Travelers of a different Sort

I travel a lot. This is not a confession, simply a fact. 100+ segments a year is a lot even by airline standards. Consequently I get to see a lot of airline etiquette being implemented and abused.
Last night flying home it became obvious that the flight was completely full. First class checked in full (bouncing all of us who were looking for an upgrade) The standby list was 26 names when I arrived at the gate, which meant if they were going to accommodate them all, it was going to take every seat. This creates a certain tension because now you are wondering what poor slub is slotted to sit next to you in the middle seat (I try to book early and always get a window or aisle)
Of course not as much tension as the poor guy who is actually in the middle with no room for arms or feet or carry-on.
So now the airlines charge the occasional passenger (not the frequent passengers, we get a pass on the baggage check fee) to check their luggage. So what do the passengers do? You guessed it, EVERYONE brings their suitcases on the plane! Besides slowing the boarding process to a crawl, it now takes an engineer to figure out how to get the maximum amount of bags in a very small space.
Here's the dilemma. I carry a very large rolling briefcase. It is my office, with laptop, monthly reports, electronics, and of course snacks. If I could figure out how to install a small fridge I'd be great on these trips. All this to say the case is a little too big to go under the seat and looks a little small to go in the overhead.
Last night as the plane filled up, it was apparent that not all the bags were going into the overhead. I don't mean a few weren't going to fit, there was going to be 20 bags or so that were going to have to be gate-checked. A young 20-something lady stopped beside my aisle and began to make assessments about the overheads, including the one my briefcase was in. Now she was carrying a large rollerbag, a goodsize briefcase, and a purse (she shouldn't have been able to get on with all three, but that is another blog) but she felt that all her stuff should fit in the overheads at the expense of everyone else's stuff. So with great authority she began demanding whose bag was this and whose bag was that and tyring to rearrange the overhead to accomodate her carryons.
Those who know me, know that I am pretty much a live and let live kind of guy. I don't lose my cool very often, and usually get a little enjoyment out of every situation. I have the gift of finding the humor in it all. But my humor quotient was tapped out, tough week, long day, and I was ready to go home. So when she indicated my bag in the overhead and asked in a loud, obnoxious shrill, "whose bag is this?" I sat for a moment and pondered my reponse. The annoyance was starting a small pressure in my chest, but was sure to bloom into full fledged anger if she continued to be rude. Do I meekly get up and try to find other space for my bag? All the spaces were full, her's wouldn't fit in the space anyway. Do I avoid the confrontation and keep my mouth shut (see, I do consider it, while not often practicing it)?
I am a teacher by gift and by inclination, so I decided to try and help the young lady with a life lesson.
Very quietly I said, "It's mine"
"Well, you need to move it, so others can get their bags in the overhead!"
"No"
I have never seen a two letter word evoke such an emotional response. She was livid.
Now we have the flight attendents trying to get everyone to sit down, so they can take off, but this lady was holding up the entire process due to her poor planning.
I never moved, in confrontations of any sort, the high ground is preferred, but I conceded the high ground (her standing, me sitting) to make a point. We stared at each other for a moment, then I said, "would you like me to pay your baggage fee? since that was what should have been done in the first place?"
I have raised two daughters through the teen wars, into early adult life. I am impervious to the huff and puff and the eyeroll of young ladies. But I will say that she was pretty good at it, not as good as my girls, but pretty good. She started to stomp on down the aisle, but I got up and said, "let me help you get situated, find your seat and I will take this to the front for a gate check, they will give it to you on the jet bridge in Dallas."
At this point the flight attendant stepped in and began inform everyone left standing to take their bags to the front of the plane. They handled it.
What should I have done? I mused on that for the entire flight. To simply move the bag was the simplest, but was it the best? I was not going to get into a screaming match, I've lost too many of those. Did she learn that buisness travel takes planning and timing? Did she learn that the world is not there to accomodate her?
I don't know. Those of us who see the journey in a different light need to be more proactive about helping others understand their role. I wish the young lady and I had been seated next to each other so I could explain my response. We need people of discernment, people who won't budge when a life's lesson is in the making. People who will illuminate a better way, a way of discipline, a way of compassion which calls upon people to grow.
Next time I will try to find out where she sits and see if the person next to her will trade with me. That alone will teach to her to plan ahead.
Anyway, Godspeed to all you who are traveling along.
Don