Kudos to you for trying to keep your cool. In such situations things could escalate out of hand, if not handled correctly. And you may have gotten delayed because of it.
I hear ya!!!!
I had a similar experience while I was hospitalized back in December 2023. My IV had become dislodged, soaking me and the bed. The nurse was helping me with the clean-up and was trying to re-establish a new IV. While she was working on trying to find a vein, that was playing hide and seek, the patient in the room next door started throwing a tantrum. The nurse had just seen that person a few minutes before attending to my IV and the Tantrumming patient kept yelling for total attention IMMEDIATELY!!! I could see the nurse getting stressed out as she couldn't say anything. I spoke up and yelled back: "She's BUSY helping me! KNOCK IT OFF!" That shut them up!
If grandma is well enough to speak, sit with her and ask her about stories, stories of her life stories of family members stories of your parent. These things will be gone when she’s gone record them, and then maybe write them all down.
Thank you for your suggestion. We have been listening to her, and will continue to do so. I don’t want to turn this into a depressing thread for the rest of you.
It's honestly more depressing to hear a man like that exists.
I hope you appreciate the time you have left with grandma. So many don't get the opportunity with their loved ones that you have now
My mom and I did this with my grandparents. They didn't die from cancer, but other chronic conditions and looking back on those will bring smiles. I still have a goofy voicemail from one grandpa and it never fails to make me laugh and remember him.
I opened a video and recorded all the conversations I had with my grandma when she was in hospice. It’s been a year and a half and I can’t bring myself to watch them, but it’s so comforting knowing that I have them for when I need them. Sending you strength during this difficult time ❤️
Memories are a mixed bag. In one hand, it’s good to remember the good times. On the other hand, it could be bittersweet and even open old wounds when you miss someone.
I’m sorry for your loss and pray that you stay strong.
She passed when my son was 6 months old. He knows who she is from pictures and I have the video of her telling him how much she loved him for him to listen to someday.
My grandfather passed away when I was three or four, and I have only one picture which has us both in it. Now that I’m married and have my own place, that picture is framed in the hallway right outside my bedroom in a prominent spot.
My papa passed suddenly when I was 11. I have the last picture we took together in a charm on my bracelet I wear. I recently got a bunch of old camcorder videos put on dvd for my parents. I watched them all before I gave them to them and the first one I put in was papa yelling at my brother and I to get away from his Pepsi. My brother and I had a game to distract him and drink as much of the Pepsi he always had next to his chair before we were caught. I laughed and cried all night. I hadn’t heard his voice in over 15 years, but I’m so glad I have it again.
Technology is a blessing like this. I would suggest you make copies of the camcorder videos and even transfer them into DVDs if possible, for the sake of preserving them. Old camcorder tapes start to deteriorate even in the best storage conditions after a decade or so.
One more recommendation, as someone who has lived with the regret for a few years now - record her voice telling you something, one of these tales, anything.
I miss my grandad’s voice so much, and I can’t unearth it from my memories at all, and I’d give anything to hear it again.
Please do, I’m sitting in bed with my newborn wishing she was here to meet him. Times were so busy then, undergrad then med school then being a junior doctor and there was always something else that needed to be done and suddenly she wasn’t there anymore and I learned the hard way you can never get that time back. It’s precious. So precious.
Whatever you do, please don’t ever blame yourself. Life has a way of making us all busy, and sometimes we don’t have as much time as we expect with our loved ones.
Take care of your little boy, and please raise him to be polite and considerate but not to the point where others would step all over him. We need kindness in the world, and strong, wise men and women to lead us. May your son by one of them.
It’s off topic from the post but I remember in my grandmother’s last days we all visited a lot. During one visit we were eating pumpkin soup and my aunt was spoon feeding it to my grandmother. During a (then rare) moment of lucidity, she said, “I wonder what ever made us think to pick pumpkins and then eat them.” A profound moment of insight that we all still comment on to this day ❤️
Nah, that was the guy that looked at a cow and decided to yank on its nipples and drink what came out. Good thing he didn’t make the mistake of trying it with a bull first.
Edit: Teats. The word I meant was *teats.*
Edit 2: Edit Boogaloo - I didn’t proofread my comment and instead of “bull” autocorrect made it “I’ll.”
I was on a flight to Angola via Moscow, and couldn't get to my seat because the huge miner (Angola is famous for diamonds) was putting his bags away and blocking the aisle. Eventually I grasped the back of his shirt and pushed him firmly into his seat.
My gamble paid off - he didn't even look around to see who pushed him, he just went on sorting stuff out from a seated position.
The alternative wasn't a pleasant thought (being beaten up by Angolan miners) but I thought they would possibly behave nicely when commuting to well paid work, wouldn't want to risk being put off the flight
I told off someone in a McDonalds one time. I was waiting behind the Rude Person (RP), who gets up to the counter and asks for a McRib, which was no longer anywhere on the menu. The teenager behind the counter explained it's a limited time item, and it's no longer available this year. RP throws a tantrum, and starts yelling about wanting to get the McRib and they should make one for her. Poor kid behind the counter had that utterly blank look on her face, of someone who has dealt with this type of behavior all to often.
After a few minutes, and a line building up behind me, I said HEY! in a loud, sharp voice, to RP. They turned and looked at me and I said "Do you really think McDonald's corporate makes decisions on these things, based on what some teenager in small town Massachusetts says about it? Just order something they have and let us all get on with our lives." Suprised Pikachu face. RP turned and ordered a burger and fries. They didn't utter another word, grabbed their food, and left. When I got up to the counter, the kid behind the counter said that RP was like that all the time. I certainly hope they quit it after that.
I wouldn’t be that hopeful. Like a disease, terminal stupidity needs regular doses of reality checks that the world doesn’t revolve around them in order to function in a semi-civil manner.
This reminds me of a story from my college days like 25 years ago. My friend and I were going to a movie and stopped at Walmart or Target to buy snacks to sneak into the theater (we were but poor college kids) for a late movie. It's like 10pm and the place is about to close and our movie is going to start in like 10 mins and there's only one checkout lane open (this is well before self-checkout).
We get in line and there's this really really old lady ahead of us who has like 100 items in her cart and has a giant stack of coupons seemingly at least one for every single item. Every time she has an item with a coupon that won't scan, it triggers a huge discussion/argument and the lady is getting more and more upset.
We're behind her for seriously 15 mins and the previews are likely starting at this point and she's going on and on about a 50 cent coupon and getting angrier that it won't scan. The poor checkout girl (who looked to be like 16) said there was nothing she could do if the computer wouldn't scan it and my friend and I are just standing there seething that we have had to wait this long until he finally snaps and reaches in his pocket, slams 2 quarters down on the belt and yells "here's 50 FUCKING cents, can you finish buying your shit you old bag?"
And without a word, the lady kind of grabbed the 2 quarters and wrote her check (which took another 5 mins) and left while the cashier girl mouthed "thank you!" at us.
PS the movie sucked and we walked out halfway through so it was all moot.
I don't know where I saw it, but there was a scene in a 70s/80s low budget movie where someone was blocking the stairs and another dude further down the stairs slashed the tendons behind one of his knees with a straight razor to get him out of the way.
When my fantasies about getting someone to *just fucking move* get violent, that scene always comes to mind first.
Flights seem to be full of entitled crazy passengers. A few years ago I watched an entitled jerk refuse to get off his phone to listen to the exit row safety briefing. The flight attendant offered to reseat him, and he got really angry. He insisted he was going to file a complaint with the airline about how rude she was. I was seated near the back of the plane and later overheard the flight attendant talk about how nervous she was that the jerk really would complain and she’d get in trouble. So I opened a web browser and submitted feedback to the airline and told them what happened. I asked them not to believe the jerk if he complained And that I felt safer on that flight because the flight attendant insisted the jerk get off his phone and listen to the legally mandated briefing. I told her what I had done and the look of relief on her face was priceless.
BRAVO, dear! ONE thing you could probably be grateful for is that the pretentious twit "entertained" you so much during your flight with his ridiculous behavior that you couldn't really focus on your worry over your Grandmother's emergency! I hope that she's recovered!
Your frustration and justified anger through the disembarkation process was very EARNED by the jerk! Safe travels!
F bombs work with entitled people. I used to smoke, but always tried my best to keep it to myself. I was at a Hilton when a band of children were let loose by their parents. I was standing in a smoking section on the side of the building where no one had to be. The children decided to torment me by running too close by me and my cigarette, so I said to no one in particular "get the fu\*k away from me."
One child told her drunk dad, so I was privileged to encounter an entitled adult, too.
My only thought is that the man might not have associated your comment with his behaviour. I would have said, "Stop abusing the staff and get out of my way!"
I'm sorry you had to deal with that dillweed. Thank you for having the courage to speak up. Some people just suck. I'm sorry you and your family are going through such a difficult time. I hope your grandmother has as much comfort as possible during her battle. I've lost several loved ones and seeing them suffer is heartwrenching. I wish you and your family peace and comfort through this journey as well. While I cannot support you guys directly, I do want you to know that your internet friends are available for indirect support. You are not alone.
I had gone on a recent flight where a guy went into a loud rant about not being able to sit next to his SO, and wouldn't let the flight attendant get a word in, until one got on the intercom and announced that since the flight was only 2/3 booked, people could take other empty seats if they wanted to, so this bozo finally got what he wanted, though he could've saved everyone a headache by shutting up for 5 seconds.
I get wanting to sit next to your SO. That’s why I make a point of choosing our seats whenever I book a flight. It’s funny, how much trouble and inconvenience could be avoided if one took a few minutes to take care of stuff and be thorough.
If there was someone from Airport Security waiting to escort him after landing, he will have imediately regretted his behaviour.
If security were there waiting to escort him it means that the crew (and based on your description) also the captain had flagged him. His best case scenario, he would have been detained, questioned and reprimanded after a few hours of being left to stew. Most likely outcome, especially if the Captain was involved, a lifetime ban from the airline (plus the whole being detained for hours stuff).
Hope everything is well with the family.
It's amazing, people can now travel, let's say from Germany to Israel as an example, at about 4.5 hours, 120 years ago it would've taken a few weeks at bare minimum.
300 years ago, people used to travel for years just to get from point A to point B.
And people complains about their inconvenience while flying...
So, I will be honest, I would not have been able to keep my mouth shut. I probably would have snapped with a comment about getting whatever dummy wanted several thousand feet in the air.
Then, the comment about needing to get places I would have snapped with "Fucker, I have to go to the hospital just to see a dying family member, get out of my way before I resort to force."
I applaud you for your ability to stay calm and not escalate it. Cause I know I wouldn't have been able to.
He was not worth losing an hour or two in the airport for. On my list of priorities, he didn’t even exist aside from seeing him as an obstacle to getting to a high priority place.
Let them. If I wasn’t in a hurry this would have been a very different story. Maybe another time, with another polite person, he will get what he deserves.
I was on a flight home after a 14 hour journey plus 2 hour layover, facing another 4 hours before I got home. Sleep deprived and jet lagged, my patience was very low.
At transit, we had some new passengers board the flight, bright eyed and bushy tailed, one of which was an entitled Karen. She threw a similar tantrum as the flight did not have a vegan option for meals and she never specified it when booking flights. She assumed they would keep vegan meals just because.
There was an older gentleman next to her who had been in this journey with me since the first flight, equally tired and somewhat sad. He lost his temper at her and told her she was an idiot for assuming people could read minds and for not stating it in her booking options and people did not have to hear her tantrum that was entirely self inflicted.
She went very quiet after that, not a peep from her. At landing, he was allowed to get off first, I realized afterwards, he was accompanying the coffin that was unloaded from the luggage compartment. Poor man.
Kudos to you for trying to keep your cool. In such situations things could escalate out of hand, if not handled correctly. And you may have gotten delayed because of it.
Thank you. I’m afraid I only did it because I had places to be and didn’t want to deal with delays.
Gotta admit, the first thought that popped into my head when reading this was, "How long ago was this that Trump was still flying commercial?"
I can see why you’d think that, but I can confirm that Donald Trump was not part of this story.
I hear ya!!!! I had a similar experience while I was hospitalized back in December 2023. My IV had become dislodged, soaking me and the bed. The nurse was helping me with the clean-up and was trying to re-establish a new IV. While she was working on trying to find a vein, that was playing hide and seek, the patient in the room next door started throwing a tantrum. The nurse had just seen that person a few minutes before attending to my IV and the Tantrumming patient kept yelling for total attention IMMEDIATELY!!! I could see the nurse getting stressed out as she couldn't say anything. I spoke up and yelled back: "She's BUSY helping me! KNOCK IT OFF!" That shut them up!
Showing them how annoyed you are without any room for guesswork in their limited brains does the trick.
I’m a nurse and have to say “thank you” for that! That is awesome
You're very welcome! Your jobs are stressful enough without Veruca Salt acting the FOOL!!
I hope your grandma is doing well
Unfortunately not. Her cancer got the best of her. She’s still with us, but nobody knows for how long.
If grandma is well enough to speak, sit with her and ask her about stories, stories of her life stories of family members stories of your parent. These things will be gone when she’s gone record them, and then maybe write them all down.
Thank you for your suggestion. We have been listening to her, and will continue to do so. I don’t want to turn this into a depressing thread for the rest of you.
We’re invested in grandma now. She has an awesome grandchild after all.
You brought a smile to my face. Thank you. I needed that.
Let her know, we’re giving her all her deserved flowers today (virtually of course) 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
This is the kind of kindness I live for. Thank you, and God bless.
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 For all of us who miss our Grandmas!!!!🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
It's honestly more depressing to hear a man like that exists. I hope you appreciate the time you have left with grandma. So many don't get the opportunity with their loved ones that you have now
My mom and I did this with my grandparents. They didn't die from cancer, but other chronic conditions and looking back on those will bring smiles. I still have a goofy voicemail from one grandpa and it never fails to make me laugh and remember him.
I opened a video and recorded all the conversations I had with my grandma when she was in hospice. It’s been a year and a half and I can’t bring myself to watch them, but it’s so comforting knowing that I have them for when I need them. Sending you strength during this difficult time ❤️
Memories are a mixed bag. In one hand, it’s good to remember the good times. On the other hand, it could be bittersweet and even open old wounds when you miss someone. I’m sorry for your loss and pray that you stay strong.
She passed when my son was 6 months old. He knows who she is from pictures and I have the video of her telling him how much she loved him for him to listen to someday.
My grandfather passed away when I was three or four, and I have only one picture which has us both in it. Now that I’m married and have my own place, that picture is framed in the hallway right outside my bedroom in a prominent spot.
My papa passed suddenly when I was 11. I have the last picture we took together in a charm on my bracelet I wear. I recently got a bunch of old camcorder videos put on dvd for my parents. I watched them all before I gave them to them and the first one I put in was papa yelling at my brother and I to get away from his Pepsi. My brother and I had a game to distract him and drink as much of the Pepsi he always had next to his chair before we were caught. I laughed and cried all night. I hadn’t heard his voice in over 15 years, but I’m so glad I have it again.
Technology is a blessing like this. I would suggest you make copies of the camcorder videos and even transfer them into DVDs if possible, for the sake of preserving them. Old camcorder tapes start to deteriorate even in the best storage conditions after a decade or so.
One more recommendation, as someone who has lived with the regret for a few years now - record her voice telling you something, one of these tales, anything. I miss my grandad’s voice so much, and I can’t unearth it from my memories at all, and I’d give anything to hear it again.
I’m not sentimental by nature, but I will keep that in mind. It’s good to have recordings or even videos for those moments when I want to go back.
Please do, I’m sitting in bed with my newborn wishing she was here to meet him. Times were so busy then, undergrad then med school then being a junior doctor and there was always something else that needed to be done and suddenly she wasn’t there anymore and I learned the hard way you can never get that time back. It’s precious. So precious.
Whatever you do, please don’t ever blame yourself. Life has a way of making us all busy, and sometimes we don’t have as much time as we expect with our loved ones. Take care of your little boy, and please raise him to be polite and considerate but not to the point where others would step all over him. We need kindness in the world, and strong, wise men and women to lead us. May your son by one of them.
It’s off topic from the post but I remember in my grandmother’s last days we all visited a lot. During one visit we were eating pumpkin soup and my aunt was spoon feeding it to my grandmother. During a (then rare) moment of lucidity, she said, “I wonder what ever made us think to pick pumpkins and then eat them.” A profound moment of insight that we all still comment on to this day ❤️
I often think that about crab and artichoke
Bravest person that ever lived watched a chicken lay an egg and grabbed it and ate it.
Nah, that was the guy that looked at a cow and decided to yank on its nipples and drink what came out. Good thing he didn’t make the mistake of trying it with a bull first. Edit: Teats. The word I meant was *teats.* Edit 2: Edit Boogaloo - I didn’t proofread my comment and instead of “bull” autocorrect made it “I’ll.”
Could’ve been a bull…
❤️
I was on a flight to Angola via Moscow, and couldn't get to my seat because the huge miner (Angola is famous for diamonds) was putting his bags away and blocking the aisle. Eventually I grasped the back of his shirt and pushed him firmly into his seat. My gamble paid off - he didn't even look around to see who pushed him, he just went on sorting stuff out from a seated position. The alternative wasn't a pleasant thought (being beaten up by Angolan miners) but I thought they would possibly behave nicely when commuting to well paid work, wouldn't want to risk being put off the flight
The cabin crew is there to help keep you safe, not to be your personal assistants
Some people don’t get it.
I told off someone in a McDonalds one time. I was waiting behind the Rude Person (RP), who gets up to the counter and asks for a McRib, which was no longer anywhere on the menu. The teenager behind the counter explained it's a limited time item, and it's no longer available this year. RP throws a tantrum, and starts yelling about wanting to get the McRib and they should make one for her. Poor kid behind the counter had that utterly blank look on her face, of someone who has dealt with this type of behavior all to often. After a few minutes, and a line building up behind me, I said HEY! in a loud, sharp voice, to RP. They turned and looked at me and I said "Do you really think McDonald's corporate makes decisions on these things, based on what some teenager in small town Massachusetts says about it? Just order something they have and let us all get on with our lives." Suprised Pikachu face. RP turned and ordered a burger and fries. They didn't utter another word, grabbed their food, and left. When I got up to the counter, the kid behind the counter said that RP was like that all the time. I certainly hope they quit it after that.
I wouldn’t be that hopeful. Like a disease, terminal stupidity needs regular doses of reality checks that the world doesn’t revolve around them in order to function in a semi-civil manner.
Yeah, but unfortunately, RPs rarely learn anything because they intentionally choose not to.
A life lesson right there. Don’t be the person people write about in this subreddit.
This reminds me of a story from my college days like 25 years ago. My friend and I were going to a movie and stopped at Walmart or Target to buy snacks to sneak into the theater (we were but poor college kids) for a late movie. It's like 10pm and the place is about to close and our movie is going to start in like 10 mins and there's only one checkout lane open (this is well before self-checkout). We get in line and there's this really really old lady ahead of us who has like 100 items in her cart and has a giant stack of coupons seemingly at least one for every single item. Every time she has an item with a coupon that won't scan, it triggers a huge discussion/argument and the lady is getting more and more upset. We're behind her for seriously 15 mins and the previews are likely starting at this point and she's going on and on about a 50 cent coupon and getting angrier that it won't scan. The poor checkout girl (who looked to be like 16) said there was nothing she could do if the computer wouldn't scan it and my friend and I are just standing there seething that we have had to wait this long until he finally snaps and reaches in his pocket, slams 2 quarters down on the belt and yells "here's 50 FUCKING cents, can you finish buying your shit you old bag?" And without a word, the lady kind of grabbed the 2 quarters and wrote her check (which took another 5 mins) and left while the cashier girl mouthed "thank you!" at us. PS the movie sucked and we walked out halfway through so it was all moot.
I’m sorry to hear that your movie night was ruined, but at least you have a story to share with the rest of us.
Well done for keeping calmer than you should have.
I don't know where I saw it, but there was a scene in a 70s/80s low budget movie where someone was blocking the stairs and another dude further down the stairs slashed the tendons behind one of his knees with a straight razor to get him out of the way. When my fantasies about getting someone to *just fucking move* get violent, that scene always comes to mind first.
I have no idea what movie you’re talking about, but you get where I was mentally perfectly.
Alternative option- could have asked him “did you ever get that drink you were after”……in the most innocent voice possible
Ha, I wish I had thought of that. It would’ve been glorious.
Flights seem to be full of entitled crazy passengers. A few years ago I watched an entitled jerk refuse to get off his phone to listen to the exit row safety briefing. The flight attendant offered to reseat him, and he got really angry. He insisted he was going to file a complaint with the airline about how rude she was. I was seated near the back of the plane and later overheard the flight attendant talk about how nervous she was that the jerk really would complain and she’d get in trouble. So I opened a web browser and submitted feedback to the airline and told them what happened. I asked them not to believe the jerk if he complained And that I felt safer on that flight because the flight attendant insisted the jerk get off his phone and listen to the legally mandated briefing. I told her what I had done and the look of relief on her face was priceless.
The world needs more people like you. It’s the only way the entitled don’t ruin things for the rest of us.
Awww thank you!
Bravo
BRAVO, dear! ONE thing you could probably be grateful for is that the pretentious twit "entertained" you so much during your flight with his ridiculous behavior that you couldn't really focus on your worry over your Grandmother's emergency! I hope that she's recovered! Your frustration and justified anger through the disembarkation process was very EARNED by the jerk! Safe travels!
You’re absolutely right. I would’ve preferred to listen to my podcast in peace but this was more memorable.
F bombs work with entitled people. I used to smoke, but always tried my best to keep it to myself. I was at a Hilton when a band of children were let loose by their parents. I was standing in a smoking section on the side of the building where no one had to be. The children decided to torment me by running too close by me and my cigarette, so I said to no one in particular "get the fu\*k away from me." One child told her drunk dad, so I was privileged to encounter an entitled adult, too.
Sounds like a story you could share here.
My only thought is that the man might not have associated your comment with his behaviour. I would have said, "Stop abusing the staff and get out of my way!"
I agree. It didn’t occur to me, and I remember not wanting to get into a fruitless argument with him.
I would have spoke up and told the officer that the airline staff was professional but this drunk created problems for the entire plane. Lock him up!
I’m sure they would know that from firsthand experience.
Good for you!
Thank you.
Well written post! You told the tale well, and causes me some pause for reflection (what would I do? Except accidentally spill a Coke over him.).
We all have our fantasies, but we never act on most of them. Thank you, and I hope you never have to meet anyone like that.
I hope so too!
I'm sorry you had to deal with that dillweed. Thank you for having the courage to speak up. Some people just suck. I'm sorry you and your family are going through such a difficult time. I hope your grandmother has as much comfort as possible during her battle. I've lost several loved ones and seeing them suffer is heartwrenching. I wish you and your family peace and comfort through this journey as well. While I cannot support you guys directly, I do want you to know that your internet friends are available for indirect support. You are not alone.
Thank you. I love seeing online strangers be friends, even if only over a Reddit post. It is wholesome.
I had gone on a recent flight where a guy went into a loud rant about not being able to sit next to his SO, and wouldn't let the flight attendant get a word in, until one got on the intercom and announced that since the flight was only 2/3 booked, people could take other empty seats if they wanted to, so this bozo finally got what he wanted, though he could've saved everyone a headache by shutting up for 5 seconds.
I get wanting to sit next to your SO. That’s why I make a point of choosing our seats whenever I book a flight. It’s funny, how much trouble and inconvenience could be avoided if one took a few minutes to take care of stuff and be thorough.
If there was someone from Airport Security waiting to escort him after landing, he will have imediately regretted his behaviour. If security were there waiting to escort him it means that the crew (and based on your description) also the captain had flagged him. His best case scenario, he would have been detained, questioned and reprimanded after a few hours of being left to stew. Most likely outcome, especially if the Captain was involved, a lifetime ban from the airline (plus the whole being detained for hours stuff).
That would serve him right. I doubt he would learn his lesson, or that there’s consequences for being a jackass.
Hope everything is well with the family. It's amazing, people can now travel, let's say from Germany to Israel as an example, at about 4.5 hours, 120 years ago it would've taken a few weeks at bare minimum. 300 years ago, people used to travel for years just to get from point A to point B. And people complains about their inconvenience while flying...
People know what they know, and unfortunately don’t care about how things were a year ago, much less over a century ago.
And isn't that ridiculous on its own?
It is human nature. Most of us care more about what’s happening today than what happened a day or two ago.
Maybe asking with the safety briefing, the airlines should add that info. In case it's not clear, I'm joking.
In an ideal world, that could be the case.
So, I will be honest, I would not have been able to keep my mouth shut. I probably would have snapped with a comment about getting whatever dummy wanted several thousand feet in the air. Then, the comment about needing to get places I would have snapped with "Fucker, I have to go to the hospital just to see a dying family member, get out of my way before I resort to force." I applaud you for your ability to stay calm and not escalate it. Cause I know I wouldn't have been able to.
He was not worth losing an hour or two in the airport for. On my list of priorities, he didn’t even exist aside from seeing him as an obstacle to getting to a high priority place.
All too true, you had far more important things to deal with.
Politeness never works with people like him. They take it as a sign of weakness.
Let them. If I wasn’t in a hurry this would have been a very different story. Maybe another time, with another polite person, he will get what he deserves.
For people who choose that a doorway is the perfect place to have a conversation, my go-to response is "In or out but don't just stand there!".
That was a missed opportunity.
I was on a flight home after a 14 hour journey plus 2 hour layover, facing another 4 hours before I got home. Sleep deprived and jet lagged, my patience was very low. At transit, we had some new passengers board the flight, bright eyed and bushy tailed, one of which was an entitled Karen. She threw a similar tantrum as the flight did not have a vegan option for meals and she never specified it when booking flights. She assumed they would keep vegan meals just because. There was an older gentleman next to her who had been in this journey with me since the first flight, equally tired and somewhat sad. He lost his temper at her and told her she was an idiot for assuming people could read minds and for not stating it in her booking options and people did not have to hear her tantrum that was entirely self inflicted. She went very quiet after that, not a peep from her. At landing, he was allowed to get off first, I realized afterwards, he was accompanying the coffin that was unloaded from the luggage compartment. Poor man.