FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - “Do You Know Who I Am?”: The Definitive Thread of DYKWIA Stories
Old Mar 7, 2016, 3:18 pm
  #6191  
MEMLawGuy
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MEM
Programs: DL DM, Hilton Gold, Marriott/SPG Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 424
Just getting around to posting this one. Last Monday. MEM to ATL. I'm in C+. It's a Monday morning flight --- totally full. Nearly everyone has boarded when, we'll call her Crazy Luggage Lady ("CLL"), CLL comes on board and starts opening closed bins above her seat in the first row of C+. She loudly blathers out to no one in particular, "Are any of these bags yours?!?" Asks that about three times. She then starts to remove one of the bags about halfway and points it out specifically. A woman about 3 rows back, also in C+, says that is her bag and please leave it alone. CLL looks dead at her and says, "OK!" CLL then proceeds to pull the other passenger's bag right out of the bin, stow her own bag, reclose the bin, and then loudly turn around and admonish the other passenger that she paid for that seat and she is guaranteed that spot right above it for her bag. (The other passenger's bag is now in the middle of the aisle.) CLL picks up the other passenger's bag, says not one more word to the other passenger, and walks it straight to the front of the plane and hands it to the FA. CLL comes back to her seat, let's out a large "hurumph" and tells the other passenger she can pick up her bag from the baggage carousel in Atlanta, she doesn't get to put it in "her" bin, or something to that effect.

The other passenger, to her credit, had immediately hit her call button when all this started. She was in the middle seat of 3, so she couldn't really just hop right up. The FA, to her credit, obviously knew something was wrong and walked the original bag back and began the [futile] process of explaining to CLL how bin space works on first come, first served. CLL wasn't having it, and we were getting close to departure time. CLL said that other woman shouldn't be allowed to use "her" bin space when she's seated "all the way back there." Remember, CLL showed up right at the end of boarding and all involved had C+ seats. Other passengers begin to volunteer to remove smaller items from bin or generally do whatever is going to be necessary to resolve this with all bags staying on board. The FA is eventually able to find a spot in F for the original bag after some rearranging.

After it was over, FA comes back to the original passenger and apologizes profusely for the situation and asks her if there is anything else she needs. The passenger says no, and what I loved, sassily says she'll "deal with CLL in Atlanta!"

Well, from what I could see, CLL managed to get at least 2 drinks down during her 40min ride in C+ before we get to ATL. She (of course) deplanes before all of us less important people, sets herself up right in the way of everyone right outside the door at the top of the jetbridge while she checks her connection, puts on a coat, and just generally sifts through things in total oblivion.

It was one of those winding jetbridges that have several turns. Both myself and another gentleman mentioned to the owner of the original bag as we were walking up how well and classy she had handled the situation. She was still angry and said her blood was boiling, but cooler heads prevailed.

CLL lived to see another flight. Hope it wasn't yours.....
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