Airport Employee Power Trips

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ronscuba

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What are some silly or annoying airport employee power trips you have experienced or witnessed ?

I'll start:

- airline check in area empty. no customers. I walked directly to the counter, only to have an airline employee call me back and force me to walk through the empty line ropes. Has happened twice at 2 different airports

- two women boarding a plane flying to NYC in January, carrying plastic bags. they were told they were excess carry on. women explained they were winter coats and the plastic bags were to keep them clean in the overhead bin. women were forced to wear their coats when boarding or pay excess fee.
 
Your first point is valid--the check in agent was being a jerk. As to your second point, assuming the airline employee allows the two women to board with their plastic bags in addition to the allowed two carry on items, what is she going to say to all of the other passengers who want to board with their plastic bag(s) in addition to their two carry on items? And from my experience, those two women are most likely going to shove at least two pieces of their stuff into the overhead bin, thereby screwing people behind them looking for their fair share of overhead space. If you had to deal with self absorbed, "the rules don't apply to me" passengers every working day of your life, I don't think you would be quite so critical of the airline employee that is trying to apply the rules equally, or be so generous to the "bag ladies".
 
Your first point is valid--the check in agent was being a jerk. As to your second point, assuming the airline employee allows the two women to board with their plastic bags in addition to the allowed two carry on items, what is she going to say to all of the other passengers who want to board with their plastic bag(s) in addition to their two carry on items? And from my experience, those two women are most likely going to shove at least two pieces of their stuff into the overhead bin, thereby screwing people behind them looking for their fair share of overhead space. If you had to deal with self absorbed, "the rules don't apply to me" passengers every working day of your life, I don't think you would be quite so critical of the airline employee that is trying to apply the rules equally, or be so generous to the "bag ladies".

I agree with the gate agent initial statement, but when they showed them they were winter coats it should have ended there. Making them wear the winter coat when boarding is silly. Everyone was carrying their coats exposed and commenting on how stupid the gate agent was being. The 2 women sat in the seats in front of me and put their coats in the overhead bins like everyone else.
 
The problem was not the coat: It was the extra bag. After seeing similar situations thousands of time, I can guarantee that had the gate agent allowed the women to carry on the third bag, the agent would have gotten pushback from all of the other passengers that were not privy to the conversation who also wanted to carry on an extra plastic bag of (fill in the blank). Passengers really get angry when they see someone else getting away with something they are not allowed to do. In addition, the gate agent could have been written up by any supervisor passing by that noticed the agent's failure to follow written and well known procedures.
 
Point taken about the coat in a bag.

And yes, dealing with customers in an airport takes a lot of patience. I could never do it. Unprovoked rudeness and unnecessary displays of authority. It goes both ways. Never fun to be on the receiving end of either.
 
The problem was not the coat: It was the extra bag. After seeing similar situations thousands of time, I can guarantee that had the gate agent allowed the women to carry on the third bag, the agent would have gotten pushback from all of the other passengers that were not privy to the conversation who also wanted to carry on an extra plastic bag of (fill in the blank). Passengers really get angry when they see someone else getting away with something they are not allowed to do. In addition, the gate agent could have been written up by any supervisor passing by that noticed the agent's failure to follow written and well known procedures.
I am one of these people who get mad. I, like you, fly just enough to thoroughly detest the experience. I know the rules, I know how to get through TSA without going to jail, and I know what is a carry on and what is too much carry on. I know if I'm flying something with small overhead bins (I live in Key West, about a 50/50 chance of flying a puddle jumper, and Dad lives in Missoula, another good chance of being on a regional), so when extra bag lady gets on with her full size carry-on, her purse that's bigger than my backpack, and another bag, I'm going to blow a lid. Especially if I'm in boarding zone 4 or 5. I applaud the flight attendants who make them put their extra crap under the seat in front of them.
 
My friend and I were traveling from California and my carry-on got rearranged by other passengers when they loaded theirs. The end of my suitcase was sticking out (not as I had loaded it) and the LA flight attendant who had overly done make up and hair, said "WHO'S is THIS!). I raised my hand and she began to loudly berate me and demonstrate how to properly load the suitcase in the overhead bin. I stepped out into the aisle and asked her to please show me again because it was the first time I was flying since my head injury and I still had trouble with spatial relations. My friend was smirking as I returned to my seat.
 
My friend and I were traveling from California and my carry-on got rearranged by other passengers when they loaded theirs. The end of my suitcase was sticking out (not as I had loaded it) and the LA flight attendant who had overly done make up and hair, said "WHO'S is THIS!). I raised my hand and she began to loudly berate me and demonstrate how to properly load the suitcase in the overhead bin. I stepped out into the aisle and asked her to please show me again because it was the first time I was flying since my head injury and I still had trouble with spatial relations. My friend was smirking as I returned to my seat.

Yeah, the carry on situation got worse when airlines increased restrictions and costs for checked bags.

TSA agents can also get out of hand. Conflicting directions on belts and shoes from 2 agents standing next to another. 2 agents simultaneously asking me questions and a 3rd yelling at me for not answering them fast enough. I replied, I can only answer 1 question at a time. Who should I reply to 1st ?

I wonder if they do this loudly in front of people intentionally as a security measure.
 
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I think the loud voice is for their benefit, to show who is in control. Airlines did shoot themselves in the foot when they started charging for bags. We have all seen the abuse of carry-on bags which I think is in fear of lost luggage, not wanting to pay and entitlement. I now have Global Entry and it's very helpful and speeds things along in the US, but I still had to remove my belt and shoes in Grenada.
 
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