I have a very strong opinion about a man who felt entitled to try to push past pre-boarding senior citizens so he could be first onboard, but it seems that others are more sympathetic. But I really don’t think
Man Blocks Passenger Who Tried To Wedge Past Senior Citizens To Board Flight A Few Seconds Earlier
As shared on FlyerTalk, the incident occurred during boarding a United Airlines flight:
The gate agent was a little quick on the draw and didn’t leave a lot of time between pre-boarding groups. I was the first 1K to pre-board and had an elderly couple followed by a family with an infant, a toddler, and a large stroller pushed by the mom (no dad in sight) immediately in front of me. They were all looking over their shoulders when they heard the “herd” of 1K’s coming up behind them.
I simply said, “Take your time, they’re not going to run you down”. I then did my best “power forward” imitation and slowed down and essentially blocked the jetway walking VERY slowly. One person yelled to “get the $%#& out of the way”. I stopped and politely told him that the people in front of us needed a little extra time. He told me to go to he$$ and tried to go around me. I’m not a small guy (back in the day, people would say it was a $20 cab ride to get around me!). I cut the guy off and he stopped short and proceeded to f bomb me for about 20 seconds. I didn’t say a word and once the people in front of me cleared the door, I picked up the pace and got on board.
I took my seat (2B) and the “gentleman” behind me got on board and grabbed 4E. He then continued to mouth off about my behavior and how I didn’t understand how much he spent on this f’ing airline for the ability to board early. I ignored him right up until he made one too many comments about “the slow old people that should just stop traveling if they can’t walk onto a plane.” I took a deep breath and walked up to the galley and told the flight attendant he had a problem with 4E and he better either get him under control or get the captain.
The FA went over to him and got a face full of the same garbage that 4E was spewing at me. A minute later, the captain appears and informs 4E that if he can’t control himself he’s not taking this flight. 4E fumes and says he’s being picked on “by the big A hole in 2B.”
Before I can even turn and defend myself, I hear a female voice from behind me say, “Don’t pick on him you rude little turd, you almost ran me over trying to get on the plane!” It was the elderly lady that boarded in front of me a few minutes earlier. The entire first class cabin cracked up. The captain looked at 4E and asked him, “Is that true? Did you try to run over this nice lady?” 4E turned beet red and didn’t say a word. The captain said, “Great, keeping your mouth closed the rest of the flight is a really good plan unless you want the flight met by local law enforcement when we land.” 4E very sheepishly said “yes sir” and was a model passenger the entire flight.
The hero of this story may be the old lady who called Mr. 4E a turd, but I quite appreciate that Mr. 2B stepped up to keep the lout in 4E from running over the senior citizens in front of them trying to board the plane.
Yes, it is our business to protect those vulnerable around us…airline employees cannot possibly police the jetbridge.
Mr. 4E really seems like a piece of work. I have little respect for those who cannot control their tongues and it is rather absurd to push and shove you way onboard when everyone leaves at the same time. Sliding past someone after a flight is a totally different matter, especially when a tight connection is involved.
However, some on Flyertalk are defending 4E, criticizing 2B for not minding his own business and for physically blocking him. But I am 100% on the side of 2B.
CONCLUSION
I’m on the side of Mr. 2B here. There is no need to push your way past others in front of you while boarding and there is certainly no need to curse out a man who was trying to help senior citizens board without being run over.
Are you the side of 2B or 4E?
2B is in the right. I’ve done similar things, mostly upon landing, in the past.
Anyone defending 4E is a 4E.
+1
+2
Yep
100%. Team 2B.
4E ought to have been kicked off the plane by the Captain . No second chances for 4E who was uncooperative with the FA . Problem solved .
Agree with MFK and God bless the little old lady and 2b! As an early boarder I’ve never felt the need to pass anyone on the jet bridge and have offered to help people if they’re having an issue. At least 4E was smart enough to keep his mouth shut after the pilot talked to him.
I believe that there should be a trial protocol to board those with children and disabilities last. Let the fast boarders on first and have them stow their luggage and coats (in the winter) quickly and sit down. That is the method for driving, i.e. let the fast drivers first and then the slow drivers drive last and in the slow lane.
This method might reduce the fake wheelchair users because they no longer want to board last.
This would only be a trial, not the grand and final solution (and certainly not the Final Solution).
That would likely lead to abuse if it was self determined. The problem is there are often people who really need the extra time to get on the plane and into their seat and aisle wheelchairs are harder to use when people are already on board. It’s also probably a lot faster to get those people on and off the plane when it’s empty as well (which is why they are also last off). I’d rather err on the side of giving people who need the extra time, extra time with some abuse by people who don’t really need it than the alternative.
@derek … Disabled pax here . They have a system to first board children-accompanying and disabled , and that is sensible . Plus it gives me a chance to chat up the staff with humor and ask for my special requests of alcohol , before the unruly mob. I prefer getting off last , because the unruly mob has already crowded the aisles .
2B of course… I have zero tolerance for people like 4E. I’m not a little guy and would have gladly assisted 2B in the body block…
@Jeff … good on you . Hopefully the little old lady might trip him with her cane handle , a la Charlie Chaplin in The Rink .
Ridiculous to rush aboard when you’re in first class with plenty of overhead space.
2b or not 2b
Years ago there was a 2 lane highway but one lane was closed. Of course people refused to merge early and instead tried to use the closed lane as a passing lane and then cut into the other lane when they got to the lane closure. It was messing up traffic badly. Finally an 18 wheeler moved out of the open lane behind me and pulled into the soon to be closed lane and slowly paced our lane in speed. Things went much better with him blocking the cars trying to cut ahead.
People do view it as inconsiderate, but traffic engineers think differently.
https://www.google.com/search?q=zippering+in+traffic&oq=zippering+in+traffic&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYQNIBCDQ0MDZqMGo0qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Also: 2B!!!
Rich’s complaint is that people follow the law. Rich probably doesn’t know the law.
This link is to the Utah Department of Transportation. Alberta has a similar video. Several other states recommend the Close the Zipper maneuver described in the video. In short, use any lane to drive right up to the blockade then alternate into the single lane. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9bnyYAkd3o
You’re wrong, Rich. Zipper merges reduce congestion by utilizing empty lane space and opening up access to exits in the back of the backed up traffic. I’m sure you mean well but you need to update your driver knowledge.
Team 2B!
My husband has a very soft spot for the elderly, even more than me, and absolutely would have blocked 4E and exchanged words with him.
And extra props for the elderly woman calling a turd and turd!
Off to FT……..
As the elderly morph from Greatest Generation to the Baby Boomers, my sympathy for the elderly is going downhill rapidly.
I feel like there’s some fabrication going on somewhere in this story.
Fatass 4B should mind his damn business. He’s not the jetway police.
2B or not 2B, that is the question!
You seriously take this “hero” story at face value? No confirmation from witnesses? Come on. It reads like the boasts of a drunken loudmouth narcissist. 2B is not a hero, just a self aggrandizing liar. Video or corroborating accounts, or it didn’t happen.
Whether the story is true or not doesn’t matter. You could even assume it’s a complete hypothetical if that helps. The question is if this happened as described, which passenger is in the right?
Sal, you are correct. That’s true of many issues like this that I write about.
The flight can’t take off until everyone is seated period so really? Why does it matter how slow or how fast people get on the plane? It’s still gonna take the same amount of time for everybody to get on. And to throw a hissy fit is ridiculous.
2B is absolutely right and did what anyone would do to help and assist senior citizens.
I am a senior citizen myself, although, thankfully I have no issues in travelling. However, I know there is a time that would come when I could possibly require some element of assistance when I do travel.
Common sense and common decency. We have little of it left…
My 90-year-old mother almost got run over boarding a flight this summer because the guy behind her felt that she was walking too slowly to her seat in 1D! He was trying to squeeze past her and the flight attendant assisting her. I was really glad that I had upgraded our seats, because if she had to make it to row 10, she may have ended up with boot prints on her back.
I’m with 2B and I think that the Captain in this case handled this absolutely perfectly.
Hey y’all, I was so drunk once that I forgot to file a blog post by the deadline so I ripped.off an unverified, ludicrously too good to be true post from another site I badmouth all the time and filed it as my blog entry.
Done and done. See how smrt I am?
Humanity at its best.
2B
I’m on the side of 2B. That said, being a Senior myself, I find that society in general rather appalling today. Respect for others, much less of self, has diminished greatly and it’s really quite sad to witness.
2b did the right thing. 4e is the one that should go to hell. My guess is that he will.