My 13 hour flight just got delayed 7 hours, I'm stuck at my second airport, and I dont think I'm gonna make it. I have some movies and audio books on my phone, but really only anticipated having to burn the flight time via napping and some media, not 7 hours leading up to it, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna mentally burn out on passive media.
- I have media on my phone - movies, shows and audio books, but I can only do about 2-3 hours at a stretch before I burn out on those things.
- I have wifi and power both on the ground and on the plane, although I'm sure the connection once we get going isn't going to be performance enough for online games.
- I have a phone and headset but didn't bring a laptop because it was just extra bulk I didn't think I'd need. I don't have a switch or steam deck or anything neat.
- I have access to the airport lounge, so drinks are free, and I get free drinks on the plane. I don't want to get wasted or have to pee constantly, so my plan is to jim lahey it.
- I'm intrigued by mobile games, but every one I've tried has felt too gimmicky with gambling or freemium BS mechanics. Also tried started valley but it never got me hooked either. I have an android and will buy games if they're worth it.
- I'm open to any other ideas that could somehow mentally (or physically while on the ground) stimulate me.
- I'm a dude in my 30s with a family and kids, but I'm currently traveling solo.
- I've already killed 2 hours on a plane and 2 more on the ground (my planned connection time) doing nothing, I was saving my media trying to avoid burning out on shit before I get on the plane.
- I suck at sleeping when on the go.
- I'm on my 3rd mimosa and bored as fuck.
Help.
Whenever I get stuck in an airport I like to use the opportunity to move around, since you're not going to have that luxury on your flight.
Airport scavenger hunt:
Easy (1 point)
– Someone trying to explain to a TSA agent why there’s a larger-than-3.4-ounces bottle of shampoo/conditioner/moisturizer in his or her carry-on bag.
– Someone throwing away a bottle of water or newly bought cup of coffee at the TSA checkpoint (get an extra two points if the person is chugging the water or coffee in order not to waste it, or three points if it’s alcohol).
– One person using all the outlets at a charging station for his or her multiple devices.
– The traveler pretending not to know English in order to board the flight before his or her zone is called.
– Someone with a carry-on bag on the chair next to him or her in the waiting area to discourage anyone else from sitting there.
– The vacationer in shorts departing a warm-weather destination for a cold-weather one.
– Someone in a later zone blocking the gate entrance so passengers in earlier zones can’t board.
– The well-dressed business traveler with just a briefcase who is on a cell phone every minute before takeoff.
– The couple standing on both sides of the moving walkway, preventing anyone else from passing them.
Medium (2 points)
– A woman trying on eye shadow, nail polish or perfume at a duty-free shop.
– A gate attendant pretending he or she doesn’t see the person waiting at the desk to ask a question.
– Someone near the check-in desk repacking a suitcase and redistributing items because the bag is too heavy.
– A rowdy school/church group that you hope isn’t on your flight.
– An argument at the ticket counter (add an extra two points if the gate agent is actually remaining friendly and trying to help).
– A small child with a character-themed suitcase/backpack.
Hard (3 points)
– A kid standing on the baggage claim conveyer belt (get an extra point if the kid has actually gone for a ride on it).
– A person fumbling with multiple coins and currencies while trying to pay at a shop or restaurant.
– The backpackers who have clearly been traveling for months and may or may not have dreads (an extra point for dreads).
– The person who arrives late to the airport and begins asking everyone if he or she can cut the line in order to make it to the gate in time.
– The honeymooners (or soon-to-be-married couple) wearing bride and groom apparel.
– Sports team members wearing matching uniforms.
– Someone changing in a bathroom stall (an extra point if he or she uses the sink for face washing or tooth brushing).
I'd recommend reading Wikipedia
More content than you could possibly read, short reads typically, you learn stuff, and you can make games out of it
A game I like to play is to come up with 2 completely unrelated things, start on thing 1, and see if you can get to thing 2 on Wikipedia in 6 tabs or less, using Wikipedia links only
The number of wiki tabs open on my phone from shit that I intend to finish in the future but rarely make time to do so supports this suggestion.
In a similar vein, TV tropes. It's a well known time sink and you learn a lot about pop culture.
Id say one of these things is significantly better for your media literacy than the other
Click the first link on a Wikipedia page that is not a date or a pronunciation and is not in italics. Do that on each subsequent page until you get to Philosophy.
The game is to find a subject that is the farthest from Philosophy.
Best advice out of all comments! Wikipedia is strongly underestimated as a content platform for entertainments.
Do you play with the rule that the connection has to go both ways that is you can get from page A to page B in six links and that you can get from page B to page A in also six links? Or is is sufficient that you can find a path from A to B but not necessarily B to A?
https://movie-web.app/
A free and open source online web app for streaming content. They’re committed to no ads, pop ups, or other weird malicious stuff you’d see on other streaming sites. Binge a series or two!
Wait— this was posted 24 hours ago. Oh well.
books.
Read the first three chapters of name of the wind, then try to stop.
Man I would love 20hrs to kill by myself. With 7 hours at the airport is leaving the airport an option? Like others have said. Read a book. Get your steps up. Try and do 10,000 steps walking the entire airport. Buy a notepad and draw the people our sights around you
Don't kill your time. When you're in the final moments of your life you'll most likely wish you had more, so make the effort to be thankful for every second you have now.
Seconds are extra long in airports and traveling. Only option is to fall asleep and travel forward in time
I'm confident that on my deathbed my biggest regret will be being bored while stuck in an airport for a day.
Talk to people? Does the airplane have a bar? Even if you don't drink there's probably people there willing to have some conversations.
You appear to still have about 6 hours left, so go mess around on the travelators, those are always fun.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/ZaaNlHQGeYU?si=t8QtTr32YrVJC-ez
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.
Baba is You. It is one of the best puzzle games ever made, and available on mobile.
If you haven't already you can usually ger compensation for delayed flight. Check out the compensation page for the airline your using.
Maybe it there's a bookstore close by you can get a book? I've been really enjoying I am robot by Isaac Asimov. It's sci-fi. It basically tells stories from a future where robots are more capable than humans will ever be. And to stop the robots from rioting there are 3 rules.
- Robots can never hurt people, or let them get hurt by doing nothing. (I'm translating from my first language if there's any mistakes I'm sorry)
- Unless it interferes with the first rule robots will always obey humans.
- Unless it interferes with first and the second rule robots will always protect themselves.
One of the main points of the stories are how the robots get into situations where they hit an edge case or work around the laws.
