Comrades/Competitors

A new experience awaited me this week as I prepared to go to LA for the week.
The flight from DFW boarded without fuss or furor, we were on time, passengers were quiet and orderly.
Boarding a plane is always a dance. You always want to board first. Why? Not for the seat, it is assigned (unless you submit to the cattle call of Southwest.) There is no reason to board early except one...overhead bin space.

When all the airlines started the ridiculous baggage fee fiasco, everyone carries their baggage on. Knowing full well that they aren't all going to fit. I fly 120+ segments a year and not once have I seen anyone check to see if their bag will fit in the little "sizer" next to the gate. I'm not an engineer, but you can tell from twenty feet away that the big roller bag ain't gonna fit. But they drag the thing on board anyway and spend 10 minutes trying to cram the monster into the overhead.
So us frequent fliers either pack smaller, or get free baggage check-in. But it is still important to get on board early and get the overhead bin space.

So all of us who are either first class passengers or priority fliers begin to edge towards the check-in as we see the gate agent preparing to start the boarding process. It is always a test of human nature to see how far up you can position yourself and not get called out by someone already standing there. Without fail, there will be a businessman who will sweep in at the last minute and take a position that the rest of us had sort of viewed as "no man's land" back a respectful distance from the gate and each other. But this guy just marches right up and cuts in front of all of us!
Now I don't know if that irks me because I find it rude, or because I didn't have the brass to do it. But the dance is fascinating to watch, each inching forward, waiting for the announcement so we can charge the gate agent and get on board as quickly as possible. This is a highly specialized dance and requires quite a bit of strategy, energy, boldness, and forethought.

But Monday we had to do it twice. We were all on board, belted in, electronic gadgetry turned off. Pilot comes on and says, "Well, this plane is going to Honolulu, not L.A., so if you need to go to L.A. you need to get off." I sat there for a moment and considered the fact that my week in L.A. was going to be brutal, with meetings and problems and a sales meeting at the end that stresses me to no end. So, can I just stay on and go to Honolulu? I bet not.

All 200 of us traipsed from one terminal to another, to the new gate. Great camaraderie about our inconvenience. Joking back and forth about our luggage getting a nice vacation in Honolulu while we fight to get our toothbrushes back in L.A.
Then as soon as we arrived at the new gate....the dance began again. This time,though, I knew to who to block out, like closing the lane in basketball.

I wonder if I just lack a generous spirit? or am I just too competitive? I think I would be willing to let the others pass in front of me if they would just not be so pushy, or entitled...because, you know, I've earned this prestige, umm. I think I see the problem.

Godspeed, fellow travelers. As the Godfather said to a rival mafia kingpin.."may your venture succeed as long as it doesn't interfere with mine."

Don