A quick short story because I happen to be thinking of it.
I was boarding an international flight to London one evening a few years ago. The boarding agent called for first class tickets and those of us who had the special super magic “I fly too much” cards. They were usually pretty good about making sure that people board with the correct group but on this occasion she missed a couple of crackpots.
One of the gentlemen about four or five people in front of me stopped in the Business Class section and tossed his full size bag into the overhead bin, grinned at his buddy and said, “I always do that… that way I don’t have to carry the thing all the way to the back.” He then proceeded to head off to Coach class in the rear of the plane. A few people mumbled but no one actually said anything to the guy.
As I got to my seat I realized that his bag was actually over my seat. I’ll admit to being a little frustrated. I don’t like leaving my wife for two weeks at a time and I really don’t like people that try to cram a full sized bag into overhead bins because they can’t wait 10 minutes at the baggage claim… especially MY overhead bin.
After thinking about it for a bit, I pulled his bag down and set it in front of my seat. As the other passengers got on the overhead bins became completely filled with people stuffing bits into every available nook. Shortly, a very nice flight attendant came by, noticed the bag and said sweetly, ” Oh, no! There’s no more room for your bag hun? Would you like for me to gate check that for you?”
“No, I just…” I started to explain and then paused for a second before continuing, “Would you mind much? I hate to be any trouble.”
“Of course not. Here, let me get that and I’ll be right back with your claim check” she said as she snatched the bag up and headed for the door.
A few minutes later she was back with a claim check which I calmly tucked into the seat back pocket as a looked around to see if anyone had noticed. One lady, sitting two rows back gave me a big grin and a thumbs up but that was it.
In London, I got off with the rest of business class but would have loved to see that guys face when he found his bag gone.
Wonderful.
My only change?
I’d have waited there for him to come get his bag, then I’d have handed him his claim ticket.
yeah, with security and the flight and customs and immigration I was looking at a 12 hour lag between cigarettes… one of us would have died.