All About Ida

Posted in A Day in the Life of a Flight Attendant | 8 comments

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Everyone’s been there. Sometimes you’re involved in it and sometimes you just wish it would stop. I’m talking about chit-chatting with your seat mate.

It’s a strange situation to find yourself in. You’re seated in a confined spaced next to someone you never met before, your arms share the same arm rest and your personal space is now shared with a stranger for the duration of your flight. The least you can do is say “hello” right?

But when should it stop? When is talking to your neighbor, too much?

I recently flew from Los Angeles to Phoenix to attend an event and I sat next to Ida. Ida is an African American woman in her early 60′s who lives in Downtown Los Angeles and works for Liberty Tax Service.

What’s that? You’re wondering how I found out all that information about Ida? Well, Ida and I didn’t talk once during the flight, but once we landed in Phoenix.. all bets were off. She glanced over in my direction and started with: “I have never flown this airline.. US West Airlines, it’s nice though. I’ll have to do it again.” We were on US Airways.

I responded by saying that the airline had improved a lot since I worked for them back in 2006, and the next words out of her mouth was: “yeah, I’m flying to attend my brother’s funeral.” I quickly offered my sympathies and she quickly through me off by saying “yeah, it’s a long day of flying though.. I’m going from LA to Phoenix to Oakland to Stockholm.” What?

“I’m sorry, you’re going to Stockholm via Phoenix and Oakland?” I asked. “Yes he’s lived there all of his life” she added. Now I was even more confused, who flys to Stockholm from Oakland? “I’ve never been to Sweden.” Ida replied: “Me either.” Trying to figure out what was going on, I asked what airline she was taking and she said “US West Airlines” so I knew for sure she wasn’t going to Sweden, in fact, she was going to Oakland and driving to Stockton.

After we put that issue to rest, she started to tell me about her job, at Liberty tax service. It’s her third career, and she obtained the job with her fourth college degree. She’s quite accomplished and apparently sought after: “All the men at my office want me,” she said, “sometimes my supervisor stand over my cubicle and says ‘Ida!’ and I say ‘What!’ and he said, ‘Ida!’ and I stand up and say ‘Sir, yes sir!’ It gets him happy.. all the time. I guess what does it is the fact it’s not just me.. standing.. at attention.”

Seriously!? Did I need to know that she turns him on? No! What do you even say next to that? “Wow, that must make for a very flirtatious work environment.”

Ida replied: “Well, yes. A lot of the girls in the office what him.. and they all come to me asking me for advice on how to get him, but they don’t know he wants me. He doesn’t want one of those little girls.. he wants a woman!”

“You go get ‘em Ida!” I hoped would end the conversation. She then asked where I lived and added “I had a great time talking to you today.. you’re fun. We should hang out in LA sometime.” She handed me her card and added, “and I can do your taxes too.”

So tell me, how much is too much? Do you monitor your conversations with your seatmates and ensure you don’t revel too much?

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