Funny/Bizarre Experience on S80 This Morning
 

Is it me or does the IQ of the average airplane traveler continue to go down?

This morning I flew from LGA to ORD on a S80. I don't normally fly American, but my wife has status. I like that her standby perks apply to all on the res, not just her.

The story...

I boarded this morning and was sitting on the side of the plane that only had 2 seats in the row. After a while, no one was sitting next to me (I had aisle, window was open). The guy sitting behind me asked if he could leave his backpack on the seat next to me for the flight. I told him that I didn't feel comfortable with that. He then said "what's the big deal" to me and proceeded to secure his backpack on the seat next to me with a seatbelt around it!

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Did this guy really think that would fly with American (or any airline for that matter?). I wish I had taken a picture of the backpack in the seat with a seat belt around it. LOL.

I never had to escalate the backpack issue to a FA as someone came to sit down in the seat next to me before the doors closed.

Are people that oblivious to the rules of air travel? Anyway, I shared this story earlier today on my tumblr, Airplane Diaries (bit.ly/AirplaneDiaries), and thought this community would enjoy.

I recently had someone in the gate area ask me if I'd watch his bags while he went to the restroom...um, NO.

You should have asked to gate check the bag when an FA walked past. :)

if you're in the aisle seat, how did he access and secure his backpack in the empty seat next to you ? Lean over the seat back, or did you move for him ?

Did I miss something? Your wife was on the rezzy but not sitting in the empty seat next to you?

We had two aisle seats next to each other.

He was actually in the window seat behind me and leaned over, grabbing and pulling the seat back next to me... you can just imagine this guy.

It's not less in the IQ department, but more in the entitled department.

I've seen people do that and the FA's catch it and make the person properly stow the bag or gate check it.

I would have given the guy my Teacher Look.

I can't see what the big deal is here. The bag went through security!

umm...FAA rules and regulations:p

Like most of the posters here ????? :p:D

--J

You really said no to that?

+1

At least the guy didn't sit next to you and clip his nails.

I would have, too. Do I want to be responsible when someone snatches the bag? Do I want to be anchored there when I see someone I know walk by and I want to get up and chat? If I saw someone get up and walk away from their bag(s), I would consider alerting an agent unless I saw the person walk into the lavatory. That's how unattended bags become unattended. In Israel, they treat unattended bags as bombs. I'm not so sure that that isn't a good approach.

I actually saw an example of this at BOS last year. There were two normal looking unattended bags at the gate where I was waiting. When the gate agent noticed them, he paged the owner (by description of someone who left their bags) several times with no one replying. He then called the State Police (BOS has no separate airport police or port authority police, the Massachusetts State Police are the law enforcement presence there), who responded immediately with several troopers and a bomb-sniffing dog. Turns out that the guy sat down two rows of seats over from his bags (no idea why) and fell asleep. Personally, it made me feel more secure that a gate agent was that alert and prepared to take action.