It can happen to any naive senior traveler who ventures into the world. Misdirected flights, grungy hotels, traffic nightmares, street hustlers, ptomaine restaurants and more.

Of course, if it happens to you, it’s not funny. But when portrayed in a tragi-comic movie, it can be hilarious. Here are just a few examples you may want to enjoy again on DVDs, classic movie websites or cable TV before venturing out into that big world again.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (2013): Ben Stiller stars in this remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye movie. With both imaginary and real misadventures throughout the world, Mitty manages to survive and win the heroine.

In two recent incidents, passengers who fought over legroom and involved flight attendants, caused the pilots to abort the flights. These relatively minor incidents created major delays for everyone else aboard.

Of course, every senior frequent flyer has been affected by this kind of space war, and no peace is in sight. Airlines are always finding more ways to squeeze passengers into ever-decreasing lower-class seat spaces. That means anyone taller than Tom Thumb or Tom Cruise will continue to have troubles with passengers directly in front and behind them.

Advice for what it’s worth: When taking your seat before the flight, talk to the passenger who may be affected. Find a courteous agreement about adjusting the seat-back, so each of you will be as comfortable as possible within the limited space.

We won’t mention the airline, usually one of the most reliable, but a recent incident should be a lesson for all seniors and their families. After being wheeled to the departure gate by an airport employee, an elderly woman was shunted off to a corner and forgotten.

She not only missed her flight, but caused relatives to panic when she failed to show up at the destination airport. Fortunately, other than delays, no great harm was done. However, in similar frequent incidents, the results were much more severe, including medical emergencies and worse.

Conclusion: Those of us with fond memories of the good old days of commercial flight can still remember when trusted airport and airline employees always did their jobs right. Not so in today’s hectic, often hostile, airport world. Therefore, if relatives are scheduled to fly, whether elderly or otherwise confined to wheelchairs, be there at the gate to be certain they go aboard their flights. Another choice is to send companions with them for the entire journeys.

Researchers at Northwestern University recently reported their studies proved that excess inactivity, especially among retirees, can shorten lifespans by ten percent or more. Hey, seasoned citizens, so far, you’ve made it past the half century and beyond in good shape. Now do some smart and frequent moves to keep it going.

We suggest the most obvious way to stop sitting around watching endless TV commercials or feeling sorry for your aching, aging self. Grab some clothes, pack a bag and roam the world by sky, sea and/or sedan.

Dylan Thomas may have said it best. Before he drank himself to death at age 39, he summed it up for seniors:
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.