I flew from DCA-SMF (ATA/Southwest, from the murky old Terminal A) on Wednesday, and the whole process went smoothly, with one expectation: check-in.

It began innocently enough—I provided ID, asked the gate agent to mark a fragile sticker on my luggage, and showed her the boarding pass. However, after a few minutes of awakard discussion with her co-worker, she asked me in those exact words: "Okay if I change your seat?" I felt myself tense up; here comes the infamous "let's reseat you near the front because you're Deaf" game. I smiled politely, wrote, "Thanks for asking, but I've flown many times and know the drill. Thanks for the offer anyway." She read and reread that then kind of shook her head and said, "Reason I'm asking is because seat 4A is near the front." (I was originally in 11F.) I felt that impending sense of dread; she changed my seat without even listening to what I said? I paid for this damn seat. I wrote back, "you changed my seat? But I want 11F, that's what works better for me." She shook her head, ignored that request to change my seat back, and then re-printed a boarding pass for me with the new seat assignment. She then wrote slowly, "Your bags are checked." (Duh.) "They will be checked all the way to California." (Double duh. Do I look like I was born yesterday? Like I told her, I flew many times, so I do know the drill.) She smiled at me, and I felt both gratitude (because she was being so friendly) and anger (because she was being overbearing, and refused to listen to my simple request not to change my seat). I then went through security, feeling this anger run through me.

Now, you may think I'm weird for getting so mad over a simple seat, but it's not the seat itself. It's the principle. I didn't like—no, I RESENTED being treated like an invalid, being told where to seat (I believe airlines are required to ask disabled folks if they want accommodated seating, but they're not actually required to seat them in those accommodating seats, except if asked, and/or if that person has a more severe disability), and being told about common sense things that was obviously right in front of me (your bags are checked). I went through security, which, surprisingly, was friendly, and went straight to the gate and requested my seat change back to 11F (hoping it wouldn't be occupied already), and had my seat changed without question. How ironic.

Sigh.

-Andrew