Unlike on trains, in restaurants, parks, and nearly everywhere else, it's actually a polite thing to leave one's magazine behind when she disembarks from a plane. They are usually collected and left in a plastic box on the wall for the next passengers, who can borrow them for their trip.
I had nearly forgotten about these little magazine boxes until a long line for the restroom on my last flight allowed me ample time to observe the plane. As I looked about, I was excited to re-discover the box with free reading material located on a back wall of the plane. When I was ready to return to my seat, I took a look at the options, and found a couple fun choices.
Just as useful as the "shared" umbrella one finds in a cab on a rainy day only to later forget and leave behind in another cab, the magazines are a moment of community and kindness during the otherwise annoying task of flying to and from one's destination. It's a simple but undeniable joy to find something additional to read when one is bored with everything she brought. I know I was happy someone had -- purposely or not -- left a few magazines behind for me to enjoy.
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"There's only one rule that I know of, babies -- God damn it, you've got to be kind."
-Kurt Vonnegut