I was listening to Matthew Perry narrate his book and he mentioned that he almost called it “Unaccompanied Minor” because he would fly solo as a kid between parents.
I too flew solo a couple of times as a child, though for different reasons. My family lived in a different state from extended family. We would often drive out to see them in the summer. One year our parents bought us kids one way tickets and we stayed longer and flew home as unaccompanied minors. At that time non-passengers could go to the gate so my aunts and cousins waited with until we boarded the plane. That year we had to change planes in order to get home where our parents were waiting at the gate upon arrival.
The following year my older siblings had other plans and I was the only one who stayed longer. I flew home by myself. I was 10. 10! I looked much younger than 10 too. I was seated between two adults who ended up chatting to each other. The man in the window seat changed with me so I could look out the window and he could chat with the woman. In my mind they formed a romance and are still together today, thanks to me!
The next year my family didn’t drive out but I still wanted to go so my parents sent me on my way. There were 2 others girls around my age traveling alone, why they didn’t sit us together is beyond me. I recall having a tag on me that said “Unaccompanied Minor” but I could be making that up. I do recall wearing my hot pink ruffle miniskirt with my pink polka dot shirt. Oh I was the shit. We got to our destination and a flight attendant walked the 3 of us to the gate. The other 2 girls had family waiting for them, I did not. If you didn’t figure out from the non-passengers at the gate and my hot pink outfit, this was before cell phones. My aunt was paged throughout the airport, I was afraid that the airline would leave me there. Eventually I see my cousins running towards me; my aunt hit traffic and was late. All good.
My flight home from that trip I was accompanied by my aunts and grandfather, but that’s a story for another day.
A few years later, when I was 15, I visited my sister in college. I took the plane then hopped on the bus to where her college was. Apparently I was too old to be an unaccompanied minor though I probably looked 12. There was a snafu with the bus and I was at one station and my sister was at another. I called her dorm and let her roommate know. About an hour later my sister was there. One of the bus rides I had a creepy guy offer me carrots, I think that I startled him since I was in front of him but so short that I couldn’t be seen from behind.
My family jokes about me traveling by myself at such a young age. There is something that children who traveled as unaccompanied minors experienced that is unique. We were independent, we were trustworthy, we got to do adult things. It makes for funny stories to talk about hopping on a plane as a little 10 year-old. Especially today with so much parental control. We made it out okay I guess.
Thank you to Matthew Perry for this wonderful memory. RIP
Introverted runner and other stuff 