Curtain Rod,
So next time you have an all important meeting somewhere, or have a tight connection to a place with limited flight schedules and the flight is boarded and then held on the ground for hours due to either technical or weather issues, you would rather sit there and not be informed at all? I mean you've boarded the airplane right, you're eventually going, so who cares what time you land at your destination. If you miss that meeting or that connecting flight no big deal. Although you could have made alternate arrangements while you were sitting on the ground dumb fat and happy if you were informed, you just prefer not having any PAs.
Always amazed me how people can live in a place where they relentlessly bash the place and its people and never leave. If you had any ounce of self respect you would leave, nobody is holding a gun to your head. "self contained universe";???? you're describing yourself.. it's people like you that are full themselves that think they should be treated like royalty because they are living here as an expat and you see yourself as above the people. You think the attitude is any different in different parts of the world??? My god have you been to Darling Harbor recently, or in New York??