Monday, March 2, 2009

So Long, Smell You Later.

Rhonda at Because Mom Said So is hosting a Have Travel Will Story contest . The winner of the contest will win a round trip ticket to visit her in Connecticut. Isn't that amazing and extremely generous of her. I would love to win. I have an Aunt, Uncle and cousins that live in Connecticut that I haven't seen in over ten years, plus I would love to meet Rhonda. She and her family would be a lot of fun to meet. Sooooo I'm submitting the following travel story.



First let me start with a little background. My husband and I were living in SLC, UT and we were eagerly awaiting the birth of our first baby. When I was seven months pregnant, my husband was transferred to California (YIKES!) Why do bosses and corporations do that to pregnant women???

My parents and family all live in Tampa, Florida. My husband, the new and only granddaughter and I lived in Northern California. There was way too much space in between for everyone concerned. My husband had tons of frequent flyer miles from former positions with his company so he sweetly arranged to fly Paige and I back to Tampa quite often.


When Paige was about six months old, I packed the suitcase and the diaper bag and hit the skies again for a flight from San Francisco to Tampa with a stopover in Los Angeles. Paige was a wonderful little traveler. She never cried and the change in pressure never seemed to bother her. Paige and I were fortunate to be able to sit in first class on most of these trips because of my husband’s Frequent Flier status with that particular airline.


We boarded our plane in San Francisco early one morning. I held Paige in my lap. My seatmate sat down next to me and I immediately noted (smelled) a problem. The man must have eaten multiple bulbs of raw garlic the night before because let me tell you he STUNK! I pretty much spent the entire flight leaning away from this guy and gasping for a breath of fresh air (if there is such a thing on a plane) out in the aisle.

When we landed in Los Angeles, the stinky guy left the plane, but was still continuing on to Tampa. I’m thinking OH, NO! I can’t smell this guy all the way to Tampa! I said something to one of the flight attendants. She said she noticed it too and she moved me and Paige to an empty seat in a different section of first class. They began to board the new passengers and when my new seatmate walked up and saw me and my six month old baby he slammed his brief case and coat down in the seat, ordered a Bloody Mary and then stormed off to talk to the flight attendant in her prep area. I knew right away he was ticked to have to sit next to a baby on the cross-country flight. The sweet, quick-thinking flight attendant was able to accommodate his wishes right away and moved this obnoxious, obviously annoyed, mean guy to a different seat next to…. YOU GUESSED IT….the stinky guy. HA!

I ended up with an empty seat next to me. Paige never made a peep the whole trip. I hope mean guy enjoyed sitting next to stinky guy all the way to Tampa.

22 comments:

Melody said...

LOL! Serves him right!

Brenda said...

That's funny! He probably wished he sat next to you after all!

Betty said...

haha, great story! I bet you felt good on THAT flight!

Shell in your Pocket said...

Oh...that is funny. I have three kids but to be honest...I don't like to sit next to kids either but I wouldn't act like that...I bet he will never do that again.
sandy toe
Thanks for visiting.

Susan said...

Great story!!
Susan

Keeper of the Skies Wife said...

OH MY GOSH!!!! Too Funny!!!

Tracy P. said...

Oh, that's a really good one Joy! Well told!! :-)

Jenny-Jenny said...

teetee that'll teach him to be a pain!

Anonymous said...

That's a great story! I'd pick the baby over stinky guy any day! I like sitting by babies anyway...they're great entertainment!

Clarissa's Cottage Arts said...

I loved your story. I'm voting for you to win. Hope to see you soon. clarissa

Clarissa's Cottage Arts said...

I loved your story. I'm voting for you, and hope to see you soon. clarissa

kaley said...

quite funny how God [and karma] work out! :) Hope comments count as "votes" - if you win the trip to CT, I will have to come up during your visit!

Anonymous said...

pretty funny story! Sounds like both guys were stinky if you ask me!

Anonymous said...

Great story! I already posted my vote for you!!

Joy For Your Journey said...

I am just passing through reading the travel stories. Very funny! I can understand not wanting to sit by a baby across the country (and it certainly worked out well for you!) but he didn't have to be rude about it. My daughter just brought her baby to visit. They flew on Southwest with open seating. She avoiding anyone sitting by her by holding up her baby when people stopped near her and saying to the baby, "My goodness! You are just a pooping machine!" No one stopped.

Anonymous said...

I loved the story,You have my vote good luck.
Judy

Anonymous said...

That is true justice! LOL

Anonymous said...

Great Story Joy! You will always have my vote! Teresa

Anonymous said...

What a awesome story..serves HIM right!!!

Anonymous said...

Cute story! You have my vote :-)
Cindy

Anonymous said...

Joy, your story is funny! Obviously, mean guy got what he deserved. I hope you win this contest. I sent your link to my entire address book and I've seen your numbers sky rocket from 150's to 340's. Good luck!!!!

Anonymous said...

What a great story.

I sat next to a horribly, horribly bad-breathed man on a red-eye back from my one-and-only trip to Hawaii. I felt like crying, it was so bad, and I couldn't turn my head far enough to get away from it. Only after the fact did it occur to me that I could have at least asked my husband to trade seats with me. (At least my husband wasn't pregnant and queasy!)