Overly Overheating

Published by Bobby Laurie | 4 comments

For the first time in a very long I worked a DC turn in the main cabin. I don’t mind doing it every now and then, especially when I work in the back with a friend. It makes the day easy, you can laugh off situations and tag team situations without getting yourself worked up over little things.

This situation though, well — it was just plain funny. Prior to boarding the agents came down to talk to us about a problem they were handling. It seems that a guy with an emotional support animal was ticketed to be seated in our exit row. Now, we weren’t quite sure if that was allowed. But, the obvious says No. I mean, if he needs an emotional support animal to fly, well, then, how would he handle an emergency situation?

He was moved to 14F. As we were pushing back from the gate, I was taking my demo position when he handed me a Starbucks cup. “Can you take this? There isn’t enough room for me, my dog and the cup,” he unhappily said. Mind you, he had a Yorkie. There was more than enough room.

Once we got in the air, we pulled the carts out and Brad, my best friend and fellow flight attendant on board, immediately noticed that 14F was missing. A quick scan of the lav lights told us that they were empty.. yet, he was no where to be seen. Brad went to the back and found the passenger sitting on my jumpseat with his dog running around the back galley. He told the guy that wasn’t allowed to sit there and to make sure to keep control of the dog.

My dog is overheating I had to get out of my seat

That’s the excuse he gave Brad. “Regardless,” he said, “I can’t have you sitting on the jumpseat.” So the passenger slid over to the door bustle. Logical, right? Brad asked him to stand. He became even more upset.

We finished our drink service and then the back of the plane started to fill up with people lining up to use the restrooms, so Mr. UnHappy return to his seat. About an hour later he came to the back galley again. Now, it wasn’t just his dog that was overheating, it was him.

It’s so hot on this plane, aren’t you hot?

I wasn’t hot. The plane was 73 degrees. It was comfortable. He was the only person complaining. “Sir, I see that you’re wearing a long sleeve button down shirt and a sweater, you might want to remove the sweater. It’s not hot on board.” Now he moved into the back corner of the galley, right across from my jumpseat. Brad came back to the galley and sat down in his seat. I went over to mine.. sat down. And he was literally standing right in front of me. Un-phased that was he in my way and practically right on top me. He stood there while passengers walk around him, over him and at one point kicked his dog just to make their way to the bathroom. He was making a point – he was moved from a more comfortable seat with legroom, to a regular seat thats so cramped it’s overly overheating him and his pooch.

The pilots called and needed a break so I got up and headed to the front galley. The second I was out of the way he leaned on the door and sat on bustle. I quickly responded with “Sir, once again, don’t sit on the door” and I left.

While I was gone he once again complained to Brad about how his puppy was overheating. Brad still raised the issue that he, himself, was wearing a sweater. If it was so warm and unbearable for his dog, how is it that he’s can still function with a sweater on?

That question netted no response. The 14Fried, err, F was just looking to complain. He was trying to see what he could get out of us since he was so inconvenienced. I returned from the flight deck to find the guy still lingering in the back. Then, like a sign from God, or what the Pilots like to call themselves sometimes, the fasten seatbelt sign came on and we asked 14F to return to his seat.

When he got off the plane, he said nothing and looked at no one.