Grumpy Lady

February 24, 2010

in Senior Stories

I was recently traveling in a large group on a late night flight from Miami to Boston. Being a savvy traveler, I had changed my seats online, separating myself from the rest of the group.

After about an hour and a half of delays and annoying gate agents, all the passengers boarded the aircraft. I was 2 or 3 rows behind the rest of my group, sitting in an aisle “D” seat. Soon after takeoff, I could see that another passenger was feeling uneasy sitting next to members of my group. I offered to switch with her, and she was delighted! I dragged my two carry-on bags, waking up some passengers, to her aisle seat (this is a key fact of the story).

About 3 minutes later, I hear an extremely loud voice resonating from a couple of rows behind me: “This seat is HAAARRRIBAAALLLL!!! I can’t even see the movie.” The movie was Marley & Me, the lady was about 60.

I offered to switch back with her, and surprisingly she was willing to sit next to the very same passengers who were annoying her in the first place. As I passed her in the aisle she started explaining to me that the seat was horrible, incorrectly placed, tight, etc, etc etc and that she couldn’t fit. It was the exact same aisle seat as hers, except 2 rows back!

Later, the people I was sitting with told me that this passenger had snored and fallen asleep on one of their shoulders. What a grumpy lady!?

{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

david February 25, 2010 at 12:55 pm

Sorry, no way this happened. First, there is no way you got onto a plane with two carry-on bags – the limit is one, I don't care who you are. Second, FAs will not allow you to change seats, midair, without having them change your position on the manifest. No way, no how. Especially not twice.

I live in singapore and I fly all the time. Any flight you have been on, I was probably on first and more times than you. Don't write in with ludicrous garbage that just can't happen.

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ps February 25, 2010 at 3:05 pm

people flip seats all the time and a carry on with a backpack or briefcase also happens all the time. the mention of singapore, manifests etc means nothing. A seasoned flier knows this stuff happens all the time, especially on short hops in the US .

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Increasedosologist March 2, 2010 at 11:19 am

ehh.. did you consider the possibility that it might be someone whose name is david?

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ps March 2, 2010 at 4:22 pm

enjoy your fame. and dont forget to plug SA.

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I Like This Site February 25, 2010 at 2:04 pm

Dave, do you live to call out people on technicalities. Read the stories for their entertainment value and be done with it. Even if somebody does lie or embellish to make it more interesting, who cares? Stop being a whiny little baby. The writer here did not even necessarilly lie. There are instances where a person can bring more than 1 item on board an aircraft. Many, if not most airlines allow passengers one carry on and one "personal item" as well. Perhaps this writer is not as frequent or as saavy a traveler as you. Perhaps they had a carry on and a purse or backpack or whatever it is that qualifies as a personal item. Maybe they used an incorrect word. Do you need to jump down their throat for it. We are all here to share and have fun. We are not reporting these stories to the FAA or any other government agency. There is no need for 100% unadulterated accuracy. Please lay off people and allow them to enjoy the site. I understand that perhaps you know more than many on here, but it is frankly a bit obnoxious to pick on every little thing.

As for you calling the writer out and saying she lied about switching seats; this part of her story was also believable. I was on a plane in November of 2008. It was the day after a hurricane had passed. The flight was delayed so they could clear the runways of debris before we arrived, but it was not cancelled. However, many people must have been scared off by potential damage and did not show up for the flight. I kid you not, the flight was only half full. We moved as we pleased and my entire travelling party of six each found our own row where we could stretch out and rest. The flight attendants did not mind IN THE LEAST and there was no mention of changing a passenger manifest. Perhaps on a fuller flight they would have been more strict, but we moved about the cabin freely without so much as a second look. This leads me to believe that what the writer said is at least POSSIBLE.

You are entitiled to your opinion, but couldn't you lay off the negative comments a bit and just allow others to be?

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I like This Site February 25, 2010 at 7:53 pm

David,

Fair enough. You say that was not you and I take your word for it. However, it is only because of the number of times I have seen negative posts from you that I took such a position. However, I will try to take a more open approach to your posts in the future and look at it from all angles. Hopefully you agree to do the same with others on here.

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jschurnmeister February 25, 2010 at 3:01 pm

David: Nobody…NOBODY…cares that you live in singapore or that you fly often. I can't count how many times you have told people they are lying and acted like a total asshole on this board. Nobody cares for your input here.

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jschurnmeister February 25, 2010 at 5:04 pm

Supposing for a minute that it wasn't your post. It very well could have been. All your posts sound like this:

"You're a liar. That could not have happened. I'm a pencil-dicked little piece of shit, but I live in singapore and like to ride the airplane because my mommy lets me sit by the window!"

If the people imitating you sound like total douches it's only because they're mimicking you so well.

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david February 25, 2010 at 5:30 pm

well it shows that they have nothing better to do, even though it is snowing a bunch here there is still alot more productive things to do instead of using mimicking or imitating someone else……go outside build a snowman, shovel, sled, eat…….but going online and using someone elses name shows that they may need some extra help

and if you look, most the stories that i comment on are false coz they are made up or over exagerrated to the point where its hard to tell what really happened…..i get people like to embelish and make it seem like their story is the worst and its like 1 upmanship but alot of these flights from hell dont cut the cake

i dont comment on people who have wieght issues because those truely are flights from hell, i will comment on the poster or other people commenting on the issue if they are being outright rude and jackasses

just saying that out of experience and the time i have spent at the airport and hotels and getting to talk to flight attendants and pilots aswell as people who work check in and security that many of these things dont and wont happen and when you spend the time i do in airports you tend to read into the rules and see any differences and see how they can help you

i cant remember who posted saying that sum guy or gurl landed standing up on the plane for whatever reason and nothing happen…….not possible and didn't happen, and if anyone can believe that than they need to try it themselves and wonder why they can barely walk and why they are being checked into a hospital and why there is police by the side

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jschurnmeister February 25, 2010 at 3:58 pm

haha we finally agree on something

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GR February 26, 2010 at 11:13 am

Back to the point. I am a 25 year international flight attendant. I have no issue having passengers change seats after boarding unless there are weight and balance issues and on light flights they leave the last row open for the inflight crew. Pax comfort is one of our jobs. Why would I expect 4 people be crunched into a row, when there are open
rows around them?

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the logger February 26, 2010 at 6:55 am

GR: Thanks for being a voice of sanity in this thread.

And thanks for making us as safe and comfortable as possible under difficult conditions.

We all remember US flt.1549, and that Sully was not the only hero. Your FA brethren were the ones that got everyone off safely. Some of us recognize that your main function is NOT refereeing infantile disputes.

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ps February 26, 2010 at 7:13 am

I'm sure you've seen it all and heard it all, and use your discretion in letting folks rotate seats and stretch out if possible. Thanks, you've got one tough job, even more so these days.

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Demotage March 2, 2010 at 5:44 pm

I was on a flight last week and switched seats with a deadheading FA, so she could sit with her friend. She got bumped at the last moment when a revenue passenger showed up. The on duty FAs didn't even notice that we were in wrong seats. As for carryons, it's only been since that guy tried to blow his nuts off that the airlines got so strict about the one bag rule.

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Demotage March 2, 2010 at 5:45 pm

…..but I can't figure out why waking those passengers was a key fact in the story.

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Tony March 10, 2010 at 5:18 am

David needs to get a life….i too saw someone standing up while landing….he walked out of the toilet pissed and ignored the FA. I bet all the poeple(Pilots FAs Secutity staff etc) All dread meeting david…he's the type of guy that would prob tell the Pilot that he rotated to early…banked to steeply…or landed with the wrong flap configuration.

ps David…every thing you say on here……Guess What…i call BS.

GET A LIFE

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david March 10, 2010 at 6:49 am

tony you dont know me lol

try standing up during landing and see how far your thrown and how big of a lump you have on your head

if your to scared to try then i suggest you watch mythbusters as i believe they have an episode that involves that kinda situation

and i enjoy my life alot, great job, always active out doing things, great family, and just a whole bunch of fun and hilarious times……..maybe you should go get a life

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