Originally Posted by ssullivan

Thanks to being the only Star Gold on the standby list, I managed to jump to the number one position on the first CLT-DCA flight after I got back to the airport today. After a very turbulent flight, I walked off the plane, found my checked bag that had arrived this morning, and caught a cab home, walking in the front door about 35 minutes after I walked off the plane.

Now for the crazy part of the flight: I ended up in 22D, the right aisle seat on the last row of the 319. In 22C was a guy who read the safety card religiously as soon as he sat down, then took the card with him a few feet behind us to the rear galley, where he studied the operation of the doors quite carefully. An off-duty FA in the jump seat asked if he could help this guy with something, and the passenger just said, "No. I just need to be prepared and safe if there's a crash." Once boarding was complete, but before we pushed and the safety demo was complete, 22C pulls an airline life jacket out of his bag and puts it on. A FA came down the aisle and saw it and said, "Oh no. Where did you get that? Those have to stay in their package under your seat unless we instruct you otherwise." By this point 22C was having an intense conversation with himself, but he stopped long enough to tell the FA he had brought his own life vest on board. She then said, "OK" and glanced down to make sure the airline's vest was still under his seat, which it was.

During the takeoff roll, 22C assumed the crash brace position, and held it until we were at least 5000 feet off the ground. He did this again on approach and landing a t DCA, which was rather bumpy due to the wind. After we pulled up to the gate, 22C took off the vest, and then loudly thanked himself for choosing to fly US Airways. Most of the flight crazy dude talked to himself, carrying on a complete conversation, and altering voices. I so wanted to take a picture of him in the vest, but there was no discrete way of doing it, and I wouldn't post a picture that showed his face. I've flown with some crazies before, but this dude takes the cake.