So you put the carrier on the floor? That reminds me of when my old cat hated the car until I started covering her crate with a towel, like making a little cave. She still complained but way less. Maybe the floor thing works for the same reason, it just feels more closed in and safe.

Last summer at the Denver airport, I watched a guy on the tram completely absorbed in a baking show with headphones on. He was miming the kneading motions with his free hand and didn't realize he was slowly drifting into a group of tourists. The synchronized flinch when he finally bumped into someone was perfect. It's amazing how people can just check out of the real world like that. I almost missed my gate because I was waiting to see if he'd start the pretend icing swirl.