I have been on a lot of miserable flights in my lifetime but one of my worst plane experiences is the Screechy Recorder Incident of 2012. It was exactly what it sounds like: a small child seated in my general vicinity played the recorder very loudly for what felt like several hours. Even with headphones on I could feel the screech-screech-SCREEEECH penetrate my skull. The recorder is an instrument of torture, simple as that. Even the most talented musician cannot make it sound pleasant. And, reader, this child was not a talented musician.
Looking back at that flight I am amazed the kid stepped off that plane unscathed. Nobody got up and ripped the recorder from her hands (although, I’m not going to lie, I certainly thought about it). Nobody got into a violent altercation with her parents. Nobody had a meltdown. Everyone just gritted their teeth and ignored what was happening.
