No Sign of Slowdown in Pittsburgh

Sitting here at Pittsburgh Airport waiting to fly home (delayed, natch) and looking around realizing it seems the airport(s) are as crowded as before gas surged to $4/gallon and jet fuel spiked.  

When I left from Newark Airport on Friday the security lines snaked through the entire roped area and down into the gate area.   In fact, I have never seen a line that long in 15 years using the airport.   The lines at Pittsburgh today weren't that long, but there were plenty of people around.

Maybe Pittsburgh is different.  At roughly 400 miles from my home in New Jersey and at 25 mpg in my car, it would run me roughly 32 gallons of gas to get here, or about $150 bucks.   There would also be about $30 in tolls.  My flight was $258 bucks.   Even with airport parking, it was a small premium to pay over driving to save me 4-5 hours of drive time.   Perhaps my fellow air travelers have done the same math.

Eating dinner in Monaca, PA Saturday night I first tried a place called the Texas Roadhouse.  When I drove up, there were at least 30 people waiting outside, clearly on hold for a table.  I kept driving.   I ended up at an Applebees.   It was nearly as crowded.   I sat at the bar and looked around.  Every table was full and people seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I am not denying there isn't a slowdown in the economy.  As many of you who have watched for a while know, I've been calling for a downturn for two years.   All I'm saying is that I was (pleasantly) surprised by what I found on this trip.  Slowdown or no, people are still flying and still eating out.  Perhaps proof you can't keep the American consumer down.