NOTE: During the time it took me to write the following, the temperature rose by 2 degrees and they needed 6 people to get off the plane...I got off. I'm waiting for my new flight itinerary. I didn't know the whole what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas might include me...
While headed home from a conference in Las Vegas, I was able to see a show. The show was free and performed at the gate where my flight departed. A woman in a wheelchair was pushed up to the waiting. Once she was parked next to a row of chairs, she made two emphatic comments:
1. She needed surgery for her ankle
2. She HAD TO get someone a souvenir Las Vegas shirt.
When one of her companions didn't offer to go for the shirt, she got out the chair and, with a slight limp, walked towards the shops with her other companion. The companion left behind diverted her eyes away from the audience, which included me. When boarding time came, she reappeared in the priority line for passengers needing additional assistance. When the agent approached her she said, "my wheelchair is over there," which she indicated by motioning with her head because her hands were weighted down: one hand pulled a suitcase with a carryon attached, the other hand held a large paper shopping bag (probably containing at least one Las Vegas souvenir t-shirt). She also wore a purse on one arm and a backpack on the other arm.
Yes, I laughed. The show was a comedy.
As she tried walking into the terminal, the agent commented on the number of bags she carried, as they had just offered free baggage checking due to the number of passengers. She explained, she only had three bags. He countered by pointing to each bag while he counted them aloud...ONE...TWO...THREE...FOUR...FIVE.
She sat down, re-stuffed some stuff and walked without assistance down the terminal and onto the plane.
