Originally Posted by
huey_driver
I'm going to call a DYKWIA on myself, and beg forgiveness from anyone I offended yesterday. No details, just sorry.
I am getting irritated by the gates that are blocking 'side boarding' (outside of lanes 1 and 2+) because those fill up, and I never know who is who.
I often book bulkhead seats and always stress about overhead. I dont have a rollaboard, just a backpack (to save the space for others) but I hate the rigid rules and dont want to gum up the works because I have to put my small backpack (just a laptop and a jacket inside) 5 rows back.
I can board with military, but out of respect for GS, I wait until the 1K are called. I got frustrated by the 20-30 people packed in the boarding lanes that I just wound my way past. I got to the front and waited, was the last 1K to board. One guy I asked "are you preboarding" and he said "I'm premier 1K"... I just motioned him on and got in line behind.
For this I am truly sorry. But why do they block off that one little space for pre-boards to get through, so we dont upset the rest of the people lined up?
Its my problem for having this affinity for bulkhead window seats. But no matter what group I board with, not having room to move at the side for them is irritating. Even when I board with military, I wait till the end of that group, but we all shouldnt have fight through a crowd to get there.
I am not really hearing any DYKWIA from you to be frank. Politely press forward when it is your turn!
And I say this as I have been in similar situations before I was a GS, albeit five years ago or more. I could board with military but used to just do group one or two normally as I was not always keen to advertise it depending on destination. There were a few times where I had a bigger rollaboard, or on a busy hub-to-hub type flight, and wanted bin space like you so if they called just "military" (not "in uniform", I rarely traveled in uniform) I would show my CAC card and board. If people were in the way (as I do now as a GS) I just firmly but politely worked to squeeze past them saying "pardon me, I was called to board."
It is a privilege United respectfully offers so do not be afraid to use it.
And don't respect GS; read this board enough and you will see we don't deserve it
As a tangent I will note travelling in uniform can be a bit vexatious sometimes; people usually mean well, and I always thank them and say they are kind, because they often will stop to talk to tell me their war stories, thank me, or want to give me drink chits or something. It is a nice gesture, but I always declined. As an officer I would say I am ok and told them to find the young enlisted guys and gals and give it to them or to donate to the USO. Sometimes the odd folks come out of the woodwork. Once, many moons ago when I was still a first lieutenant, shortly after 11 Sept 01, I was in full dress uniform and close to boarding at SEA and was asked by a middle aged man if I had served in Vietnam....I answered no I was not born yet and he did not say a word and just walked away (I proceeded to pull out the few grey hairs I could find that evening though lol). While in uniform I have been asked a few times what country I am from, I always answer Texas
, which at MCO once elicited a very strong rebuke from a guy in my rental car van about how I needed to be more patriotic and support the United States...
which was great timing since I was just back from a 'Stan war. The fairly new CBP guy at EWR who looked at me while I was in uniform in front of him, after I handed him my brown official passport, and asked me what government department I worked for was not amused by my smarmy peace corps answer; though I did not actually get a secondary or any computer typing. YMMV.
Oh and collectives scare me, I'll stick to flying fixed wing
