Don’t stand so close to me
Despite our craving for human connections and intimate relationships, we really need our space
Nick Grindell to Tom Barrett: This town ain’t big enough for the both of us. If I see you in Carabinas by this time tomorrow, it’s you or me!
— The Western Code, 1932
Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos: That moon ain’t big enough for the both of us. If I see you at NASA by this time tomorrow, it’s you or me! And FYI: It’s gonna be me.
— Fantasy showdown based on CNN Business, August 19, 2021
In May, our Yorkie traveled from BOS to LAX in a compartment measuring 15 inches long, 10 inches high, and 8.5 inches wide. His carry-on fit snugly under the seat in front of us. We are almost average-sized adults who understand and accept the reality of travel, no matter what the mode. When you buy a ticket to anywhere, you implicitly agree to be confined to spaces of 18-inches in width that cheerfully provide one’s buttocks with just enough cheeky surface on which to spread, as well as an additional 32 inches of legroom. Sounds generous, right?
Yeah, no. There is never enough space. And when you have a dog in a travel case (even a 4.5 pounder), leg room diminishes to zero inches, and you must sit with knees bent at 90 degrees. The whole…
