Welcome to the Quiet Zone

You are working on your laptop. You are reading that book you’ve been wanting to read. You are watching a movie you’d never watch anywhere else, but it’s in front of you, and it’s free. You are eating a package of fancy nut mix, or a bag of Terra Blues potato chips. You are pouring a tiny bottle of vodka into a complimentary cup of Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail. You are laughing at the hotdog toaster description in the SkyMall catalog. You are resting your head against the airplane window, because you are one of those magical beings who can easily sleep on airplanes. Somewhere behind you, a child is screaming. You can sort of hear the kid, and the desperate plea of a parent telling the child to be good, because there will be a reward for well-behaved children after the plane lands. But it’s not bothering you too much — the screamer is several rows behind you. And you? You are in the quiet zone.

Photo: Christian Haugen

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.