Thurs – Boarding Southwest Airlines - 2:00
Rather than receiving a bump to the next flight to Chicago in exchange for $175 credit with SW airlines, Kelly and I found ourselves on a fully booked flight and far enough up in the boarding pass order to get our seat preferences in the same row (mine being window, hers aisle), but we were about 10 rows from the back of the plane.
We hadn’t yet buckled our belts for safety before we were startled by a middle-aged, black woman shouting “They’re saving seats! They’re saving seats!” while pointing to an average looking middle class white couple sitting two row ahead of us and across the aisle. I could tell by the her tone this was supposed to be communicating some urgent issue, but I honestly couldn’t determine what the issue was. Were the “seats” in some sort of danger? Why did they need “saving”?
A stewardess responded to the summons and in a hushed voice explained to the couple that seating was meant to be first come, first serve based on boarding pass order. The wife said she understood this but had been hoping to have her “dear” friend sit with her and didn’t understand why the woman couldn’t choose one of the other seats still available. The husband commented to the woman “Do you really want to sit by us the whole way to Chicago now?” Taking this as a personal challenge, the woman situated herself in the prized aisle seat and declared she wouldn’t have any problem sitting by them, if they did, they could move, but she had a right to sit wherever she wanted.
The trio continued to bicker vigorously. Words like “evil” were thrown around. The woman called out “I feel threatened!” as if to hearken nearby authorities. The surrounding passengers were equally appalled and delighted. An older woman in the row behind, shushed them collectively and remarked they were behaving worse than children.
The wife escalated her reaction and made a dramatic escape to a seat across the aisle and one row back (the row in front of Kelly and I). She loudly proclaimed that she wouldn’t and couldn’t remain seating by such a terrible person; not for anything in the world could she.
The woman was “just fine” with this.
That left the woman and the husband with a bitter empty space between them. The wife, not yet satisfied with her own departure demanded of the husband that he remove himself as well.
Taking his cue, with a clearly exhilarate look on his face, he charged for the aisle, heedless of his limbs and muttering sarcastically “oh, exsccuuuse me”. Then he catapulted himself into the vacant seat between Kelly and myself.
As the plane was still boarding, the newly vacated seats left behind by the couple were soon filled with unsuspecting flyers. The husband soon realized that in his haste he had abandoned his laptop and snacks and had to rely on the courtesy of the new occupants to retrieve them.
Rather than receiving a bump to the next flight to Chicago in exchange for $175 credit with SW airlines, Kelly and I found ourselves on a fully booked flight and far enough up in the boarding pass order to get our seat preferences in the same row (mine being window, hers aisle), but we were about 10 rows from the back of the plane.
We hadn’t yet buckled our belts for safety before we were startled by a middle-aged, black woman shouting “They’re saving seats! They’re saving seats!” while pointing to an average looking middle class white couple sitting two row ahead of us and across the aisle. I could tell by the her tone this was supposed to be communicating some urgent issue, but I honestly couldn’t determine what the issue was. Were the “seats” in some sort of danger? Why did they need “saving”?
A stewardess responded to the summons and in a hushed voice explained to the couple that seating was meant to be first come, first serve based on boarding pass order. The wife said she understood this but had been hoping to have her “dear” friend sit with her and didn’t understand why the woman couldn’t choose one of the other seats still available. The husband commented to the woman “Do you really want to sit by us the whole way to Chicago now?” Taking this as a personal challenge, the woman situated herself in the prized aisle seat and declared she wouldn’t have any problem sitting by them, if they did, they could move, but she had a right to sit wherever she wanted.
The trio continued to bicker vigorously. Words like “evil” were thrown around. The woman called out “I feel threatened!” as if to hearken nearby authorities. The surrounding passengers were equally appalled and delighted. An older woman in the row behind, shushed them collectively and remarked they were behaving worse than children.
The wife escalated her reaction and made a dramatic escape to a seat across the aisle and one row back (the row in front of Kelly and I). She loudly proclaimed that she wouldn’t and couldn’t remain seating by such a terrible person; not for anything in the world could she.
The woman was “just fine” with this.
That left the woman and the husband with a bitter empty space between them. The wife, not yet satisfied with her own departure demanded of the husband that he remove himself as well.
Taking his cue, with a clearly exhilarate look on his face, he charged for the aisle, heedless of his limbs and muttering sarcastically “oh, exsccuuuse me”. Then he catapulted himself into the vacant seat between Kelly and myself.
As the plane was still boarding, the newly vacated seats left behind by the couple were soon filled with unsuspecting flyers. The husband soon realized that in his haste he had abandoned his laptop and snacks and had to rely on the courtesy of the new occupants to retrieve them.
The now slightly separated the trio continued to bicker loudly. The argument had become about which of the three of them were worse excuses for human beings. The woman was “outraged that in this day and age people expected her to give up her rightful seat and move to the back of the plane.” The husband loudly retorted, “Oh OK Rosa!” The wife and the woman challenged each other to “keep it up” - each vowing that they could outlast the other. The husband encouraged the wife to “just ignore her”, but then immediately reversed his sentiment by saying they should put her on You Tube, to which the woman yelled in reply, “You TUBE yourself!”
By this time the crew had finally come up with a plan and a stewardess told the woman that there would be someone coming to talk to her. Everyone quieted with anticipation. Who would it be? What would they say? We were all over-stimulated. The husband claimed triumph; “OK, don’t say anything more, then it will be her that gets in trouble and not all of us.” Both the wife and the woman were quiet as this sounded like a logical truth.
After far too much time a male steward approached the woman and said “would you mind coming to the front with me?” He had made an attempt to be discreet, but we could see by his face he knew it was futile.
The woman gathered up herself and her belongings with as much dignity as she could muster. This effect was lost on the crowd as a majority of the back ten rows broke into applause. Personally, I was mortified by their judgment and display and embarrassed to be sitting amongst them; right by the peach of a husband no less. It was a thrilling show, no doubt. But the behavior of the three and the observant audience makes me think a bit less of humanity as a whole. Kelly and I exchanged looks over the back of the offensive husband. I think he was aware of our lack sympathy, but he’d clearly spent himself in the effort and was not about to enter into discussion with us.
Thurs 4:00 – Parthenon Hostel, Greektown Chicago ($140 each for all four nights)
Kelly and I check into our room at the hostel. It’s a 4th floor walkup, aka drag your bags up. There are mysterious staircases along the way that shoot off in all directions from the main stairwell and I excitedly explore one of these, bags in tow, only to find dead ends and am forced to retreat to the main landing where Kelly is waiting with “that” look.
Upon entering our narrow room we find two twin beds side by side with about 4 inches of clearance between them: perfect for a couple of girls who want to hold hands and gaze into each other’s eyes all night long – not so much for us. Also the proximity would require us to crawl in toe up each night to get into bed and to exit by the reverse strategy.
There is a small side table a dresser and a wardrobe with exactly 2 hangers in it. The room measures about 7 x 14. We agree that the high ceilings really give the space a grand feeling.
Immediately we reorganize every stick of furniture in the room and create some personal space zones. We begin a shopping list. Hangers, certainly. A beside lamp would be nice. We briefly consider window treatment options and a throw rug to warm the place up a bit and make the dozens of gentlemen callers we will undoubtedly have feel more “at home.”
As mature responsible adults, we check the rules sheet we were provided upon check-in. There is a $4 fee for missing towels and a $10 charge for stolen sheets. But nowhere does it say that there will be a penalty for making improvements. A new coat of paint would do wonders. I’m thinking something in the “bluebird” family, but Kelly’s feeling something green.
By this time the crew had finally come up with a plan and a stewardess told the woman that there would be someone coming to talk to her. Everyone quieted with anticipation. Who would it be? What would they say? We were all over-stimulated. The husband claimed triumph; “OK, don’t say anything more, then it will be her that gets in trouble and not all of us.” Both the wife and the woman were quiet as this sounded like a logical truth.
After far too much time a male steward approached the woman and said “would you mind coming to the front with me?” He had made an attempt to be discreet, but we could see by his face he knew it was futile.
The woman gathered up herself and her belongings with as much dignity as she could muster. This effect was lost on the crowd as a majority of the back ten rows broke into applause. Personally, I was mortified by their judgment and display and embarrassed to be sitting amongst them; right by the peach of a husband no less. It was a thrilling show, no doubt. But the behavior of the three and the observant audience makes me think a bit less of humanity as a whole. Kelly and I exchanged looks over the back of the offensive husband. I think he was aware of our lack sympathy, but he’d clearly spent himself in the effort and was not about to enter into discussion with us.
Thurs 4:00 – Parthenon Hostel, Greektown Chicago ($140 each for all four nights)
Kelly and I check into our room at the hostel. It’s a 4th floor walkup, aka drag your bags up. There are mysterious staircases along the way that shoot off in all directions from the main stairwell and I excitedly explore one of these, bags in tow, only to find dead ends and am forced to retreat to the main landing where Kelly is waiting with “that” look.
Upon entering our narrow room we find two twin beds side by side with about 4 inches of clearance between them: perfect for a couple of girls who want to hold hands and gaze into each other’s eyes all night long – not so much for us. Also the proximity would require us to crawl in toe up each night to get into bed and to exit by the reverse strategy.
There is a small side table a dresser and a wardrobe with exactly 2 hangers in it. The room measures about 7 x 14. We agree that the high ceilings really give the space a grand feeling.
Immediately we reorganize every stick of furniture in the room and create some personal space zones. We begin a shopping list. Hangers, certainly. A beside lamp would be nice. We briefly consider window treatment options and a throw rug to warm the place up a bit and make the dozens of gentlemen callers we will undoubtedly have feel more “at home.”
As mature responsible adults, we check the rules sheet we were provided upon check-in. There is a $4 fee for missing towels and a $10 charge for stolen sheets. But nowhere does it say that there will be a penalty for making improvements. A new coat of paint would do wonders. I’m thinking something in the “bluebird” family, but Kelly’s feeling something green.
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