“Do You Know Who I Am?”: The Definitive Thread of DYKWIA Stories
#6001
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: DTW
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Posts: 678
If it is a serious emergency, being considerate is probably the last thing on most peoples minds, however, I agree that the proper thing to do would be to deplane, because it is the most logical option.
#6003
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: Delta DM, SPG PLT100, Marriott Gold
Posts: 346
I feel like this thread is taking a strange turn. The number of people who have been making a phone call of life and death importance at the exact time that boarding was wrapping up is so small that it's negligible. 95% of the time this occurs, it's just people who think they're so important that rules don't apply to them. Otherwise known as DYKWIAs...
#6004
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,239
I feel like this thread is taking a strange turn. The number of people who have been making a phone call of life and death importance at the exact time that boarding was wrapping up is so small that it's negligible. 95% of the time this occurs, it's just people who think they're so important that rules don't apply to them. Otherwise known as DYKWIAs...
#6005
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
I feel like this thread is taking a strange turn. The number of people who have been making a phone call of life and death importance at the exact time that boarding was wrapping up is so small that it's negligible. 95% of the time this occurs, it's just people who think they're so important that rules don't apply to them. Otherwise known as DYKWIAs...
Obscure2k
DL Moderator
#6006
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
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But in this scenario, you were not flying home, you (and everybody else, perhaps with other kinds of emergencies) were stucked at the gate, because your call would be impeding the plane to departure.
Even if the FA had allowed you to continue the call, at some point you were going to miss the cel signal. And so? What to do now?
Even if you were able to continue your call inside the plane, make everybody wait because of "YOUR" emergency, at some point your cel battery might last. What to do now?
IMHO, if it is a real emergency, you never know how long it takes. The considerate thing to do, for me, is deplaning.
Even if the FA had allowed you to continue the call, at some point you were going to miss the cel signal. And so? What to do now?
Even if you were able to continue your call inside the plane, make everybody wait because of "YOUR" emergency, at some point your cel battery might last. What to do now?
IMHO, if it is a real emergency, you never know how long it takes. The considerate thing to do, for me, is deplaning.
Everyone, it appears, agrees that the considerate thing to do is deplane or just hang up. But in the real world, not everybody is considerate, and some people think they're more important than everybody else. This thread is about them.
#6007
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She was not in any rush because after clearing security she took her time walking to wherever she was going and she did not have that "Oh my I'm going to miss my flight if you don't let me skip ahead right now" which I am generally pretty happy to accommodate. It was just "I'm here, let me through".
O/H
#6008
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If this is the type of "I'm going to miss my flight!" drama is accompanied by uniformed personnel escorting a delayed or late-arriving pax, that's one thing. It if it's "OMG! You totally have to let me through 'cause I'ma miss my flight!" then it's another. There comes a point where someone else's inadequate planning w/r/t getting to the airport on time, inability to set an alarm properly or failure to take it easy on the booze the night before departure just isn't my problem.
O/H
O/H
I've been on the other end of it, where I've gotten to the airport late because of late meeting/traffic/sleeping in/upset stomach/whatever and been on the verge of missing my flight. At the airports I frequent, I know how to navigate and where the shorter security lines (if any) will be. I will walk quickly and perhaps even jog through the terminal dodging around people.
But when I get to a line, well, I'm just in line. I wait my turn, and if I miss my flight, that's on me.
And actually, on a few occasions when I've arrived at a TSA line puffing and panting and then waited patiently for the usually <5 min to get to the TDC, the person in front of me will wave me up in front of them and allow me to go through the X-ray/WTMD first. I've done the same a couple times when I'm not in a rush - costs me about 10 seconds and perhaps gives the other person just a little bit of help.
Of course, one of those times I ended up getting buzzed by the randomizer for a palm swab....
#6009
was thetravelingRedhead
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Western Michigan
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, United Silver Premier
Posts: 642
DYKWIAs are not found only on airplanes. I had an encounter with one this week in a parking lot in a shopping mall.
Given the great weather we usually have here, most malls are strip malls. One in my area, is not, and as it was both cold and raining, this mall suddenly became very popular and its parking lot was almost completely full.
When I pulled in, there were two spots left -- both in the furthest end of the parking lot and next to each other.
A car in front of me pulled into the first one. Actually, that is not quite true. It pulled into 80% of one parking space and 20% of the only other remaining space -- the one I planned on parking in.
I asked the driver, a rather overweight woman, if she could please move her car to allow me room to park mine. She told me she has the right to park however she wants and walked off.
I then managed to squeeze my car in. I left about 2 inches between the passenger door on my car and the driver's door on hers. I had no problem getting out of my car as my door opened onto a sidewalk. I then went into the mall, ate lunch there, did some shopping, and came back to my car.
I was not at all surprised to see the woman who had taken much of my parking space standing there. There was no possible way she could have gotten into her car from the driver's side and, at her weight, I really did not expect her to be able to enter from the passenger side, manage to get over the stick shift on the floor, and sit in the driver's seat.
She had obviously been waiting for me for quite a bit of time as she was soaking wet and furious. She started to give me hell until I pointed out that I was parked between the lines of my parking space and she was the one who had been greedy.
I wished her a nice day, then took my time starting my car, getting the radio tuned to my preferred station, adjusting my mirrors (which were already in place), making certain that my headlights were turned on, and v e r y s l o w l y pulling out to be certain that my side view mirror did not hit hers.
All of this time, of course, she had absolutely no choice but to stand in the rain.
DYKWIAs of the world, be warned: Revenge is sweet!
Given the great weather we usually have here, most malls are strip malls. One in my area, is not, and as it was both cold and raining, this mall suddenly became very popular and its parking lot was almost completely full.
When I pulled in, there were two spots left -- both in the furthest end of the parking lot and next to each other.
A car in front of me pulled into the first one. Actually, that is not quite true. It pulled into 80% of one parking space and 20% of the only other remaining space -- the one I planned on parking in.
I asked the driver, a rather overweight woman, if she could please move her car to allow me room to park mine. She told me she has the right to park however she wants and walked off.
I then managed to squeeze my car in. I left about 2 inches between the passenger door on my car and the driver's door on hers. I had no problem getting out of my car as my door opened onto a sidewalk. I then went into the mall, ate lunch there, did some shopping, and came back to my car.
I was not at all surprised to see the woman who had taken much of my parking space standing there. There was no possible way she could have gotten into her car from the driver's side and, at her weight, I really did not expect her to be able to enter from the passenger side, manage to get over the stick shift on the floor, and sit in the driver's seat.
She had obviously been waiting for me for quite a bit of time as she was soaking wet and furious. She started to give me hell until I pointed out that I was parked between the lines of my parking space and she was the one who had been greedy.
I wished her a nice day, then took my time starting my car, getting the radio tuned to my preferred station, adjusting my mirrors (which were already in place), making certain that my headlights were turned on, and v e r y s l o w l y pulling out to be certain that my side view mirror did not hit hers.
All of this time, of course, she had absolutely no choice but to stand in the rain.
DYKWIAs of the world, be warned: Revenge is sweet!
#6010
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: ATL
Programs: DM, KM,
Posts: 173
I'm generally way early, because that's my personality. Twice lately because of long meetings and horrendous traffic, I've arrived at ATL just in time to make it through if folks are kind enough to let me. Most are "sure go ahead", then you get the growly kind, who'll eventually let you through, but you have t0 hear about it. I'm always the kind sort--stuff happens!
+1
I've been on the other end of it, where I've gotten to the airport late because of late meeting/traffic/sleeping in/upset stomach/whatever and been on the verge of missing my flight. At the airports I frequent, I know how to navigate and where the shorter security lines (if any) will be. I will walk quickly and perhaps even jog through the terminal dodging around people.
But when I get to a line, well, I'm just in line. I wait my turn, and if I miss my flight, that's on me.
And actually, on a few occasions when I've arrived at a TSA line puffing and panting and then waited patiently for the usually <5 min to get to the TDC, the person in front of me will wave me up in front of them and allow me to go through the X-ray/WTMD first. I've done the same a couple times when I'm not in a rush - costs me about 10 seconds and perhaps gives the other person just a little bit of help.
Of course, one of those times I ended up getting buzzed by the randomizer for a palm swab....
I've been on the other end of it, where I've gotten to the airport late because of late meeting/traffic/sleeping in/upset stomach/whatever and been on the verge of missing my flight. At the airports I frequent, I know how to navigate and where the shorter security lines (if any) will be. I will walk quickly and perhaps even jog through the terminal dodging around people.
But when I get to a line, well, I'm just in line. I wait my turn, and if I miss my flight, that's on me.
And actually, on a few occasions when I've arrived at a TSA line puffing and panting and then waited patiently for the usually <5 min to get to the TDC, the person in front of me will wave me up in front of them and allow me to go through the X-ray/WTMD first. I've done the same a couple times when I'm not in a rush - costs me about 10 seconds and perhaps gives the other person just a little bit of help.
Of course, one of those times I ended up getting buzzed by the randomizer for a palm swab....
#6011
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
Posts: 21,993
If this is the type of "I'm going to miss my flight!" drama is accompanied by uniformed personnel escorting a delayed or late-arriving pax, that's one thing. It if it's "OMG! You totally have to let me through 'cause I'ma miss my flight!" then it's another. There comes a point where someone else's inadequate planning w/r/t getting to the airport on time, inability to set an alarm properly or failure to take it easy on the booze the night before departure just isn't my problem.
O/H
O/H
Inbound on Qantas into LAX before flying out on UA - separate tickets. I allowed 5½ hours for the connection.
My QF flight was three hours late and used a bus gate on arrival; Immigration/customs took another 80 minutes leaving me on the kerb airside at TBIT with 25 minutes before my flight from T7 (which was on time) closed. I had done OLCI, no checked luggage
So yes, I ran around to T7 and I asked for leniency using the priority queue at security - fell into my seat breathless with 5 minutes to spare. People seemed happy to allow me through - maybe it was my Oz accent or something.
It may have been my fault, perhaps I should have allowed 8 hours, or even the next day, but it certainly was not due to overindulging or sleeping in.
#6012
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
DYKWIAs are not found only on airplanes. I had an encounter with one this week in a parking lot in a shopping mall.
Given the great weather we usually have here, most malls are strip malls. One in my area, is not, and as it was both cold and raining, this mall suddenly became very popular and its parking lot was almost completely full.
When I pulled in, there were two spots left -- both in the furthest end of the parking lot and next to each other.
A car in front of me pulled into the first one. Actually, that is not quite true. It pulled into 80% of one parking space and 20% of the only other remaining space -- the one I planned on parking in.
I asked the driver, a rather overweight woman, if she could please move her car to allow me room to park mine. She told me she has the right to park however she wants and walked off.
I then managed to squeeze my car in. I left about 2 inches between the passenger door on my car and the driver's door on hers. I had no problem getting out of my car as my door opened onto a sidewalk. I then went into the mall, ate lunch there, did some shopping, and came back to my car.
I was not at all surprised to see the woman who had taken much of my parking space standing there. There was no possible way she could have gotten into her car from the driver's side and, at her weight, I really did not expect her to be able to enter from the passenger side, manage to get over the stick shift on the floor, and sit in the driver's seat.
She had obviously been waiting for me for quite a bit of time as she was soaking wet and furious. She started to give me hell until I pointed out that I was parked between the lines of my parking space and she was the one who had been greedy.
I wished her a nice day, then took my time starting my car, getting the radio tuned to my preferred station, adjusting my mirrors (which were already in place), making certain that my headlights were turned on, and v e r y s l o w l y pulling out to be certain that my side view mirror did not hit hers.
All of this time, of course, she had absolutely no choice but to stand in the rain.
DYKWIAs of the world, be warned: Revenge is sweet!
Given the great weather we usually have here, most malls are strip malls. One in my area, is not, and as it was both cold and raining, this mall suddenly became very popular and its parking lot was almost completely full.
When I pulled in, there were two spots left -- both in the furthest end of the parking lot and next to each other.
A car in front of me pulled into the first one. Actually, that is not quite true. It pulled into 80% of one parking space and 20% of the only other remaining space -- the one I planned on parking in.
I asked the driver, a rather overweight woman, if she could please move her car to allow me room to park mine. She told me she has the right to park however she wants and walked off.
I then managed to squeeze my car in. I left about 2 inches between the passenger door on my car and the driver's door on hers. I had no problem getting out of my car as my door opened onto a sidewalk. I then went into the mall, ate lunch there, did some shopping, and came back to my car.
I was not at all surprised to see the woman who had taken much of my parking space standing there. There was no possible way she could have gotten into her car from the driver's side and, at her weight, I really did not expect her to be able to enter from the passenger side, manage to get over the stick shift on the floor, and sit in the driver's seat.
She had obviously been waiting for me for quite a bit of time as she was soaking wet and furious. She started to give me hell until I pointed out that I was parked between the lines of my parking space and she was the one who had been greedy.
I wished her a nice day, then took my time starting my car, getting the radio tuned to my preferred station, adjusting my mirrors (which were already in place), making certain that my headlights were turned on, and v e r y s l o w l y pulling out to be certain that my side view mirror did not hit hers.
All of this time, of course, she had absolutely no choice but to stand in the rain.
DYKWIAs of the world, be warned: Revenge is sweet!
#6013
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,927
Perhaps, but it is also possible that she could not open the door. I know that several of the cars we have on the kibbutz can only be unlocked from the driver's door -- and she would not have been able to get close enough to the door to put her key in it.
#6014
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: DL DM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 609
I don't know how I haven't stumbled on this thread before. This one is from a United Club a few months ago, but I figured the DL folks would get a kick out of it too.
I'm sitting at the UC, awaiting yet another mechanical delay, when in walks this guy (late 50's, early 60's, bad dye job, short, portly if it matters) who is on the phone via Bluetooth ear thingy and sits down at the table next to mine.
Hot on his heels, one of the club attendants comes over to him to ask for his BP or credentials. He shushes her and says he's on an "extremely important " call. He'll get her the BP later. She continues to stand over him while he's apparently on hold and says, "Sir, you can't just come in here if you don't check in with the front desk staff." He just ignores her.
A moment later, he continues his phone conversation. His "extremely important" call? He contacted his hotel and proceeded to ..... at the manager for placing him in a Taxi instead of a Town Car for the ride to the airport, and the only reason he even acquiesced to ride in the Taxi was because he was late for his flight. (But, of course, not late enough to skip the United Club and swill a couple of cheap G&Ts.
I openly guffawed. He looked at me with disdain. The Club Attendant forced him to walk up to the front desk and get in line behind the other people checking in. These are pretty much the only moments where business travel is entertaining.
I'm sitting at the UC, awaiting yet another mechanical delay, when in walks this guy (late 50's, early 60's, bad dye job, short, portly if it matters) who is on the phone via Bluetooth ear thingy and sits down at the table next to mine.
Hot on his heels, one of the club attendants comes over to him to ask for his BP or credentials. He shushes her and says he's on an "extremely important " call. He'll get her the BP later. She continues to stand over him while he's apparently on hold and says, "Sir, you can't just come in here if you don't check in with the front desk staff." He just ignores her.
A moment later, he continues his phone conversation. His "extremely important" call? He contacted his hotel and proceeded to ..... at the manager for placing him in a Taxi instead of a Town Car for the ride to the airport, and the only reason he even acquiesced to ride in the Taxi was because he was late for his flight. (But, of course, not late enough to skip the United Club and swill a couple of cheap G&Ts.
I openly guffawed. He looked at me with disdain. The Club Attendant forced him to walk up to the front desk and get in line behind the other people checking in. These are pretty much the only moments where business travel is entertaining.
#6015
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Join Date: May 2008
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