Andy Rooney: I'm Staying Home

Andy Rooney Explains Why He Is Not Flying The Friendly Skies This Summer

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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It would be good if someone could find a way to make money by talking people out of going anywhere this summer.

The airlines are predicting that even though there may be fewer travelers, they're going to be more crowded then ever. That's partly because airlines have scheduled fewer flights and partly, I think, because they just don't give a damn.

Going someplace will be more time-consuming and more expensive than ever too. Don't even mention less comfortable. I don't mind hearing about it because I'm not going anywhere this summer that I can't get to on foot or by car. The airlines can count me out.

I'd like to fly to London to see my daughter Ellen and I'd like to fly to Los Angeles to see son Brian and his family but I can't face the flight to either place. I have the money - I just don't have the patience. If the airlines are crowded this summer, it's going to be with people other than me.

When you consider how expensive and uncomfortable travel can be, it's surprising that so many of us choose to go somewhere so often. Where we get to is almost never as good as where we came from.

It would be interesting too if it were possible to compare what people spend on a Saturday when they stay around home with what they spend if they're on a trip.

I am almost certain that I spend more staying home on a weekend than I spend when we're traveling.

When you travel, you know how much gas costs, how much meals are, and how much a hotel room is going to be.

At home you never know how much you're going to spend or what you're going to spend it on.

Saturdays can be very expensive.

[al snowball]

i HAVE ANOTHER BOOK TITLED CAN YOU SEE AN ANGEL? WRITTEN BY AL SNOWBALL, PUBLISHED BY AUTHORHOUSE.COM NOW i HAVE MY MOST RECENT BOOKS, A JACK OF ALL TRADES, BUT THE MASTER OF NONE. THIS BOOK I TALK ABOUT COINCIDENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH I BELIEVE ARE NOT TRUE. EVERYTHING IN LIFE GENERALLY HAS BEEN PREPLANNED. THROUGH MY EXPERIENCES IN LIFE ISTATE THEM ALL IN THE BOOK. BY GOING INTO MY PAST, WITH PEOPLE, PLACES, AND TIMES, AND EVENTS IN MY LIFE. i NEED TO SEND ANDY ROONEY A COPY, BUT I DO NOT HAVE HIS MAILING ADDRESS. wOULD YOU PLEASE SEND IT TO ME?

[al snowball]

I RECENTLY WROTE A BOOK ENTITLED, A JACK OF ALL TRADES,BUT THE MASTER OF NONE. MY PEN NAME IS AL SNOWBALL, MY LEGAL NAME IS ALLAN S. COOPERMAN, i WANTED TO SEND ANDY ROONEY A COPY OF THE BOOK, BUT I CANNOT GET HIS ADDRESS TO MAIL IT TO HIM. IN THE BOOK THE THEME IS, IBELIEVE THAT THERE ARE NO COINCIDENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES,.i CANNOT PROVE ANY OF THIS BUT SUGGEST, THROUGH STATING THE MANY SITUATIONS, PEOPLE,PLACES, AND TIMES I HAVE MET. CONTACT ME AT [e-mail]. THANK YOU, SINCERELY aL sNOWBALL, TOO.

[rodgert-2009]

Who The Hell Is Andy Rooney?

[GiveMeFreedom]

It is a great year to stay close to home. No need to spend money we do not have on frivolous travel costs and meals when we can stay home and enjoy what our area has to offer. Great article and right on.

[barbaram99]

Andy,
Greeting from Seattle.The last time we travelled was by bus from Maine to WA state in 98. We stay home.
Loved that about the apron.They don't make them like GramMum's Apron today.I am 54.
It is too costly to travil today.

[barbaram99]

Andy,
Greeting from Seattle.The last time we travelled was by bus from Maine to WA state in 98. We stay home.
Loved that about the apron.They don't make them like GramMum's Apron today.I am 54.
It is too costly to travil today.

[CharlieChanFan]

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't Think our kids know what an apron Is.

The Principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress
underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses And they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming
oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the Fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to
dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

Best regards,

Chris Grant
Renton, Washington

[nebmuggins]

I agree with Andy Rooney. I am tired of being squished in an airline seat, especially when the person in front of me reclines- ramming my tray table into my ribs. I'm a baby boomer with the money to spend traveling by plane but not as a sardine in a can! Too bad the airlines can't see that this may be part of the reason they are losing business. Boomers have money to spend but you've got to make us comfortable! ! ! !

[hagar39]

With Andy's money he could take cruise liner to England. To LA he could rent a camper and see the USA. Andy go see your FAMILY. It's later then you think. ; )

[mommamarz]

Andy Rooney is obviously running out of interesting things to talk about...I don't go any where because it's too expensive, and it cost almost nothing to stay home if you are use to living off of pennies....as is all of the world right now. Who can afford to travel right now, anyway, besides Andy Rooney and all of the other "rich" people?

[phairphysiology]

You won't suffer the inconvenience of flying in order to see your grandchildren? Wow. I sure am glad I don't have to explain that one to my daughter.

[An-Historian]

Travelling on long distance trips by train or ship has definitely become a *much* more attractive option with each passing year, ever since 9-11.

Travelling "commercial air" these days is an experience best reserved for genuine masochists.

[cruppt]

Andy, time to retire. You were so far off base on this one. I still can't figure out what your crying about. You will be flying non-stop in first class. What do you care if it's cramped in coach? More expensive to stay home? The normal American does not live your lifestyle.

[bjo1109]

I agree with Andy. I have heard numerous horror stories about the airlines and their callous disregard for their passengers. I think they have gone WAY overboard since 9/11, treating everyone as a criminal, and throwing common sense out the window. I will not fly again until customer service has improved to reach the level of, at least, common courtesy.

[inachu1]

Andy is 100% right!
For that reason I will not see my wife in China.

[bloomberg2]

Andy,
You are way off the mark on this one! It is us, the passengers, that keep security lines slow, and travelling frustrating! Did you see the woman in line, on your segment, with the stroller, HUGE box of what appeared to be a toy and 1 to 2 children?? Now THAT is what holds up the lines. I travelled to Mexico a few months ago and you should have seen the loads of boxes people were shipping back to Mexico on the plane I was riding on...good grief!! It's ridiculous! The airlines are more accommodating than ever! And it is US, the customer who is demanding our $69 one way tickets and our comfortable seats, etc. And it's just bad form to moan and complain about delays when the airlines only have our safety in mind. I believe airlines should raise ticket prices to what they should be $400-$500 period! Additionally, if you add the cost of travel by auto, flying is actually more affordable (given gas, hotel and food costs, not to mentiion time). If the airlines made flying more exclusive and special again, we would not have all these problems. Pilots would actually be able to get paid what they deserve (I still don't understand why pilots responsible for hundreds of lives get paid so poorly) and travelling would be much more enjoyable.
Sorry, Andy, but you need to re-examine this one!

[Slrman]

Good job, Andy. You always bring the nut jobs and the age- prejudiced out of the woodwork and from under their rocks. Too bad they have no sense of humor to appreciate what you say.

Keep on working until you decide it's time to sit back and laugh at the rest of us. Wait! Aren't you doing this now? Heh Heh

[longtree-2009]

andy rooney is entitled to his opinion. we all are in the usa. there are many that find him entertaining regardless of his age. don't know how old he is but if he can still hold down a job in the media with a sizeable audience and his employers are happy with his performance, that's all that matters. those of us who don't find him entertaining can just tune him out, not read his material. don't always agree with andy but enjoy reading, listening to what he has to say and admire him for having the spine to take a position, popular or not. each person should decide when they want to retire, each person. if you are old and retired, it is your choice to stay retired so let andy make his own choice. life is about choices, andy is entitled to make his own. it's his life, not yours. keep on keeping on andy. you have an audience of people of various age, age groups.

[jbeckett5]

Andy often hits the mark, but he has this dead wrong. Airlines do a spectacular job of transporting people and luggage over long distances safely. Airlines get an amazing number of details right, charge a small fraction of the price we paid in more-regulated days, and tolerate the abuse of the occasional nasty customer. They keep us safe, too: I've seen a crew operating in an emergency, and their professionalism was awesome. I'm flying on vacation this week, and delighted to have the opportunity.

By the way, I have no connection to the airline industry.

Andy, if you can't find something useful to say, please step away from the microphone.

[DE58]

Great Job, Mr Rooney. Your comments are right on target. So much so that people are offended. Why should we pay hard earned money to be hassled, insulted and treated rudely. I feel for the people that will be burdened with the decrease in travelers but if they were more customer friendly....or instill friendliness into their fellow employees, maybe we would not resent having to travel.