Woman Won’t Let Man Fly First Class, He Gets Last Laugh With Reply
He couldn’t go back on what he had already said. She had been bothering him and preventing him from boarding the aircraft. He couldn’t back down now.
She found what he had said to her to be unbelievable. But in his head, he had just spoken what was necessary. Everyone else was already contemplating it, right?
Anxiety
For many people, trying to board an aircraft may occasionally be the tensest and most stressful experience. There are several opportunities for anything to go disastrously wrong, including lengthy lines, lost bags, and security inspections. Many times, this makes individuals want to cry or scream in anger.
Emmit was more aware of this than most people, but there was a problem: she was quite haughty and entitled. She would make sure to wreck his day.
Flying
Emmit was flying to the Dominican Republic. He planned to go there for his birthday so he could celebrate it with his family.
But little did he know that she was watching him the entire time. She’d make sure he didn’t get on the flight.
Blocked
He heard someone yelling behind him as he stood in line, but he didn’t need any complications. “Pardon me…” She touched his shoulder, and he heard her say, “Excuse me.”
Emmit quickly turned to look at the woman. He had no idea that the next conflict would be the largest one he had ever experienced.
A Dirty Look
The woman gave Emmit a dirty stare, carefully and purposefully examining him from head to toe and taking it all in. She could see that he wasn’t supposed to be there.
She made a chin point towards the sign over her. She spat out the perplexing words with a lip that was nearly sneering. Emmit, though, was baffled.
No Patience
The woman snarled, “I think you may be at the wrong place.” She commanded Emmit to get out of line before he could correct her and clarify that he was, in fact, traveling first class. She then made a harsh attempt to cut him off by shouting, “Let our past.”
Emmit made an effort to maintain composure and calm the situation. Was the woman’s condition abnormal in any way?
Trying To Shrug It Off
He turned to face the woman in disbelief. He was intended to be in this line, he said with calm assurance. I think you might be in the wrong place. You need to allow us through, she argued. Priority reservations go here.” She made no effort to conceal the patronizing tone in her voice.
Emmit made an effort to convince her. “First class means priority, right?” But even so, the woman insisted on continuing. However, he would quickly grasp what she was actually attempting to express.
Starting To Lose It
Yes, please pardon me, the woman yelled. When we board, they’ll call you. Emmit was becoming more and more perplexed. Why was this woman so certain that he was in the incorrect lane of traffic? What made her choose him specifically?
Emmit made every effort to maintain his composure, but he was starting to lose it. How could she talk to him that way?
A Mistake
Emmit proceeded to prove to the woman that he was precisely where he was supposed to be when she refused to accept his word for it. He did this by taking his ticket out of his wallet.
Emmit knew he owed this woman nothing, but he reasoned that it would end the tedious argument. He was mistaken.
Contemptuous
The woman appeared shocked. She scowled an unpleasant expression onto her face and spoke out to her pals. She purposefully spoke it out so he could hear her.
She complained in a passive-aggressive manner, “He must be military or something.” But he should still have to wait since we paid for our seats. Emmit clenched his fist.
In Shock
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Not wanting to cause a scene in the airport, he mentally tried to think of excuses for her behavior.
She obviously had assumed that he couldn’t afford a first-class ticket. As if he wasn’t worthy of flying first-class. Was she really implying what he thought she was?
The Implications
By now, Emmit had a good idea as to exactly what it was that the woman was trying to say. But he didn’t want to believe that she was judging him because of his skin color. In this day and age, there was a woman who thought he was a second-class citizen. He couldn’t believe it.
In fact, he refused to believe it but in time he would have no choice but to confront this obnoxious woman.
Self-Doubt
Despite the overwhelming evidence that this woman was an unsavoury character, he didn’t want to draw any rash conclusions.
He began to second-guess himself. Perhaps the woman hadn’t meant to come across that way. But the more he mulled over her snide comment, the more incredulous he became.
Just Plain Rude?
He gently explained that he had been waiting in line first and that he wasn’t going to move. She would just have to wait like everyone else.
Could it be that he was underdressed for the flight? He didn’t think so. And looking at the rude woman’s clothes, she didn’t look like she was particularly well-dressed, either. Things were about to get heated.
Reaching Conclusions
He didn’t want to reach the conclusion that he did, but he couldn’t avoid the issue any longer. And it was his response that had the whole room clapping.
The woman stared at him in shock. Judging by her reaction, it looked like it had been a while since someone had given her a taste of her own medicine and a decent reality check.
Who Did She Think She Was?
Emmit turned back to the audacious woman and retorted: “Nope, too big to be in anybody’s military.” In fact, it was because of Emmit’s large stature that he had booked a first-class ticket in the first place.
Only a first-class seat would give him the space he needed to fly comfortably. She had no idea who he was.
All In
With his thoughts racing a-mile-a-minute, Emmit knew even before the retort had left his mouth that it wouldn’t be enough to put the woman in her place. Who was she to challenge him about his right to be there?
Now, it was time to go full-whammy. He was about to clear up any misunderstandings between them.
The Elephant In The Room
Besides, servicemen and women serving in the military aren’t given first-class seats for free, either. Why was this sour woman trying to rationalize how he, an African-American man, could afford to fly first class? And what business was it of hers anyway?
By now, bystanders began to gather around, lured by their radiating tension.
The Crowd
People gathered around. Some were rubbernecking to see what the commotion was about, and others wanted a piece of the action. Emmit wouldn’t disappoint them. Something inside him snapped.
He was done with playing Mr. Nice Guy. If he wanted to, he could make a few calls and show this miserable woman just how out of line she was.
Putting Her In Her Place
Emmit turned back to the entitled woman, and what he said to her next had the entire crowd clapping. The woman needed to be taken down a peg, and he was going to be the one to do it.
Even though Emmit was non-confrontational by nature, he needed to stand up for himself. He shot a remark at her and she looked like she had been struck in the face by his words. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she recoiled in horror.
Calling Her Out
Emmit had told the audacious and judgemental woman that no, he wasn’t in the military. He was just an African-American man with money. Only, the words he chose to use contained a slur to really drive the point home.
The crowd exploded with cheers and applause, delighted by Emmit’s witty retort and loving the woman’s public comeuppance. But the story wasn’t over yet.
Taking A Stand
What Emmit had done was commended by all who witnessed it – in their eyes, he had taken a firm stand against intolerance. The woman had clearly deserved it. He shared the story on Facebook, but he only expected his friends to see it.
Little did he know, the situation was about to be turned on its head. Soon, he’d have to retract what he’d said.
Viral Post
Within just two days, Emmit’s post had been shared over 250,000 times. Now, it has been shared by over 300,000 people. Hundreds of comments poured in, praising Emmit’s response to the woman’s inappropriate behavior. “Never judge a book by its cover,” one admirer wrote.
“She is so ignorant it makes no sense that people like her still exist. Enjoy yourself, you handled it well.” But soon, Emmit would regret everything.
Not What He Wanted
By the time Emmit had arrived at his destination, the post had gone viral. He couldn’t believe how many times it had been shared, and how many people had commented on his story. So many people from all over the world commended his actions.
But instead of being thrilled about the publicity, Emmit was dismayed.
All The Wrong Reasons
Emmit believed that his post had gone viral for all the wrong reasons. “This racist stuff is definitely an issue but this is not the solution to that issue,” he wrote. He had had time to think carefully about what had happened while he was on his flight.
But he knew just what he had to do about it.
Regret
“It brings me no joy waking up in paradise,” he wrote. On his 37th birthday – the day he was meant to be celebrating – he had found out he had caused another person to go through “hell.”
There were also some people who claimed that his original post had been a fake. It was time to address these people as well.
Taking The High Road
“The story was definitely real, just like this issue is definitely real, but I now know that I myself should have handled it another way, or left it how it was, and not shared it publicly.”
Emmit knew that instead of discouraging intolerance in the world, his post was only highlighting it. It was time to be the bigger person.
Right And Wrong
“When dealing with people, I always try to stay on the side of Right, so to make sure I never do anybody wrong, I try to always put myself in that person’s shoes, and ask how would I feel if that person did this to me,” Emmit wrote on Instagram.
“And if I was her this morning I would be a total wreck today, and that doesn’t help this situation, or her… it only makes them more angry, and brings more drama…” Emmit decided to put things right.
Public Apology
“SO I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE AGAIN TO THE WOMAN I HAD THIS ENCOUNTER WITH YESTERDAY. NO MATTER HOW WRONG YOUR ACTIONS YOU DON’T DESERVE THIS,” He wrote in all caps. “I BELIEVE IF YOU CAN’T HELP NOBODY AT THE VERY LEAST YOU SHOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO HURT THEM.”
Unfortunately, the woman hasn’t accepted his apology. But if Emmit had a chance to redo that day, he’d choose to be a force for good – even if the rude woman didn’t deserve it.