resnick

Just got in to ORD early this morning from PEK and headed over to the temporary Flagship lounge in the AC (in what was the "Quiet Room"). Down at the first floor entrance, they give you a little wristband to show you're eligible to go in.

After a while, with the AAngel running interference for several ineligible folks already, Mr. DYKWIA walks in. (For some odd reason, most folks I've met in the DYKWIA family seem to be 50-60-something tall white males, and this chap was much the same; YMMV.) AAngel asks for wristband. He says, "What wristband?" She explains and then asks he can get out a BP or other info indicating that he's eligible. He huffs, "Well, I would have if I had known I was going to be challenged like this!" She obviously has had enough, apologizes (?!?!) and lets the idiot in. I resist the temptation to say something to him. I decide the more prudent action is to grab two AApplause certificates, hand them to her, and quietly say, "Thank you for 'challenging' putzes like that." Gave her a good laugh.

"Challenged"?!?! If you want to go to a lounge that is limited to a small group of people so you can have some comfortable peace and quiet and a light snack without a long line, then I'd bloody well want that AAngel to "challenge" every single person who attempts to walk in. If not, go sit in the freakin' concourse and stop being an ....

Venting for the day (after an otherwise pleasant 12.5 hour flight) completed.

britenbsas

I'm sure it happens many times each and every day but I'm curious as to why you would give the AAplause certs when she clearly let someone in without determining that he was in fact eligible to be there

resnick

1. It wasn't clear she didn't do the determining; I wasn't really focused in on the entire interaction until he huffed about being "challenged" so I'm not sure he didn't show her something.
2. I thought she deserved the AApplause simply as "battle pay" for repeatedly dealing with the problem people all morning.
3. I thought, just in case she didn't properly check (because she had been worn down to a nub by idiots like this), that the certificate would encourage her to be vigilant because some of us cared that she did.

Just a judgement call to be nice to a person who was taking crap from rude customers.

allga

Yes, the balancing act between keeping the peace (positive) and rewarding bad behavior (negative) is a constant challenge for employees.

I hate to see jackasses throwing their DYKWIA weight around, whether or not they are entitled to the service in question. They're just boors, and no matter how many double-diamond-platinum-titanium-oak leaf palm cards they have, not one of them is as important as he/she thinks.

We must always keep in mind that just because you fly a lot does not automatically make you smart. . .or nice. Unfortuately, it's often just the opposite.

And since there's so much talk these days about what is and isn't among our Constitutional rights, I loved the refrigerator magnet we picked up the other day that says, "The First Amendment does not give you the right to be stupid."

gemac

Jammies?

Hasn't seemed to me that the percentage of DYKWIAs who are 50-60-something tall white males is higher than the percentage of 50-60-something tall white males in the relevant population. For example, in the AC, many or most of the passengers in the club are 50-60-something tall white males, so I would expect most who are DYKWIAs would be 50-60-something tall white males also. Nonetheless, the last DYKWIA I saw trying to bluff his way into the AC was a 40-something short white male.

rjw242

Of course it does. But it doesn't obligate others to accommodate your stupidity

brp

More reasons why I could never have that job

For a fun job I worked at rock concerts for almost 20 years. Guest services mostly. As it was not my real job, I didn't have to take it quite as seriously...but I was always professional.

The more DYWKIA someone got, the more I would go by the rules. I also found that smiling and being very nice when someone was annoyed just annoyed them more as they were trying to get me to engage in the argument.

You have no idea how much fun it was to watch the steam rise as I would repeat with a pleasant tone and a smile "I'm sorry, but that ticket doesn't allow entrance to this section. Have a nice day."



Cheers.

mvoight

That reminds me of my favorite response to the "Do you know who I am?"
"No, but perhaps you could check your ID to find out."

FlyMeToTheLooneyBin

+1.

Haha. Yeah. That's what they all want, to be engaged and you to show some emotion, mostly fear. I sometimes run into those people and I don't work in Guest Services. A blank stare usually infuriates them even more.

vasantn

Just for clarity, the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from enacting laws that abridge free speech, has zero relevance here.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

My story for the day. I am standing and waiting for LGA Security Lane to open and this guy tells his friend that he can get them both in first. First of all, they both try to use the PA lane but are rejected. So they are on my flight to MIA and they try to board with F and play the no hablo English bit. But of course the GA is Hispanic so he hablos Espanol really well. Rejected again. Then they try to take two F class seats and again pull the no hablo English routine with an older Caucasian FA. Of course, one of the other FAs onboard again of Hispanic descent also hablos Espanol really well and back to Y they go.

Dallas49er

As a 50-60 something tall white male, I would like it known that I have also seen plenty of DYKWIA in different ages, sexes, sizes, ethnicities, etc.

"Just sayin'".

SkiAdcock

Great story!

Cheers.

metsfan1962

My favorite, although I doubt it ever actually happened because the employee would have been terminated, would be an agent, after getting the DYKWIA question, getting on the PA system and announcing "Your attention in the gate area, we have a passenger here who doesn't appear to know who they are. If any of you know him, please step forward to assist.".

gemac

Interesting that we are all treating this as a DYKWIA situation, because the OP titled the thread that way. From the facts presented in the OP, one of two situations was observed:
1. This guy was not entitled to FL access, the agent called him on it, he huffed in a minor way, and the agent caved, or
2. He was entitled to FL access, was unfamiliar with the procedures associated with the temporary lounge, and when asked produced proper documentation showing he was entitled to access and admitted.
The OP states that he doesn't know which of these situations actually took place. The second seems far more likely to me than the first.