There are two kinds of travellers in the world: one who brings a pen with him, and one that doesn’t. You’d be lying if you say that you don’t have a single pen at home to spare… because well, PENS are cheap. You either get them from the stationery store, or snitch them off somewhere. You’re sure to have a pen on you.

I honestly don’t understand why people don’t have a pen on them when they travel. Especially when they know that they need embarkation cards filled. What are you going to write them with, your blood? Oh, you can always depend on your flight attendants for pens. Some times they’d say they don’t have one on them, or they only have one and they need it. Then, there are two other kinds of people: those who flip out that the lovely flight attendant doesn’t have a pen… and those who resigned to their fate quietly, and make mental notes to self that they need to bring a pen next time.

“What do you mean you don’t have a spare pen?”

I hear that so often that in my mind, I couldn’t resist taking a jibe at them. Choose from the following options.

1. Well, I’d love to lend you my pen, but the reason why I only have one pen on me is because I’ve loaned my 13592360527 pens out and NEVER GOT THEM BACK.
2. You see that gentlemen three seats across from you? He borrowed my pen 3 hours ago. Must have been writing an essay with that pen. I’ll come back to you when I get it back.
3. Why on God’s green earth, don’t you have your own pen that you have to resort to asking others, huh? Huh. Huh?!
4. Do I look like a damn stationery shop to you?

Only in my mind. But of course, because a customer is ‘always right’, I plaster on my cutest, fakest smile and calmly walk away. Sometimes, when I have maybe 5% of patience left in me after a trying day, I’d shoot Option 1 at them.

That brings me to the last -but not the very least- kinds of people. The people who asks for pens and return them after they’re done with it, and those WHO DON’T. Guys, have the common sense to return the things you’ve borrowed. Thank you very much.

Or you know, just bring a damn pen wherever you go.