Recently CJ & I flew to Philly for a wedding. It was Sunday night-the gloom of Monday morning lurked ahead. We go through security relatively easily-searching for lines with speedy airport travelers. You know-the business type, the ones who wear slip on shoes & minimal accessories.
Naturally we are early-because God forbid 'cut it close'- courtesy of my well meaning husband. The thing about getting to the airport early is-you end up buying airport crap-to entertain yourself on your 800 mile journey home. I finished my novel & refuse to do work while on vacation. Instead, I find myself in one of the little shops. I grab a US weekly & Time Magazine. Toss in a NY Times, a bag of gummy worms and a Coke Zero. I'm set-I think handing the airport clerk $13.
Then it happens-oh and you know exactly what I'm about to say. Yep-that. United announces we are delayed. 90 minutes-2 hours-they say. Then they mumble something about Chicago being cloudy & backed up. To this day I've never understood a delay. We check the weather on my Blackberry-its mild weather in Chicago. Isn't that the thrill of flying? A delay or a nice 5 minute pat down through security? Isn't it worth it-for a little piece of adventure?
Two hours go by-gummy bear bag empty, magazines read, Facebook statuses checked 3 times.
Finally-they say we can get on the plane. I think about how relieved I am-and the Venti Starbucks I will need in the A.M.
Then it happens. The stranger who doesn't know airport protocol 101 arrives. Right as we are about to board, this older mom, her husband and 20 yr old daughter step up with their boarding passes. This is the thing. The mom has three bags-one is particularly monstrous.
The carry on size can be a bit tricky. Is it too big-could I risk not checking my bag and get this thing on the plane? I know what goes through your head-I've done it too. But THIS bag-she looked like she was ready to go to Europe for the summer. I mean-really?! She has two over sized purses as well. The lady taking the boarding passes tells the stranger mom that she can't take this many bags on the plane. She says it politely, and I appreciate people then-the ones that try to be tactful about their jobs.
The mom is abrupt & defensive. She says her daughter will take one of the bags and off she goes. The attendant lets her go-but I know its not over yet.
The mom gets down to board onto the plane when the flight attendant, who seems to be Head Bee, stops her. She explains to the woman, in a frank tone, that the flight is packed. Her bag is too big, she will need to check it (no charge).
The mother freaks out and begins screaming. My bag is NOT too big-she hisses.
Half the plane stands behind her, bugged eyed & in utter silence- waiting to see what will happen next. The daughter gets irritated finally-because she knows her mother has crossed the line.
The flight attendant blocks the front door-all 115 pounds of her-and says -Ma'm. Please set your bags (all three!) aside THERE (then she points with her forefinger) -You can pick it up in Chicago. Please cooperate!
There's already a pile building up over there, where the woman pointed, and I know right then I'm going to be in a middle seat crunched on this plane-the whole way home.
Now we're mad-the plane community and myself-at this mother, because she's crossed the line. Everyone is thinking about how crammed the flight is & the hours of sleep we are loosing tonight. I can tell by the way the plane community are poking at their cell phones angrily & shifting weight back and forth-waiting in line behind this woman.
The mom shakes her head side to side-like a child in Pre-K. Everyone has their territory in life-and we all know better than to irritate a flight attendant like that. Yep-that did it.
The flight attendant storms off the plane informing the mother she isn't getting on this plane! We finally take our seats-as the woman and flight attendant battle it out with her manager. Who do we sit behind? -the husband-who is reading a golf magazine-with no knowledge what is going on outside the plane. A passenger whispers to him & he reluctantly gets up to see about his wife. I feel bad for the man then-because it seems as if life's day to day protocols are not one of his wife's stronger suits.
20 minutes later the mother and daughter get on the plane. The plane and I don't even give a damn-because we just want to get home to Chicago. And that's the thing-airports are full of ridiculous rules & inconveniences. Yet- we all have to do our part. Pack lightly-or for God's sake-check the bag. In the end-we are all just trying to get to our destination-one US Weekly or Snickers Bar at a time...
No comments:
Post a Comment