An Odd Tradition

I fly a lot. But it just struck me yesterday what an odd tradition it is for the pilot to greet each passenger as they LEAVE the plane. Air travel has become a bus ride mostly. Unlike when I was a kid and it felt special to fly, now it's just a means of impersonal torment. Except where the pilot says a word to you on the way off the plane.

I can see the point of the pilot taking a close look at his passengers as they get ON the plane, but after the fact of a successful flight (i.e. we all walked away from the landing) I don't really want to make nice with the guy. I've been crowded into a seat and tossed a bag of peanuts if I'm lucky so it's not like he/she hosted a really great time.

On the other hand, I'd like to get a good look at the pilot BEFORE we take off -- remember those guys who had downed a few before climbing into the cockpit -- I'd like a chance to see if he/she was tipsy or looked particularly morose about something. It also seems like a good idea for the pilot to check out the souls he's about to be responsible for and make sure none of them are particularly morose/drunk/or have suspiciously bulky shoes.

That's it; let's size each other up before the flight and let parting proceed without that awkward smile and word of thanks that's so out of step with the rest of the flying experience.