Again, busdriver12, you just reminded the OP of the point many here "trade to avoid...." certain types of trips. I'm not sure everyone wants to spend all the time working their calendar, especially if they have another (ANG) job competing for their time. I don't hear as much "bid to avoid" talk at the other carriers. Then again--they don't have 72 hour Paris layovers as much either....
Me...I flew about 5% of my line and 95% of what I traded into for years. I also (statute of limitations passed?) in the control tower as SOF peeking at open time and seeing what I could finagle. But--that was me, and it certainly isn't for everyone.
We got a lot folks here who DO NOT want to deal with airline terminals. We got a lot of pilots here who DO NOT like flight attendants, gate agents, or the traveling public. Their points are all valid. At the same time, I got a picture of my daughter with two young girls in a terminal after she gave them a set of wings each, and all three have beaming smiles. Some people--including my own girl--take some energy from the interaction with the public. While I don't think anyone picks a legacy instead of FedEx to strut through the airport, I also don't think walking tall and being proud of our profession and being an ambassador for our community is a bad thing either. If someone enjoys that--more power to them. I'm an airline pilot partially because of the encouragement and kindness of a few I met along my own journey.
As for 3100FO, food is a funny thing. Food is a big morale lifter when you are a long trip and tired. It shouldn't matter, but yet a few of my most "WTF?" moments have come from captains or FOs when I was an RFO doing weird stuff, and I still remember those. I once offered a captain his choice of mini-snacks on a day (uncatered) trip to SJU. "Just open 'em both, and I'll take what I can eat out of both--I can't eat most of this *&(*..." Gotcha. I'll take your peanut butter sandwich and leave you my apple slices from grade school all over again. I just laughed--because THEN I realized why such a nice trip was in open time, and I planned on a nice (solo) seafood dinner when I got there anyway. Or the FO on a Campinas trip who wanted me to OPEN and inspect under the foil to make sure he got the dish he ordered. "You want me to break the seal on your food, and INSPECT to make sure you got your (whatever the dish was)?" "Yes--DO it."
Just chalking up another to the weirdness that permeates a small percentage of our crew force...
I chase money, and I'm happy here. That said, I had 3 consecutive day legs this week....ICN-PVG-INC and INC-KIX. I forgot how much I really enjoy flying--when I'm not doing at 4 am. If a person can find a way to make the money they need, without facing 20 years of 3-7 am ops, and enjoy the interactions with the public along the way, then I hope they go do so. I love long international layovers, long blocks of days off, and the incredible financial benefits of working here. But 17 years in, I'm feeling the toll a bit. My reasonably senior pax associates spend a lot of time in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Hawaii on some good layovers, and they seem pretty happy with their jobs too. Having choices is a good thing.