Travel is supposed to be fun, and normally it is. Sure, sometimes things happen that raise your hackles. Airport security lines move too slowly, and you get antsy as flight time nears. You're stuck in a middle seat between two heavyweights. Your hotel room isn't ready when you're hot to check in. Stuff like that. Good travelers adapt and keep their cool.
Even so, there some things we all can live without:
Airline baggage fees Yes, airlines are hemorrhaging financially, but fliers still have to take clothes with them. Passengers, already burdened with higher fares and crowded planes, deserve a break. Airlines should consider eliminating fees for the first checked bag and doubling the amount for the second checked bag. And travelers should think twice about emptying their closets for a one-week vacation. (Current baggage fees range from $15 to $25, except for Southwest and JetBlue, which don't charge. As for Spirit Airlines and its plan to charge as much as $45 for carry-on bags, well, the airline's president simply is clueless and tone-deaf when it comes to his passengers.)
Boorish behavior This includes playing your iPod so loud that the person next to you can hear your awful taste in music.
Seat civility Don't hog two armrests when you've paid for just one. And when you recline your seat, remember that you might be breaking the kneecaps of the person seated behind you.
Crying babies and kicking toddlers There's not much a mom or dad can do if an infant has ear discomfort or feels insecure in a strange environment except soothe the baby and hope he or she nods off. Parents, however, can stop toddlers from constantly kicking the seat in front of them.
Resort fees Now that virtually everyone has a cell phone and room phone charges are no longer a profit center, some hotels nick you as much as $25 a night for the minibar, Wi-Fi, hotel shuttle, newspaper and such, whether you use those amenities or not.
Rental car extras You snag a great weekly rate, then you're hit with a bevy of fees that can increase your bill by 50 percent: airport concession fees, parking tax, vehicle license fee, convention center/stadium tax, fuel charge, frequent-flier tax, peak-season tax and additional-driver fees. Then there's insurance, if you opt for that. You can't avoid state and local taxes.
Travel don'ts
There are things travelers do that they shouldn't. And things do go wrong. Consider these don'ts from "The Titanic Awards: Celebrating the Worst of Travel" (titanicawards.com), a just-published paperback compiled by Doug Lansky, an American travel writer who lives in Sweden.
•In-flight Wi-Fi is new and great and magical, but don't fail to keep your private profile and your preferences private. You're not the only one who can see your computer screen.
•Don't conk out and lean on your neighbor's shoulder. He or she has permission to push you off if you do.
•Don't eat fried chicken on a bus or train, and definitely don't bring it on a plane. It's smelly, greasy and messy.
•Don't sneeze or cough without covering your nose or mouth, and don't neglect to wash your hands after using the lavatory. These in-flight offenses take the No. 1 spot because they happen most frequently and can affect the most passengers.