to get up early to go there, which isn't that horrible because we're still five hours uh we're still on New York time. Um, so we get up, we do breakfast, we the parking situation was tested our relationship.

SPEAKER_02 38:32

Um I feel like I've I've heard that before in your in your uh proposal stories.

SPEAKER_05 38:39

Yeah. So we get parked, we get the car um checked in, and we're like walking, and it's just like nobody. Like we're trying to figure out where the boat slip is, and there's no like clear denotation of like numbers one through whatever, numbers twenty through whatever. Like it just you have to walk up to them and they have them on like the posts in front of the slip, but they're but there's no way to tell which which row has which numbers. And no, it is not like uh well isn't isn't it like one through twenty, twenty through thirty.

SPEAKER_02 39:16

Well, that's what I was wondering.

SPEAKER_05 39:18

No, it is not. Um because you can tell they've added on to the to what was originally there.

SPEAKER_02 39:25

So it's like one, two, three, four, five, eighteen, twenty, seven.

SPEAKER_05 39:29

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

Got it.

SPEAKER_05 39:30

So then we end up like go, so we're looking for like a larger boat, right? Because that's what we're looking for. So we end up walking around to the far side, and as we're approaching, we there's a family, a mom and a dad, and two kids that walk past us and we keep walking. We we get to the slip and there is no one, like, not a soul. And Frank asks, Well, is this still happening? Like, did they email us? Did they text us? I'm like, no, I I even looked at my email this morning. So I go back to my email and I look in my inbox and scroll. No, and then I click over to other, and sure enough, at like 6 a.m., they had messaged saying that it was canceled due to the weather.

SPEAKER_02 40:16

After the whole parking fiasco, which tested your relationship.

SPEAKER_05 40:20

Exactly. So we end up um deciding the water smashed Frank in the face. Yes, exactly. So then um we ended up. It would have been fun. I mean, the waves were really big. Um, so I'm not mad about it that it's it was cancelled. It was the same thing.

SPEAKER_03 40:44

Is that a whale address or just the ocean?

SPEAKER_05 40:47

So then we decide let's do the we were planning on doing the road to HANA, and so we started like looking at like different um, like we look it up on YouTube, we look it up on the map, and the one YouTube video that has like a hey heads up type thing is like if you get like the road to HANA, beautiful, everyone talks about it, but if you get car sick easily, if you um uh aren't comfortable doing a lot of like tight turns, like this may not be the thing for you. We don't as long as I'm driving and I'm not like trying to read something, I don't get car sick. Like I was driving, so I was like, yeah, sure, let's let's do it. So we drive, we start the drive, and it is very pretty. Like there's waterfalls, you're going through like um, you're seeing like jungles, you're seeing like all sorts of stuff. There's pull-off points, um, a lot of like parks are throughout there, so people are pulling off to go to the parks.

SPEAKER_02 41:48

Adventure Gen just wants to be there.

SPEAKER_05 41:50

Yes. And so at one point when we had pulled off, we had like a great overlook of the ocean. It was super, super pretty. But like it is narrow. It is a two-way road, it is very narrow. Um, the some of the bridges that you have to cross are only one lane, so you have to like yield and like let people go and figure it out. It was like it was fine. Like it was stressful, a little bit stressful, but nothing like too unmanageable. So we get to HANA. It is like a cute town. It is like really um kind of away from everything. Um we have a great lunch there, and we were like, well, do we turn back and go the way we came, or do we keep going? And we decide, well, let's keep going. Like we've already seen that part. It it's a big circle, so let's just like keep going. So as we're going, there's a sign that says whatever route we're on closed from this time to this time during these dates. It was during that time, but there was nothing like blocking the street.

SPEAKER_02 43:06

There was nothing saying d just disregard the sign. It feels open to me.

SPEAKER_05 43:12

It said like locals, like uh because people live over there, so you still have to use that road. So we so we just kept going. Um wind started to pick up, clouds started to move in. I could you not when like palm tree, what are they, frongs, prongs, whatever the leaves are like blowing across the street, like it it was um it was getting interesting. So then we're approaching the sign that clearly says road closed. However, if I am driving on the street, the sign is this way, the road is like no barrier to go on the road, and there are workers that are standing.

SPEAKER_00 43:57

Not really closed.

SPEAKER_05 43:58

Correct. So I'm like, well. Surely if we're not supposed to be there, like these people will stop us and turn us around. They didn't.

SPEAKER_02 44:04

So they're like, well, there was a sign. I mean, they clearly knew what they were doing.

SPEAKER_05 44:10

But the sign was not like facing me.

SPEAKER_02 44:12

Like it was This is the second sign that's talking down drive here.

SPEAKER_05 44:16

Okay, I may not read signs well.

SPEAKER_02 44:20

No, I think you read them all.

SPEAKER_05 44:22

I read them just, you know, my processing of you took them as an advisory. That's a good way to put it. So then we are we are on this road, which is becoming a bit more dicey, definitely more narrow. You're definitely more in a place of like uh country, like how like what I think the three of us would think of as like more of country roads was definitely we went at one point from like a paved road to a dirt road. Um and then we we go we enter this space and all of a sudden it is I'm like, how is this a two-lane road? Like this is no longer a two-lane road. If someone is coming, like I can try and get as far over as I can, but I don't think that there's enough space between like us and that guardrail over there that would be Well, it's fine, it's closed, so no one should be coming. So at one point we're like going by this um this part that has like a gate up, it has um like really carps.

SPEAKER_02 45:36

Road actual closed?

SPEAKER_05 45:38

No, there was no road closed. Like it had they had built a barrier into the road. What I can only conclude is that there may have been some erosion issues, and that parts of that were falling onto the road, but they had closed off. But I could still get around it. There was still a way around it to keep on going, so we did. So now I'm like, hmm, this is really no longer a two-way street. Like, there is no way another vehicle could what what would someone do? What would someone do? Come around a corner, F-150, and I'm like, ah. So they were obviously a local. Number one, they had a very big vehicle on this very small road. So like I like pull do my best to pull the car as far over as I can. They obviously don't give a crap. So they like basically come around very quickly. We're back on our journey. Uh stressed because now the wind is really blowing.

SPEAKER_02 46:43

Is Frank like yelling at you in Spanish at this point? No.

SPEAKER_05 46:46

No. He keep he is reassuring me that I am doing a good job.

SPEAKER_02 46:50

You're doing great. You're doing great.

SPEAKER_05 46:53

Yep. Okay, I hear it.

SPEAKER_02 46:54

I hear it.

SPEAKER_05 46:55

Rocks are falling. Um sometimes there are loud noises on the car. It's definitely not rain. There was no rain, but it wasn't getting darker.

SPEAKER_02 47:04

Like you're in a there's a mountain-y thing next to the car.

SPEAKER_05 47:07

Yeah, so on this side, on Frank's side, was the like Was there a falling rock sign you missed? Oh no. They they were there. Caution, falling rocks.

SPEAKER_02 47:17

Okay, but you didn't caution, you just kept going. Because what else are you gonna do? And the rocks are falling onto the car.

SPEAKER_05 47:25

Well, not on like I'm not talking like huge chunks of rock.

SPEAKER_02 47:28

Like the mountain has come down and you're gonna be.

SPEAKER_05 47:38

So we're we're driving. Um we then like get to this point of like we do a turn and we come around, and there is no longer a guardrail on my side of the car. It is now like straight drop mountain.

SPEAKER_02 48:01

Like it's just not a video game.

SPEAKER_05 48:04

So I am just like, oh my god, oh my god, driving as steadily as I can, moving right along, like trot, like just please don't let there be anyone else coming the other direction, because I don't know what to do in this scenario.

SPEAKER_02 48:20

Um put it in reverse and hope you can drive well backwards.

SPEAKER_05 48:24

That's essentially what you have to do.

SPEAKER_02 48:27

Um or make some kind of hand gesture that lets them know you're not equipped to drive backwards and not fall off the side. So they need to drive backwards.

SPEAKER_05 48:36

Um, Frank w says that I was always the kind person that I like I am not the aggressive driver, so I I always like backed off or waited for the other person. And it's like, of course I am. I'm in a rental, I'm with you, I'm I don't want to die. Like, I will do whatever I can to make sure I survive this um not a local adventure.

SPEAKER_02 48:59

Hashtag.

SPEAKER_05 49:00

Oh, you could I don't think a lot of local like only the locals who lived over there were really the ones doing it. All the rest are tourists.

SPEAKER_02 49:07

There were other tourists that ignored the signs as well, that's what you're saying.

SPEAKER_05 49:11

Well, I mean, maybe they were kind of there was a couple of cars coming from the other direction. By the time we got to like the real treacherous part, it was definitely locals. Like those were the only folks that were over there. Um, but it was like it it was quite on the back end. So then you we've gone from this place of like beautiful greenery, waterfalls, you're now in this place of like dirt. Like this is the dry side of the island, this is the windy side. And I'm beyond stressed.

SPEAKER_02 49:45

Like when we're talking about holding the wheel tight, like I was like, Don't actually loosen your grip on any of those fingers.

SPEAKER_05 49:53

Exactly. So we then get to this park that is actually very pretty, but what I would consider more like pastures, like wide-sweeping green grass, no trees, but like picturesque views, like it was really, really, really stunning. So like the last part of that part was better because like the road is paths, are paved again, it's wider, cars can fit, you're not driving right on the edge of the of the mountain. But it was it was stressful. So then the next day is the day of the wedding, and we have all morning and afternoon. We don't have to be anywhere for the wedding until I think four o'clock. Um, so we don't need to leave our hotel till like 3 30. So we have all day.

SPEAKER_02 50:45

Wait, I'm sorry. We've just gone past this. So you made it out the end of the road of Hana.

SPEAKER_05 50:50

Yeah, we did. We end up like your car is still in one piece. Yep. Every we are safe. We are hydrated because we brought our bottled water, because we brought our little containers. Um we survived it. We we survived. All right. Um at some points we did lose. Um uh in the worst parts, of course, we lost coverage. Yeah. So the music that I was listening to would cut off and which is fine. Like, you know, just me breathing heavily and anxiously.

SPEAKER_02 51:24

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_05 51:25

Um, so Frank would play music. Um and then I had the only thing, because you know my cell phone has little to no storage left on it. The only thing that I have is the books that I'm listening to. No, no, that's okay. Um, so I have I'm reading the heated rivalry books, which are like a spicy gay romance. And so Frank hears what I'm listening to, like when I'm taking a shower or when I'm folding laundry, but for the most part I listen to the show.

SPEAKER_02 52:01

So you listen to the heated rivalry in the shower. Naturally. Where else would you? It's just the least messy place. Got it.

SPEAKER_05 52:12

I just don't even know what to say to that. Um so I so I I turned that on. So we're listening to that as like we're, you know, curving, doing these tight years.

SPEAKER_02 52:24

Wait, you're listening to saucy novels while you're doing di why?

SPEAKER_05 52:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:30

Oh.

SPEAKER_05 52:32

What else were we gonna listen? I mean, Frank was playing the music from his phone and putting it in the cup holder. Well, for a while.

SPEAKER_02 52:38

First of all, I would not be able to keep my attention on whatever is happening in the book. So I'd be like, we need to rewind that.

SPEAKER_05 52:46

Take it back now. Um no, but it was it was definitely an interesting um uh back half. So then the next day we wake up and we're like, well, that took us like around this side of the road. Right. Like, really, come on. So then we decide, well, let's let's go this other way. So like the one tahana like took us this one side of the island, the other will take us this other side of the island. And it's not as like it doesn't take you as much around at all, but it it kind of the same thing, like scenic route where you can starts out beautiful, starts out you know, good roads, we're pulling over into stops, taking pictures. Uh so then there is no sign that says road closed, we see none of that. There is there is none of that on on this part of the journey. But if I thought we were in the country on the other side, I'm now like in the the the back roads, I guess. Like, because now we are truly in a place where people live, there are farms, there are gardens, there are all these things. But the road is seriously one lane. Like no, no fit like we we go and you go from a two-lane road to a one-lane road, and you are curving down mountains and curving back up and down and back up and down and back up. So at one point, I come around a curve, and this other this other vehicle comes around, and it's I'm guessing people like us who are just visiting and wanting to do, you know, an adventurous type thing. I have to back our car up and because we're the closest to where there was like a little place, like a little pull-off place. But as I'm backing up, I didn't pull far enough to so like I started um going more towards the mountain versus the the cutout. But the guy like is coming at like decides, oh, let me just like you're backing up. I'm immediately I'll just be on your bumper. And so I basically have to put the car in park to put it back and forward, and I have to tell him to like move back so that I can pull forward to redirect the car to pull it into this space. But again, no guardrails, no anything. So we're on the mountainside, they're the ones that are right there on the on the lip, and they do they like squeeze by, and I know me holding my breath and sucking in and trying to like become the smallest human being that I can does not help, but I still do it. This happens multiple times as we are going up through. Um, Frank begins, because you can tell, like if you're coming down one part of the mountain, you can see the other side. So you can begin to see if there's other cars that you're going to cross paths with.

SPEAKER_02 55:58

I'm just seeing Frank with the rosary in hand praying in Spanish.

SPEAKER_05 56:04

No, he was very supportive, very, very helpful because he was also keeping uh an eye out for the cars. Um, the other problem was is Was this enjoyable?

SPEAKER_02 56:14

Or at this point, are you just like doing this for adrenaline? Like, did you get to enjoy any of this drive?

SPEAKER_05 56:22

Yeah, some of it, like, because some of like you're getting really great views as well. Because like you come around and all of a sudden, it's just like the ocean with the the island with the rocks. It was a great view. It was really good. And look, it's given us a story to tell. Oh my god. But there were no signs on that one where the road was closed or anything like that. That one was truly just like you gotta go into adventure mode and figure it out because like the warning signs were very limited. Um, but that one was a lot of fun too. It just that one to me was a little bit scarier because there was a lot less, but that was a lot of fun. A lot less guardrails, a lot more like one-lane roads, and um I'm really glad you lived to tell this story. We got to see a blowhole. I think we sent you that video. So because we did that route, we got to see the blowhole. If we didn't go that route, we wouldn't have been able to see it. So do you want to see a blowhole? Then sometimes you have to be adventurous.

SPEAKER_00 57:30

Just say it one more time.

SPEAKER_05 57:35

So that was fun. Um it taught me a lot about my driving skills and my my nerves of steel.