SFAA - Newark

* * * 'SFAA' is 'Scenes From An Airport'. Everyone knows a "road warrior", or at minimum, is familiar with the concept. The strong-willed business man, that spends more time in the seat of a plane, than sleeping in their own bed. I know one, and these are his stories. He’s my guest writer.* * *

I hear people say on TV a lot that they are amazed by the generosity of the American peop... those people were not at Newark Airport tonight.

I am on the last flight to Austin that normally leaves at 8:20 pm. We are delayed until 10 something right now and the flight before us was also running late. That flight was going to Salt Lake City.

There was an older lady in a wheelchair who was apparently legally-blind. For some reason they had not booked her into one of the bulk-head seats on the aisle. They called the name of the guy who was assigned that seat.

Up oozed a disgustingly fat man … he waddled to the ticket counter. They explained to him politely the situation and asked if he would switch seats with her. He flatly refused. They explained again, pointing out the lady in her wheelchair. He said he is not changing seats.

Everyone in the general area started buzzing with whispered “asshole, jerk, etc…” A business traveler in 6C walked up and volunteered his seat…that is the aisle seat behind the fat bastard. Problem solved. They put her there and that gentleman moved to 22C…also an aisle.

I later spoke to the gate agent about it…she said he was the rudest person she had ever dealt with, but karma is a bitch. The man that ended up sitting next to fat bastard was as big as he was…she said they looked like Siamese twins once they both squeezed into their seats.

She said the flight attendants were told about his rudeness and to cut him zero slack and to give the guy who volunteered up his seat anything he wanted during the flight.

She also told me that the rules would have allowed them force him to give up that seat. Good rule of thumb, just do the right thing the first time.
I hope the old lady kicked his seat the whole way to Salt Lake!