Not everyone is a people person. Sometimes, frankly, we'd like to try life people-free. Nowhere would this experiment be more potentially rewarding than at the airport, with its interminable lines, surly gate agents, and travelers who despite an uncanny ability to pack and haul seven suitcases can't seem to grasp how to follow instructions or get the hell out of your way. Enter Northwest Airlines' online check-in: A passenger equipped with an e-ticket can simply go to the airline's Web site and, from the serenity of home or office, check in, select a seat, and print out a boarding pass. After that it's relatively painless to take a cab to the airport, check bags at the curb and stroll unimpeded to the gate. Short of "Beam me up, Scotty," it doesn't get much better than this.