One clear Christmas night, my wife and I were returning to San Diego after visiting our son in central California. There was little radio traffic, but check-ins with controllers were invariably prefaced with “Merry Christmas.” So, as we proceeded into Bakersfield’s air space:
Me:
“Good evening, Bakersfield. Merry Christmas.”
Bakersfield Tower:
“Humbug.”
Me:
“Why ‘humbug’?”
Bakersfield Tower:
“Have you ever been in Bakersfield?”
Jerry Hansen