If you read yesterday's entry, you'll see that we had a heck of a time getting home from Chicago to OKC. Our flight was cancelled and we ended up rescheduled for an 8:55pm departure. Of course, the flight didn't leave until closer to 9:30 pm. And then we sat parked outside the gate in OKC for 30 minutes waiting for the plane at the gate to leave. All told, it was twelve hours from door to door. Sigh...
Anyhow, something funny happened along the way. Thought I'd share it with you...
Around 7 pm, I was standing in line at an American Airlines gate counter waiting to speak to a representitve. It took about five minutes for the clerk to finish with the customer in front of me, so I waited patiently.
As the nice lady behind the counter finished up with the person in front of me, a man got out of his site and walked right up to the counter in front of me. He just butted right in and began asking her questions about his flight with utter disregard for me.
I couldn't believe it!
I just stood there staring at him, thinking to myself "am I invisible?"
He walks away after getting the answer he was seeking and I took my turn with the representative.
So I go back to my seat and tell Mary, "I just ran into some VERY important!" I went on to recount the story and suggested to her (quite sarcastically) that he must have been a celebrity or powerful politician as he felt he could just butt in line to get what he wanted. She laughed and asked if I had asked for his autograph. Now THAT would have been funny!
About five minutes later, this same guy and his wife sit down just a few seats from where we are.
I pointed him out to Mary. I said, "That's him! That's the rude guy!"
She took note of him and we went about our business... which was really just sitting waiting for news of our flight.
About ten minutes later, Mary BUSTS out laughing!
I looked up at her and she is just splitting her sides.
I asked her what was so funny.
She pointed to the "rude guy" and noted that the book he was reading was incredibly ironic.
What was the book?
"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie!
I started laughing right along with her. It was absolutely priceless.
Mary noted that he was just about done with the book, and maybe I should suggest that he re-read it. Haha...
It was a great touch of real-life humor at a moment when we needed it. There's not much fun sitting in an airport wondering if you are going to get home. Thanks to "rude guy", we got a good laugh. :-)
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
November 30, 2006 04:34 PM
Travel is just not the way it was not so many years ago. I think it will take a long time for the whole experience to be once again to be noted as a "pleasurable" experience.