How to Play Travel Bingo

Ah the weather! One minute it’s 80. The next minute, it’s 30. And you’re stuck in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Airport because New York City was having a tornado…or two. Yeah, yeah, I AM all about the environment and how horrible climate change is. But I’ll be honest, Harrisburg is no NYC, even if they have a Subway restaurant. And it’s easy to get B-O-R-E-D just waiting around when your flight is delayed. So let us share with you a fun game you can employ when you travel. This week we’ll show you how to play travel bingo. This week…it’s the “Bad Traveler” edition.

The Overall Rules of the Game

Just like in regular bingo, the first person to 5 wins. You can keep track of your progress on just one hand. All you need is to be is quick, observant and louder that your fellow contestants. The prize…well, I think it makes even going to the airport an extra fun part of the journey.

Round 1 – Bad Travelers at the Airport

The Not-so-Fun Family

You’ll most likely meet this crew as soon as you enter the airport.

• The father – wrangling at least 8 pieces of luggage and some sort of awkward baby gear, like a car seat or travel play pen
• The mother – already disheveled after getting her brood road ready, with a sleeping infant swaddled against her body, holding the hand of a toddler in full melt down
• Infant – completely oblivious to all the money and effort her parents expended to make this “special” memory
• Toddler – in full melt down because he wanted to wear his red shoes, not his blue ones
• Next oldest sibling – dutifully pulling her own suit case while trying not to get lost in the crowd

And that, my dear readers, is what you call a “Not-so-Fun Family” road block. Good luck juking them to get to the self tagging bag kiosk.

The Roaming Sleepover

You will meet the Roaming Sleepover as you make your way to the CNN shop to grab a bottle of water. This pair of travelers sport pajamas, neck pillows, slippers and au-currant bed-head hair styles. They may be on a REALLY long leg of their flight. Or they may have arrived at the airport in that condition. You may never really know.

The Flatulent Fast Foodie

I’m not sure if you can call it “winning” when you run into this traveler on the airplane. As you’re making sure your seat is in the upright position, your nose tells you that something is wrong. Very wrong. As you look around, you see your seat mate brought an entire happy meal along for the ride. Not to disparage Mickey Dees – this meal might likely be from any number of the restaurants on site. You hope it doesn’t have too much garlic. But if it doesn’t then…what WAS that smell??

The Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet

Now this traveler has never read ONE article about travel etiquette or what an absolutely TERRIBLE idea it is to remove your shoes on a flight. Not only may you offend your seat mate, due to the altitude and pressure, your feet may swell up and your shoes may have to be carried to your next destination.

The Crouching Carousel Crowder

Finally, as your heading down to get your bags, you’ll spot this crazy crowder standing right next to the conveyor belt, attempting to get their bag before anyone has a chance to steal it and run away! If you’re anything like me, and believe in leaving space, know this traveler will stand in the 12 inch gap between you and the machinery. If they get their bag first, they will feel like they’ve won. And of course, since LaGuardia only has the ONE taxi…they can lift their hands in victory. (In case you’re humor impaired, that was sarcasm!)

BINGO!

We hope you enjoyed learning how to play bingo to pass the time. Let us know if you “win” the “Bad Traveler edition: on your next adventure or if you have 5 more suggestions for the next round. If you like travel tips and adventure stories, consider becoming a TO insider by subscribing for free. You can also follow us on Instagram for a real time peek at what we’re up to and until next time…happy travels!