Greetings from Tampa. I’m here for the ACC Tournament. Judging from early reports and what I saw at the airport, I can’t say the same for you.
Anyway, got stuck in Charlotte for a while, which wasn’t fun. The funniest thing was that my girlfriend wasn’t so keen on helping me kill the time because she was engrossed in “The Wire.” Know what? I ain’t mad at her! I wouldn’t have talked to me, either.
So I get on the plane, and I’ve got the middle seat. No idea how I keep getting stuck with those, given that I’m a bit over average height. The gods ain’t so keen on your boy. Anyway, I’m in the middle and a lady’s got the aisle, with no one in the window seat.
So the flight attendant comes up and tells the two of us in the row that someone may come and take that seat. We’d have to see. That threw us off because, well, we’d been sitting on hte plane for 20 minutes. This after the plane was departing more than 90 minutes behind schedule. Where would these people be coming from? Are they just buying tickets and running up to the gate? Who are the stragglers on a delayed flight? I just don’t get it.
No matter…a seat in the row behind us got double booked–don’t ask me how–so a gentleman moved into the window seat. All good in the hood, far as we can tell.
So dude gets in the seat with no drama or discussion. Just sits down. Then, the flight attendant rolls up to the row and says…
“This isnt really a problem. You know, my best friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer. That’s a problem.”
Ummm, it sure as hell is. But do what? Huh?
Quite the uncomfortable moment. That isn’t to say she wasn’t right, but ain’t nobody do nothin’ to merit gettin’ that one. Nope, nope, nope.
And on that note, I’m going back to sleep.
8 thoughts on “Another Awkward Moment In Airport History”
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Why are you up at 2a? 😀
There’s nothing to do in Tampa at 2 am except for leaving a strip club or eating at the Awful Waffle.
Pimp, pimp, get your ass to Orlando before you fly out.
Yes, cancer is bad. But people kill me trying to compare tragedies. I am over 6 feet. Flying home (to DC) from here (Phx) in the middle row IS a problem. No it ain’t cancer, but don’t come telling me my issues ain’t issues. *I’m calming down now*
But she honestly just probably needed a hug. She probably just found out about her friend, which really sucks. My prayers are with them both.
Stress manifests itself in different people in different ways… including the unsoliicited announcement. I know when my mom passed, and people would randomly ask me, “How’s it going?” or “How ya doin’?” I didn’t know how to respond. To just give back a simple “OK” didn’t feel right. So complete strangers, in this case being people seated next to me on the plane ride home, got the story… I guess she’s dealing with it her way.
As for plane rides, do you fly one airline a lot? A FF member? You can usually revise your seating online once it’s booked to choose your seat, as well as having the exit row. 9 out of 10 flights I take, I’m able to reserve the exit row aisle seat because of those FF online perks. Who needs first class with that seat?
Actually, FF or not, the best move is to use the self check-in once you get to the airport. 9 times out of 10 you can re-assign yourself to an exit row seat, which many airlines block off until the morning of the flight. Easy as can be.
Kirk, the benifit of being a FF member is that you can assign yourself the exit row seat online right after you book your flight, even if it’s way in advance. Not that FF memberships are “all that” but it’s just one of the perks. For the legs I fly (hub to hubs), those seats fill well in advance to check-in day.
Before 9/11, I could upgrade to first class so easily (9 out of 10 times) for not much extra. Since then with the slow down, the flights are less frequent and they’ve retired most 747s. the 757s, and even the larger 767s and 777s, still don’t have near the available seating the big boy had! I reconsider whether it’s worth it to fly exclusive to one airline every time. It is, just barely…
Rex is lying. He’s a dirty pinko Commie. Git him!
That is also ultraconservative.
Kirk has officially lost it…