The Pineapple & the Skateboard
 

Maui No Ka Oi - except for AC's annoying lack of enforcement on carry-ons once again. Me and the missus just returned from a wonderful 2 week stay on the Valley Isle. Our itinerary was YYC-YVR-OGG-YVR-YYC. Had to do the Vancouver shuffle as I wasn't able to get the AP flights on the direct YYC-OGG. No matter. Shelled out for 12AC on all 4 legs on the E190s & the Pineapple. Really wanted to please the missus. The crews were great, the Pineapple was OK -I read & slept. So where does the skateboard enter our vacation you ask? We board the E190 , get to our row 12 bulkhead seats, I go to put our regulation carry-ons into the bin above our seats, and there is a humungous skateboard in our bin-big wheels up. Neither of our bags will go in.
No crew member nearby to assist. I glance at the pair seated in 13AC. Mom & nerdy teenager looking down at their feet. We jam one of our bags in above the oversize toy, & lucklily we can put the other one across the aisle above our neighbours seats 12DF. Skaterboy kicks my wifes seatback a couple times on the way to YVR. We can live with that.
Boarding the Pineapple at YVR- we are one of the last to board courtesy of the Plaza Lounge's snacks & drinks. Go to our seats, I reach up with my carry-on- &- you guessed it- that damned skateboard is in our bin! Again we are forced to put our bags across the aisle and apologize to our neighbours.
This time I get teenager pushing my seatback all the way to Maui. Not really hammering it . Just enough to be a bit annoying. I suffer( a little) in silence.
FF to OGG Thurs night. I can't believe it- guess who's in 13AC again. Guess whats in the bin above 12AD. Thanks to the large overheads on the Pineapple, we are once again able to go above 12EFG with our stuff. Now I'm
doing a slow burn. I had watched agents at the jetway at OGG tagging stuff for gatecheck- but not the dreaded skateboard- they let it go. Skaterboi begins to push the back of my seat right after takeoff. I've had enough & I
turn back & tell him to cease & desist. He mumbles a "sorry" & only does it 4 or 5 times over the next 5 & 1/2 hours. YVR departure lounge- we see Skateboard family sitting a few rows away. Wife & I decide we will be gate lice & beat them onto the plane & claim our rightful bin before they can
put the damned skateboard in. But wait- they stand up, and approach the agent who is gatechecking oversize stuff near the gate after the announcement. I think- finally! Nope- they call Priority boarding- Dad is an Elite! We are doomed. The agent lets him go by with the thing.I decide I am going to get the FA to tell them they have to gate check the damned thing. We get on- I approach FA - she finds a spot for our stuff in the last bin of Exec right in front of us, and avoids the confrontation with the Skateboard family. It didn't ruin our vacation, but it has definitely taken my disdain for AC's lack of carry-on enforcement up several notches. :mad:
My rant is over. I'll go back to watching my tan fade now.:(

Wow I was waiting for the part where you were going to tear up mr. skaterboy after the third segment =p

I feel badly for your ordeal, but that's by far the funniest story I've read on FT in ages :)

Its probably the only time I've gone Schwarzenegger on someone in 25 years
of flying. I've got a lot of patience with people as I serve the public for a living. I dont know if I was more pissed at the family, (Sorry but I wouldnt THINK about putting such a large thing in SOMEONE ELSES BIN) or at AC agents for allowing it- especially after the preboard announcement restricting # & size carry-ons on the E190! :td:

It is a funny story.
Not sure ,well actually I am, bins are not assigned to seats.
I guess 95 percent of the time we normally place our goods in the bin above our assigned seats.

I'm not really following this part. Since when are bins assigned to people?

Same thing, bins are not yours, common use not exclusive use

Good grief, here we go again. :td:

Where we go again?

The Pineapple & the Skateboard
 

I actually prefer to put my belongings in the bin across the aisle to keep a better eye on them. Does this make me a criminal?

To some people yes

The extension of what people believe or demand is their personal entitled to space can be amusing thing. I wonder sometimes if they think their checked bagged gets a special spot in cargo hold, especially if SE ;)

The overhead bin debate.

The Pineapple & the Skateboard
 

Hilarious story, although I may have been tempted to punch skaterboi in the face! Then things wouldn't have been so funny.