Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for July 11, 2017

“…and don’t you dare make eye contact with me.”

Another reason to spring for first class beyond the tiny meal, big seats and first out the door: not quite feeling a herd mentality.

In panel 5, Rat gets trampled by the “cattle.”

The mooing gag also works well on subway trains. Not.

At least he’s not working for TSA.

Several decades ago, I was at a huge bluegrass festival in southern Ontario, Canada. A very large water-filled ditch divided the concert area from the camping & parking area, and there were three big culverts that crossed the ditch from one side of the festival to the other. One evening, after the music ended and 25,000 people were shuffling across the culverts, I started loudly mooing. It caught. Soon thousands were mooing as they shuffled along. You want to talk about memorable, and weird…

that’s the RETHUG system of governance folks. serve the rich individuals and corporations first. let the rest fight it out amongst themselves. and convince a third of those (the gullible and racist ones) that it’s a good system.

I had to chuckle at today’s strip. I’m in the habit of softly singing the theme to “Rawhide” as I board a Southwest flight.

Rat has finally found his calling! At the coffee shop he could only insult the customers one at a time, but here, he has a captive audience!

Sheesh, Rat, how low can you go!

The bullhorn is appropriate, to be heard by the herd.

Cows are people, too…and my flight leaves tomorrow!!!

There’s a can of electric paste with your name on it, rat.

Technically they’re people anyway.

*Conditions apply

*You are liable to get dragged out mercilessly if we overbook. Travel at your own risk.

There was a show on A&E about Southwest airlines. I have no clue why Southwest agreed to it. It mostly showed them treating everyone like dirt. One Southwest guy actually followed a woman around the airport harassing her about her carryon. He wanted her to check it. He said it wouldn’t fit. She got onboard and it fit perfect. She knew it would as this was a connecting flight and it had fit on the others.

I don’t know why people fret. First, it’s a significant miracle that an amazingly intricate mass of technology will haul itself into the air and fly you at superman speeds to another land around the world and do it in virtually perfect safety. And if it’s the most uncomfortable day you’ve spent, you’re incredibly fortunate – and spoiled. I do know which airlines currently have the comfortable economy seats and which seats they are in various aircraft. The only truly uncomfortable seat I’ve ever had was when I spent extra for Air France premium and got a molded shell seat that apparently only fits one body. I don’t care about the food. I’m almost totally inactive and don’t need it anyway. Although it’s been getting much better over the years. There’s always some part of it that’s good. And I don’t worry about boarding. The front half of the plane doesn’t take off any sooner than the back half. I could afford 1st class, but why spend thousands extra to sit in a big soft chair for a few hours. For a fraction of that, I could buy the best Lay-Z-Boy has and sit in it every day. For the difference, I could make several more trips. Or for a small fraction, I could eat fine meals every day in Paris (which I do spend on). I’m happy people do, though. It keeps the costs down for the rest of us.

People fly too much. Learn to be happy at home. “The sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.” ― Blaise Pascal

I hate to admit I always travel first class, but now I have a good justification!

And just why is First Class better than Gold Premier and Platinum Select? I think they should fight it out for who’s really top dog!

Hey when you’re paying bus ticket prices, expect bus service quality.

That third panel had me on the floor!

Captain Obvious here but Rat obviously hates the “little people”

What have they ever done to him?

xxx

I think I actually heard this exact announcement the last time I flew United…

Rat has attitude. If he is not careful, his Big Attitude and Ego may actually bring a smile to the herd, hoi polloi (“The Mob; I loathe them!”), and brighten their otherwise dreary day. Horrors!

I hear that the airline and sardine industry have merged their research departments

CATTLE BATTLE!!!