I know it is highly unlikely that you will ever see this, but I have felt guilty for the last couple of days, so though what better place to share that guilt than the SDMB.
I am the guy who was near the front of the security line in Munich on Friday evening in transit to the gate for flight LH3692 to Geneva (and other flights as well). It was a long line and moving very slowly. Our flight had already announced boarding, and there was probably another good 10-15 minutes wait between the end of the line (where you were) and the actual security check. You came to the front of the line and asked if you could cut in because your flight was boarding. The lady behind me answered you by saying that her flight was also boarding, to which I then added that you shouldn’t worry, they have our luggage and therefore can’t leave without us. So you went back to the end of the line, no doubt thinking a bit less of human nature.
I should have let you in. We were all on the same flight, and in the same boat, so to speak. I myself had considered cutting the line when I first entered it, so I should have given your request more consideration. I know it isn’t a valid reason, but I was also not feeling well and probably had a 101 degree fever. Maybe I wasn’t myself.
In any case, I want to apologize for not letting you in and promise that I will remember my humanity the next time such an occasion arises.
The line was the security line, not just the line for that flight. Presumably, some folks in that line were not on flights that were boarding at the time. At least, that’s how I read it.
Exactly, this was the security line for a bunch of Lufthansa flights, and ours was the only one that was boarding. Yes, she caught her flight. Actually, if I guess correctly, they held the flight until everyone boarded, which made us miss our takeoff slot and have to wait another 30 minutes on the runway for another opening.
I am sure she made the flight, as I could feel her stare burning into the back of my head throughout the 90 minutes or so on the plane…
You were still in the security line while they were announcing boarding for your flight? How soon before your flight did you arrive at the airport? I’ve been in security lines before and seen people get moved to the front of the line when their departure time was fairly soon.
I have no problem with letting someone cut in line ahead of me . . . provided every single person behind me agrees to it as well. You wouldn’t have been moving just yourself back, but everyone behind you as well. And you’d now be apologizing to them, instead of her.
So she got there later than you, made her flight despite not being allowed to jump ahead of you and every other person who’d arrived before her, and she spent the whole flight hating you for not letting her get away with being an over-entitled line-jumper?
Because of the old-skool 1970s terrorists - who didn’t want to die (crazy thought, eh?) - no personal luggage may fly unaccompanied, because some of it might have a bomb in it.
So, if you fail to make your flight on time, the entire passenger part of the baggage hold has to be emptied out to find the baggage of the person who is tardy, and remove it. Naturally this causes bother all round, and delays the flight interminably, so airlines try to avoid doing this. Sometimes, however, they have to.
Don’t we all miss The Terrorists you Could Trust™?
In the US, I’ve seen the people operating the security checkpoint to allow those on a flight scheduled for a departure within thirty minutes to cut in front of the line. I don’t know if they do this in Munich.
I though the point of this (rant? pitting?) essay was the guilt that Endemic assigned to himself, not that this woman was directing dagger-eyes his way throughout the flight. He felt bad for his actions; we’re not sure how she was affected, or even if at all.
hmmm… this isn’t proving to be the catharsis of absolution I thought it was going to be. I didn’t expect you all to be telling me I was right… :rolleyes:
Anyway, I have flown a lot around the world, and it seems to be pretty standard practice for people who are pinched for time (for whatever reason) to be ‘allowed’ to cut the line. Of course it is easiest if the airline is helping them to do it. In this case, the woman was on her own, with the results as described. I don’t know whether she was late due to her own negligence, whether she had a tight connection, etc. But I still felt I did the wrong thing by telling her to stuff it.
Doesn’t anyone think I was a jerk? C’mon, this is the Pit, I want to be punished!
You would only be a jerk if you had let her in. She wouldn’t just be cutting ahead of you but everyone else behind you. You wouldn’t have the right to speak for all those people and tell her she can cut in front of them too. Like Panache said, unless everyone behind you gives permission as well (or unless you are last in line), then you have no right to let her in. If she’s pinched for time, that’s her problem. She needs to plan better.
Actually I think you were both jerks for showing up so fucking late the plane missed it take off slot and had to hang around for an extra 30 minutes. This possibly caused other passengers to miss their connection on the other end. Thirty minutes times the number of people involved (all the pax, crew, ground crew) is what 50+ hours wasted due to your entitlement?
Nice work sparky.
Next time set your fucking alarm 30 minutes earlier.
:rolleyes:
Gone are the days where you can show up last minute and easily make your flight. Too much security and whatnot now.
If your flight was boarding and you’re not even through security yet, it’s your own fault. You should be at the gate, ticket and whatever else you may need to show in hand, by the time the plane is boarding.
Yup, you all know exactly why she was late to her flight. Because nothing unavoidable could have happened, like an accident on the highway or a train breaking down or something. But that’s right, rather than leaving at a time when she would have gotten to the airport with a couple hours to spare, she should have left so as to show up with 3 or 4 hours to spare, just in case something delayed her for an hour or 2 on the way there. I mean, she was traveling that day. She should have left the entire day open for that.
I’m not saying that’s likely. I’m just saying that shit happens, and it’s the least we can do to try to accommodate someone who is already having problems and a shitty day who is asking politely to not have to miss her flight. I know I’ll probably get a bunch of people raising holy hell over this shit, but it’s not like you have this entitled bitch strolling up to the front and either demanding priority or just cutting in line wordlessly. Maybe people are far more cynical than I am (which even sounds strange to me when I say it), but I’m willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, especially when they’re polite about it. Christ, I’m glad the naysayers are either able to ensure that they have no other obligations their entire days of flying, or know that nothing out of the ordinary will ever delay them.
I mean, does she really have to go get an agent from an airline to bring her to the front of the line and ask people to allow her in like a kid with a teacher? Or can we all be adults about something like this?
