07/21/2024
Travellers please pay attention 🙂 🙂
If you travel a lot by plane, beware of overly friendly and chatty seat neighbors.
Old lady comes and sits next to me on the plane.
She asked me to help her put her bag in the top trunk. But a gentleman sitting in front quickly appeared. (I'm not very tall and the top trunk is something I try to avoid at all costs.
Immediately sits down and starts a conversation.
She was very nice and well spoken. So we talked throughout the flight to Dubai.
Suddenly, when the pilot announced that we were proceeding to begin our descent to DXB, my good friend "developed" stomach aches. I, in a good heart, pressed the hostess button and the hostess came to find out what the problem was. Told her my seat mate wasn't feeling well. And this lady suddenly started addressing me as 'my daughter'.
The flight attendant told me they couldn't do anything except give her some painkillers and wait until we land.
The pilot announced that we had a medical emergency on board and advised us all to stay calm. My new friend was crying and sweating like crazy. And she refused to let go of my hand... everyone assumed we knew each other.
So we landed in DXB and the same gentleman who helped pack his luggage in the upper compartment took it off. But while I was unpacking, I was advised to distance myself from this lady and make it clear to the cabin crew that we were NOT traveling together. It was a blessing from above!
So actually the cabin crew came and asked if we were related I told them clearly we met on the plane. ! I didn't know her at all. So we started disembarking and as she said goodbye she kept begging me to take her bag. I was so torn up... but the gentleman looked me in the eyes and shook his head emphatically. Got a note telling me to let the cabin crew handle it.
So I step off the plane and leave my 'new friend' waiting for the wheelchair and being taken care of by the cabin crew feeling very guilty.
While waiting for our luggage to arrive, I hear this commotion. My 'new friend' was running, trying to escape the cabin crew, having gotten up from the wheelchair! He left the hostess with his bag and ran for the exit with the rest of his hand luggage! Luckily the airport police were faster than her. She was caught and brought in handcuffs
This lady is starting to call me.. daughter of mine... daughter of mine!.. how could you do this to me..... that was when I realized.
She was on drugs and was trying to
get me involved!
Lucky for me, the gentleman who helped her with her luggage went ahead and told the airport police that she and I had just met on the plane. The police took my passport and asked him to reveal my full names if it was true that we were traveling together.
By the grace of God, I hadn't even told him my name!. Still I was asked to follow the police to a small room where I was thoroughly interrogated. Where did I meet her?... where approached... where did she board.
Etc... And my luggage was thoroughly checked and dusted for fingerprints.
They dusted off all of her luggage and my fingerprints were nowhere in her luggage or purse!
I was fired and advised never to touch anyone's luggage, neither on a flight nor at the airport. So from this day forward I don't care how much baggage you have, you will deal with it yourself. I won't even offer you a cart to put your luggage in! Your luggage... your problem.... it's my policy.
And if you can't get to the upper compartment and I'm the closest person, call the cabin crew because all I'm gonna do is stare at you and then look the other way.
A lesson that future air travelers can learn from there.
