Just completed a round-trip, six-hour flight from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. Fortunately, it was non-stop, because the cheap seats were so close, even my shrunken old legs were squeezed up into my chest.

Making it worse, the guy in front reclined his seat and I was completely fetal. Getting in and out to use the lav required bending even a pretzel would find difficult.

Of course, mine isn’t an isolated incident. Last year, a guy tried to punch out Mitt Romney on a flight when the candidate asked him to unrecline his seat before takeoff.

I was flying Virgin, and that airline makes cheapo Southwest look like luxury with its effort to jam every passenger in as possible. The only way to avoid the sardine can flight is to buy a first-class seat.

For example, a typical round-trip economy flight between LAX and JFK is about $400, while first-class is about $1,400. Unless you’re a Wall Street speculator, drug dealer, pro athlete or politician, who can afford it?

Is it worth the steep price just for a couple of hours of relative comfort? What are your thoughts on the tight-seat situation?

As you drive west along Santa Monica Boulevard from Hollywood, you know you’re in LaLa Land when you cross Canon Drive. You’ll see two miles of Beverly Garlands Park on the north side, backed by some of the famously and grossly overpriced homes of Beverly Hills.

You can park for free for a couple of hours near the south side of Santa Monica Boulevard at the city center lot, then go back and pose for pictures at the famed sign. If you make your visit on a Sunday morning, you can stroll nearby through the weekly farmers' market.