Standing Ovation
It happened to me when I was 15 years old. I was sitting in the middle of a tour group, which must have included many first-time fliers. The flight attendants began to tell passengers to buckle up. Two people on either side started to panic because they couldn’t locate their seatbelts. I told them that they had probably sat down on their seatbelts, but because they are large they were difficult to get up.
They panic instead. The tour group began to panic as they started screaming. Flight attendants arrived but were unable to understand them due to the screaming. I also tried to explain what was going on to everyone. The person next to me calmed down and asked me for help to find their seatbelt. I was forced to reach under the person’s butt and free their seatbelt. Then, I reached over and fastened it for them.
The rest of the group heard them yell something and there were cheers and whoops. I had to reach under the butt of the person sitting next to me. Both of them were sweating. They decide to hold a prayer before the flight. They were very sweet to me and held my hand to try to include me in the group. But forced prayer sessions make me want scream “Screw Jesus!” And go to bed.
They were initially very nice people. They asked me why I was alone with a girl on a long flight. I explained that my family had checked in late and we were separated. They were very chatty, and asked me many questions about flying. It was painful because I had to sleep. I finally decided to order alcohol so that I could pass out.
It was an innocent time, when many non-American airlines did not ask for identification. When my Bailey’s arrived, the person next to me gave me a disgusting look and said, “You drink?” After I said yes, they left me alone…until my stomach started to hurt. The armrests could be raised to allow them to spill over into my seat.
As with many Asian women, my seat is spacious. When they were asleep, they started melting into me, and I was squashed. To escape, I sat on the edge of the seat without a seatbelt. They had another prayer before landing and everyone cheered when we safely landed.
