I have to admit, I had pulled a half-Couric on a CO flight in 2002. No, no one saw me from the inside out
but I did deplane in a hurry!
On a trip from AUS to ISP (Yes, I know), I had a layover in CLE. In the PC, I was listening to my iPod and, in a rush to get to the gate by going over the river and through the woods and under those heavy metal ornaments in the tunnel to my gate in the other terminal, I didn't realize that I left my iPod charging next to my empty wine glass.
The plane I boarded was boarded from the tarmac instead of a jetway. As I prepared to get all my stuff together and right as they closed the door, I realized that my iPod was missing from an open zipper in my backpack. Somewhat imbibed, and genuinely frantic, I kept saying, "I have to get off the plane! My iPod was stolen!" And, the flight attendant--so kind, she was--arranged for me to deplane without a hassle. The other passengers, immediately following 9-11, were also axious for me to deplane! I went to the PC, just to make sure that the iPod wasn't lifted, and there it was! They rebooked me on another flight to LGA instead, and I was free to go!
What I noticed a few days later is that I had mileage from the boarded, but uncompleted, CLE-ISP flight AND the CLE-LGA! And, since the CLE-LGA was a Y-fare, I did have 150% miles.
And that, my friends, is how I became Silver for the very first time.