You know what?? I don't think there are too many jobs that don't require some tolerance and patience. I work in a general hospital as a nurse. I have to listen to ppl who whine, some justified and some not, all the time. I have to smile and continue with my job doing various procedures that I don't particularily like and with a smile no less. It is called life but love my job and I show tolerance and empathy.

Obviously there are bigger problems in life than tiny soap dishes -- but at the same time, I can't help but think of that scene in Office Space where Peter stands outside the office door for a minute staring at the metal doorknob in trepidation, then finally reaches for it and gets shocked. Those teeny little annoyances can really get to you when you deal with them again and again, no matter how much you try to keep life in perspective!

I think when you're away from your family, the "little things" seem more frustrating -- "I could be at home with the people I love, but instead I'm listening to a perfect stranger's medical history."

Hi mdtravel. Although I don't travel for business my husband does quite a bit and he never fails to tell me when we travel together, "these people aren't business travelers" --he gets pretty frustrated, too, with much of what you wrote.

Two years ago I flew solo to see family--there was a girl sitting against the window, I took the aisle seat and a large man took the center. After he sat down he started talking and wouldn't stop for 3 hours--I thought I would go insane. After that incident I learned to carry with me at all times, in hand, a book and that has worked better than anything when I want to be left alone. I also travel with a Gameboy Advance but have had kids literally lean on my arm to watch me play. Reading material seems to be the way to go. And I can think of several occassions when the mini bar attendant came marching into a room mid-day so we learned, if the room has been cleaned, to leave the do-not-disturb sign on the door.

Venting is good.

Mitch -- I agree with you but you are not flying with your patients. Plus, my job is not all about flying and the facilitation of such (i.e., FA or pilot). I am, like others, simply trying to get from Point A to Point B with as little acute stress as possible. Once I get to my hotel, I smile at everyone and am thrilled once I hit the bed.

Lighten up folks...I never said I hated people, never said I hated my job, certainly not my family. I love my job, love my family, and might like people depending on my mood and what I have going on! I often work on flights...let's state that. So if you folks are saying that you're always cheery happy go lucky willing and ready to be interupted to hear about elderly women's bodily functions when you're either working or just want some peace and quiet...good for you. I don't believe you though.

"Waking up in a hotel room and not know where I am"

I hate this one as well. Bumping into walls, 'what city am I in again' feeling. Even worse when you're awake and forget what city you're in.

and I disagree that most of my pet peeves are about people...soap dishes, toilets, air conditioners are all inanimate objects so my disdain is spread equally across all things in this world apparently.

I did realize one more today going through the airport in Vegas and unfortunately it involves people: moving sidewalk...;stand on right, walk on left'...not 'pitch a tent in the middle of the conveyer.'

One part of business travel I quit a job over:

Sharing a room with co-workers.

No, no, no! I do not share my bedroom at home with any of those people; why should my cheapskate employer think I'd want to room with them on the road? I will never (I hope) have a job/employer like that again. None of the afore-mentionned complaints is as bad as having to share a room with co-workers ... and dinner, and breakfast ... etc. except I would announce that I'll dine by myself, and suddenly I'm "not a team player".

There is no "I" in "Team" -- but there IS a "ME"

Ugh...sharing rooms. I once had a trip to see a client, on their dime, traveling with another male coworker. Before we left we got our room confirmation and there was only one room. I figured it was to save costs. I was pretty offended at the assumption made on their part, but approached it with a joking 'My dorm days are behind me, we'll need a second room please.'

As the one who runs the company, I have never required people to bunk in the same room. There are some things that are too cheap even for me to pull.

I'm with karameli on this one - being away from home and loved ones for work always makes silly little things that would never otherwise be an issue seem like really irritating problems. I've always been lucky with the annoying neighbors, though, and never have to talk to anybody. Maybe I've sat next to mdtravel. :) My work travel complaint, though, is about rental cars. Why do American car manufacturers make the steering so loose? And why are virtually all rental cars American? Seems like you have to spin the wheel a good 2-3 times just to change lanes.

working for a chintzy company that does not even pay for our lunch when we travel ....

Sharing a hotel room would be a deal breaker for me also.

How insulting for a company to make you share a hotel room with someone else?

Although I can't recall anyone conversing directly with me, I was driven INSANE on a small jet recently by 2 women in the row ahead who kept up a loud nonstop conversation all about all their difficulties at work for over 5 hours. As my quiet seatmate said as we were de-planing, it stands to reason that two such inconsiderate people would have trouble at work!

I understand the annoyances associated with business travel...nothing life threatening, but just plain annoying when there is enough stress to go around.

A recent flight found a woman loudly talking on her cell phone (obviously a long distance call..she could be heard by most of the cabin's inhabitants) She mentioned twice that she had to hurry up because they had announced that all cell phones had to be turned off, but still had time to let everyone know her itinery and what she wanted for dinner when she got home.

I look at work travel as sort of adventure...can your gabby neighbor beat my hotel room from hell?

Have discovered the solitary pleasure of a good mp3 player.

At first I thought " large FA meant something like "large fat ---" and I almost died laughing!!

Cantstayhome -- they probably make our steering so loose so all the idiot drivers don't accidentally veer off the road while they're dialing their cell phones :P

I'm debating on whether I should mention the company I used to work for or not....well, let's say it's a large real estate company with franchise as well as company-owned offices worldwide.

If I (or my counterparts) wanted to go to the national marketing directors' meeting twice a year, many of our owners cut our budgets so that we'd have to room with others. Thank God I had a wonderful roommate for a couple of years, we were excellent travel buddies. Also, for the annual management retreat for our local office, all of us managers had to share rooms. Side note: one of the owners used to make our controller try to buy office equipment on eBay, too!

So now I work for a much tinier company, but they are so much better about not making us share rooms or buy used office equipment.

Things I hate about traveling for work:
1. Doing the expense reports.
2. Having to be "on" with everyone once I land.
3. I still have to try to find the absolute cheapest fares, which can be a hassle.

I traveled business as a Consultant Every Week for 2 years. Left home every Monday out of National now Reagan to somewhere in the US and return every Friday or Saturday.
As a woman business traveler I was very fortunate my Compnay flew me First Class and provided Drivers almost always...

those were 2 perks I absolutely appreciated..but I agree when you travel for business the little things do get to you...

FAs who are nasty to womem business traveler and purr at the men

Getting drinks spiled on your dress and the passenger/FA did not even say sorry...

siting in the airport/plane dog tired and people wanting to chat...as soon as they start yacking
I tell them I get airsick and ask if I can have their barf bag too...they usually ask for a different seat...


arrivng late at hotels and having a confirmed reservation given away...try finding another room at midnight in a strange town...

kids on planes..parents on planes...I will say I am sorry in advance but I have had kids throw up on me, kick the back of the seat, shriek at the top of their lungs, parents who do nothing or scream back....it is just miserable for everyone..

For all you Road Warriors out there,
you might want to pick up a new
book by Robert L. Jolles. pres. of
an independent training consulting
firm entitled "The Way of the
Road Warrior"

On the rare occasion we
must travel for work, we too
are paired up with co-workers
as room mates. Yuck is right.
While I may actually like
my co-workers, I too am
beyond my dorm days.

However, any ideas how to
avoid that? How to make the
company see the error of their
ways, to get a clue?

Spouses or significant others who insist on tagging along for the trip!!

I once worked for a company in which the travel department was run by one of the company owner's relatives (who also did some travel). For a while, she had a habit of booking herself into very nice hotels and putting the rest of us in hotels that were, on occasion, frankly crap. There were grumbles, but nothing was done about it, until one day, a staffer who was also an avid photographer, took very lurid and detailed photos of his room--stained toilet, bare light bulbs, etc.--and photos of the travel planner's hotel--lush lobby, smiling staff, etc.--blew them up and hung them on the outside walls of his cubicle. Nothing was formally said, but from then on, hotel assignments for the rank and file improved exponentially in quality.

While working at that same company, I not only had to share a Day's Inn room with two co-workers, I also had to share a bed. And one of them was the worst snorer I'd ever encountered. I actually ended up sleeping in the bathtub just to get a little break from the noise.

That said, most of the time, I enjoy business travel. I generally like my co-workers and the people I meet, I've had opportunities to travel to many interesting places AND free time before or after business to explore them.