The huge 747 was not shrink wrapped or neatly packaged, but it was almost the only thing which was not.
I have just had the Virgin experience, (which I have to add quickly is nothing to do with what I might have done or not done, now or, as we lawyers might say, hereinbefore).
This is how it might have been sold to me by that company’s advertising agents: "You've ridden the train, you've bought the record, now fly the plane"
I'd done the first two, but not the third - until last week. Some might argue that there is not a lot to choose between airlines. They all fly the same planes, visit the same airports, are prone to the same turbulence.
This will not, I promise, turn out to be an advertisement for Virgin Atlantic, but, I come from the school of thought which believes that if I get a free bar of soap from a hotel room, or a plastic spoon from a fast food restaurant, I have somehow cheated the system.
When we boarded, we were all handed a party bag containing such delights as a pair of socks, tooth brush with miniature rubber duck attached, aromatic balm, and some earplugs in a really useful plastic container marked "pardon".
Then throughout the flight more plastic wrapped goodies arrived (some containing food - with each item separately packaged) till, happy as a little boy at a party I arrived at my destination.
As we disembarked, there were a number of bubble wrapped rolls on the tarmac. I shall never know for certain, but I suspect that this was the return crew waiting to be loaded onto the plane.
  * * * * *
Boston was comfortably familiar, even though I had not been there before. Its skyline has been on our television screens recently in the new fly on the wall series Boston Law. What is interesting about that series is how fast the decisions are meted out in informal court rooms. Clearly there is no time to waste - even to order "silence in court". It is law in the raw, with no formality, and little ceremony. How would we fare if our courts adopted a minimalist approach? Time estimates would be in seconds, and trials lasting a day would be unheard of. There would no longer be time for anyone to please his Lordship, or to make disparaging references to “my friend” (learned or otherwise).
The word “delay” would disappear from the legal dictionary, as would a number of judges, barristers and court rooms.
  * * * * *
I always get a buzz out of being in the USA. There is an optimism and energy which is so lacking over here - even though many of the problems are the same. It was snowing hard but the roads remained clear, and traffic did not grind to a halt. Shops remained open late into the night every day of the week (try the wonderful Coop bookstore in Harvard Square). Most bookstores now have cafés where you can browse your selection over a beaker of decaffeinated. If you take that course, avoid doing what I did. I put my choice of books on top of a pile discarded by another bookworm. I thought my bill at the till was rather substantial, and it was only later that I discovered that I was now the proud owner of several works on a jazz musician I had never heard of.
Consistently there was helpfulness from supermarket checkouts to taxi drivers. Even the homeless beggars (see I told you the problems were the same) were cheerful.
The same positive outlook encourages the best to be made of any bad job - like their new inarticulate President. Instead of bemoaning the fact that the new George Bush cannot string two words together without falling over his tongue, the Americans are relishing the experience. No one is without their copy of George W Bushisms.
Example:
"States should have the right to enact reasonable laws and restrictions particularly to end the inhumane practice of ending a life that otherwise could live."
Err, wasn't this the same George Bush who allowed the death penalty in Texas? Still, who cares, when the President is capable of such profound thoughts as
"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully"
And if you don't believe me about the qualities of the United States, ask George W and he will tell you:
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream"
  * * * * *
Although there is a higher standard of living in the USA, not all our US counterparts find it wonderful. You only have to have a run of losing cases and you can be brought to your knees – even if you have done well out of the “no win, no fee” system in the past. I heard of one New York lawyer who is about to file for bankruptcy. At the other end of the scale there are those for whom the system brings untold wealth. A winner in one of the class actions is a lawyer who is reliably reported to have received $800,000,000 in fees. Just think of it, enough in fees to run a small country, or to fund publicly virtually every eligible case in this country for 6 months.
You can see why they sometime hit gold (probably many are descendants of those who joined the great rush west in the last century). Monday’s New York Times carried what on the face of it appeared to be a product recall advertisement – until you saw from the not very small print that it was from a firm of lawyers inviting the public to make claims about hip replacements.
Many (particularly those who feel threatened) fear that we are adopting the United States compensation culture. The reality is that we haven't yet passed first base.
  * * * * *
The New England night was clear, crisp and cold as we soared into the sky. Five hours later, and laden with more goodies and gifties, we stepped into the drizzle of a grey Monday English morning. At the airport nobody smiled. The passport officer did not even look at me as he waved me through (very different from the welcome we received from immigration in the USA). I cannot blame our government for the weather, but I do wish we had a leader who could turn this country too into a place where wings take dream – without the need to be elegantly packaged courtesy of R Branson.

This article first appeared in Solicitors Journal in February 2001