I remember when I was first headed out to Philadelphia. A lot of people have this impression that Philly is just one of those nasty East Coast places. Instead, I found it to be wonderful, absolutely beautiful. I’ve learned that small towns and big cities all have some charm, and I feel lucky that I get to see so many different places.
Wherever I go, I find most people are really friendly and eager to help. Sometimes, though, people surprise you, and not necessarily in a good way.
I was going from Houston to Los Angeles, and after I was seated I took a bite of some Chinese food I had with me. I got the feeling that something went down the wrong way, and I told the attendant I needed some water. I just felt a little funny, and it started to get tough for me to breathe. I didn’t think I was having a heart attack, but I did start to panic a little bit.
The attendant came back with some water, and as soon as I swallowed, I spit it out. It was involuntary. Everyone around me was looking at me like I was nuts or something.
I took another swallow of water because I still had this strange feeling of something being stuck in my throat. Again I spit it out, and this time I sprayed water all over the place. Now, instead of looking at me like I was crazy, my fellow passengers got angry. It was pandemonium, and people were actually yelling.
I was so humiliated because they probably thought I was drunk. I tried to explain I wasn’t feeling well but that’s kind of tough when you feel as if you can barely breathe. The attendant took me to the jet bridge, but then I immediately felt better and the attendant took me back to the plane. The whole ordeal lasted about 15 minutes.
When I got back on the plane, not one single passenger said, “Buddy, how are you doing?” Instead, they were furious about the delay. I was really humiliated.
It felt like the longest flight ever, and I was too scared to eat or drink anything.
When I got back home I got checked out by a doctor, who said I was suffering from esophageal spasms.
The one lesson I learned was don’t make assumptions about people who need help when you’re on a plane. When you least expect it, it might be you.
I’m a pretty friendly guy and I don’t even mind going through security. I usually wear a company T-shirt, and one time a well-known actor and his son were in line behind me. I was prepared for the agents to make a fuss over the actor. Instead, they ignored him and his son, and broke out in huge smiles when it was my turn. They obviously didn’t want my autograph. But they did want some Popeyes coupons, which can make getting through security a breeze.
I have had some great times with fellow passengers. This summer, I was seated next to a famous pro golfer and instructor who spent almost the entire flight giving me tips. He even had me do pretend golf swings in the aisle so he could see my form. I have a lot of enthusiasm for golf, but I’m a lackluster player.
The passengers seemed to enjoy my attempts. A few were laughing. Maybe I should have given them some coupons, too.
By Ralph Bower, as told to Joan Raymond. E-mail: joan.raymond@nytimes.com.
By Ralph Bower, as told to Joan Raymond. E-mail: joan.raymond@nytimes.com.
Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=ef383010e0abe976e4dae7cb27f809c9