I know I’ve written about this at least once, but it continues to gripe my cookies.
I had settled into my seat on the US Air flight from Boston to Washington when I watched the young woman who was soon sitting in the center seat next to me be curtly informed by a flight attendant that her medium-size bag needed to go under her seat, so passengers with rollerboards and other large pieces of luggage could store them in the bins. She sat down, stuffing the bag under the seat in front of her, and looked uncomfortable.
“I refuse to do that, you know,” I said. “I pay to check my large bag so that I can have leg room and not have to stow my briefcase in front of me. Why can’t I use the overhead bins for the one small bag I have, because other passengers won’t pay the fee–like I have— to check their large bags?”
“Well, the attendant told me I couldn’t put my bag up there,” she said.
“Yeah, and as long as you do what they say, they’ll never change a stupid and unfair policy. Get up, put your bag overhead, and if you are challenged, say, “Look, I paid 50 bucks to check my rollerboard, and for that sum I get to take up my foot space so someone who wouldn’t pay can put a rollerboard in the overhead bins? That’s absurd and wrong, and I’m not doing it.”
That’s exactly what she did. And she even made the speech I scripted, and a few people applauded! Then a late-comer with a huge rollerboard was told that she had to check her bag, because there was no room.
Heh, heh, heh…
The Lone Ethicist strikes again.
Ethics Alarms 
You are a modern day Rosa Parks….. 😉
Hardly. He wasn’t arrested, for one thing…
(I think Dan was joking, AC…the smiley face was a clue.)
Winky face = not serious. Welcome to the internet.
True. OTOH, given the display, it’s really hard to tell that the smiley there is winking.
Given the display, it’s not visible at all. That’s what happens if you use things that need graphics or javascript or some such enabled, but a lot of people are like me and don’t use them most of the time. Is that what happened here?
On the screen I was reading on, it was visible, technically, but the winking eye took all of three pixels. I had to squint and lean in to see it.
Hardly. He wasn’t arrested, for one thing…
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Well, he could have been.
Remember that scene in “Meet The Parents” when Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) gets sassy about his carry on baggage? heheh
I immediately thought of that scene while reading the post.
Here’s the scene from the movie:
When I went to see Meet the Fockers in the theater I laughed when they had the same stewardess in that flight. Nobody else did. I am like, did you people not see the first movie?
The question is, having seen the first movie, why would anyone watch the sequels?
The question is, having seen the first movie, why would anyone watch the sequels?
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The second one, Meet The Fockers, is the funniest one.
Watching Dustin Hoffman follow the example of DiNiro and collect a paycheck to debase his talents is sad, not funny.
to each their own I suppose.
Calm down sir
Yay! I am continually amazed at the chutzpah of those who drag their whole closets on board with them, and the flight attendants who let them get away with it. I sometimes just can’t believe how much stuff they have. The people who actually obey the rules feel like chumps, the ones who flout them get what they want…it makes me fume every time. They should tell them to check them at check-in, failing that, at the door of the plane. Once they get them on board, they feel entitled and put up a fight about gate-checking, so they ought to be told before they get on. Surely everyone can see how big those bags are at security, why isn’t it ever addressed there?
The other thing that really frosts me is those who have seats in the back, but dump their bags in the Economy Comfort section, or as close to the front as possible. I’ve gotten on a number of flights where I had an exit row seat only to find my overhead bin stuffed full already. Does it really get them off the plane any faster? I’ve seen a flight attendant challenge it only once or twice in all the times I’ve had it happen.
Do you believe the TSA at the security checkpoint to be competent to judge whether a bag is too large to fit properly into an overhead bin?
I don’t even trust the Flight Attendants themselves to be competent to judge whether a bag is too large to fit or not.
On two separate occasions, I have brought a carry-on bag on the plane, and had an F.A. say to me “Sir, that won’t fit, you’re going to have to check it.”
Both times, I ignored her, went to my seat, and while she continued to say “Sir? Sir?”, easily put the bag in the overhead bin–at which time she stopped.
–Dwayne
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS question authority, if for no other reason than it sees itself as AUTHORITY. Most of the time, they have no reason for their arbitrary decisions. Most of the time, if questioned or protested, they will back down.
Or get their back up and make your life as miserable as they possibly can with whatever petty power they have over you.
Is this ethical or not? My big complaint is that some people of smaller stature (or who are older – I’m 70) drag their large bags onto the airplane, and then when they are unable to lift them up into the overhead bin, look at you pleadingly for assistance. Many people rush to their aid, but I practically never do so because I check my heavy bags just because I don’t want to lift them up. And, yes, I refuse to put the bag I take onto the plane under my seat…just because.
I think the nice thing to do is to help lift their luggage. But when I do, I always say, “You should really check this, you know.”
I’ll leave the ethics question to Jack but I do find it to be a little petty. Please know I mean no disrespect with that comment, it’s just my opinion.
I am one of ‘those people’ that rush to assist older people that seem to be struggling. I am a middle aged, small framed woman (quite capable of lifting heavy luggage above my head) whose parents both passed away years ago and to help older people somehow helps me feel better. Many times that’s what helping other people is actually about, making yourself feel better. And I try to do for others as I would hope someone would do for my parents if they were still alive.
As a side note, I also remember the additional baggage fees can be a budget stretch for many, I’ve been there too.
Hope you don’t feel I got on my soapbox to scold you, I was just trying to give you a different perspective as to why some are so quick to help. On the other hand I can completely understand your feelings on the subject and even somewhat agree, I just choose to handle the situation in a way that makes me feel better, rather than frustrated.
I also will make a mental note that you will not be one of the gentlemen politely offering to put my luggage in the overhead bin for me!
I seems obvious that Jack is a little Abbie Hoffman looking for a place to happen!