SW "A" Line and Luggage Dumpers
Oct 6, 2005, 10:05 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: ATA Elite, SW RR hoi polloi
Posts: 176
SW "A" Line and Luggage Dumpers
I'm a long time lurker and first time poster, but today's experience on SW prompted me to vent:
I'm a very frequent flyer on SW and one of those annoying souls who gets into the A line early (what can I say...I like the exit row). On my flight from MCO to MDW today, I was the first one in line; I parked my butt and was eating a sandwich when some guy plopped his bag behind me and said, "Mind if I leave this here?" My full mouth precluded my saying, "Do what you want, but I'm not taking any responsibility for it," so my words came out something like "Mmmmggggwwwaaabllfff." He left the bag and promptly wandered off. A woman saw what he had done, so she jumped up, plopped her bag in front of his, and asked the same question. Having swallowed, I told her politely that I was not taking responsibility for any unattended luggage. Unphased, she left her bag and wandered off, too. A while later, a woman joined the line and asked if the bags were mine. I told her what had happened; she said, "Sounds like unattended luggage" and got into line ahead of them. Shortly thereafter, the two parties reappeared and immediately got into line behind her; I guess they realized that no one was going to respect their "marked territory."
My question is this: Is this sort of thing common? In all my SW trips, I've seen lots of people leave luggage but have never had one speak to me before leaving it. I've also noticed that other people who get in line and STAY there tend to just shove it out of the way and don't repect it as a placeholder. Also, what would you all have said to those people? Am I a nasty person for refusing to be the Luggage Watcher/Placeholder? In this day and age, I want nothing to do with a bag that someone leaves, not to mention the fact that if you're too freakin' lazy to stay in the A line, you don't deserve a good spot.
I'm a very frequent flyer on SW and one of those annoying souls who gets into the A line early (what can I say...I like the exit row). On my flight from MCO to MDW today, I was the first one in line; I parked my butt and was eating a sandwich when some guy plopped his bag behind me and said, "Mind if I leave this here?" My full mouth precluded my saying, "Do what you want, but I'm not taking any responsibility for it," so my words came out something like "Mmmmggggwwwaaabllfff." He left the bag and promptly wandered off. A woman saw what he had done, so she jumped up, plopped her bag in front of his, and asked the same question. Having swallowed, I told her politely that I was not taking responsibility for any unattended luggage. Unphased, she left her bag and wandered off, too. A while later, a woman joined the line and asked if the bags were mine. I told her what had happened; she said, "Sounds like unattended luggage" and got into line ahead of them. Shortly thereafter, the two parties reappeared and immediately got into line behind her; I guess they realized that no one was going to respect their "marked territory."
My question is this: Is this sort of thing common? In all my SW trips, I've seen lots of people leave luggage but have never had one speak to me before leaving it. I've also noticed that other people who get in line and STAY there tend to just shove it out of the way and don't repect it as a placeholder. Also, what would you all have said to those people? Am I a nasty person for refusing to be the Luggage Watcher/Placeholder? In this day and age, I want nothing to do with a bag that someone leaves, not to mention the fact that if you're too freakin' lazy to stay in the A line, you don't deserve a good spot.
Last edited by 757-300; Oct 6, 2005 at 10:07 pm
Oct 7, 2005, 4:23 am
#3
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Originally Posted by 757-300
Also, what would you all have said to those people? Am I a nasty person for refusing to be the Luggage Watcher/Placeholder?
Oct 7, 2005, 6:34 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: NYC
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I think you acted correctly.
I've seen those luggage lines forms. It seems very silly, and definitely flies in the face of the "unattended luggage" policies. The reason behind it, the lack of assigned seats, is a huge negative for me. I like to know exactly where my seat is.
I've seen those luggage lines forms. It seems very silly, and definitely flies in the face of the "unattended luggage" policies. The reason behind it, the lack of assigned seats, is a huge negative for me. I like to know exactly where my seat is.
Oct 7, 2005, 10:11 am
#6
Join Date: May 2005
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Posts: 1,445
In my experience this is common behavior on long-haul platforms in Japanese railway stations, common enough that it's part of the protocol that people expect there. In the US, in airports, it's not. I completely agree--they can do what you like, but I'm not taking responsibility for it. If they actually ask me, I might say "When I see unattended luggage, I call security."