Many years ago, we were taxiing for takeoff in Phoenix. We turned and started rolling down the runway as the plane accelerated. Suddenly, the reverse thrusters and brakes caused the plane to violently shake and luggage in the (then open type) overheads started falling out. It was obvious we were in trouble and the plane leaned hard as we turned off the main runway at an excessive speed. As the plane slowed down, the flight attendant came on over the intercom and calmly stated "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport where the local time is ...". She actually went through the whole spiel. What had for a bit had nail-biting passengers wondering if this was the end turned into laughter. A minute later the pilot made an announcement over the intercom that a small plane had decided to take off on our runway from the other end towards us and that, even though we were much larger, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor and vacated the runway. A few minutes later, we headed back to our runway.

I can't even imagine what the tower had to say to that small plane's pilot. After all, while once as a student pilot in a Piper Cherokee, I was about to land with my instructor at Albuquerque Airport when I calmly asked him if I should go over the other small plane that was sitting on our runway. He turned white then called the tower who diverted us to the main east/west runway. Then the tower basically screamed at the pilot sitting below us demanding to know "what the hell are you doing there" and "get off the damn runway NOW!" Apparently, the pilot misunderstood taxiing to the runway meant he was to stop short of it. And I was too dumb to understand that a stopped plane fifty feet below me was in any way a danger to my "perfect" landing technique.