Many times, I read stories on Consumerist and think, caveat emptor, but this one is truly astonishing.

I'm afraid they'd have had to arrest me.

Let me hazard a guess: that management pissed off their employees until all the good ones quit and only the passive-aggressive drones are left. Business as usual.

Dayum. That's really messed up.

thalassatx: Many times, I read stories on Consumerist and think, caveat emptor, but this one is truly astonishing.

I'm afraid they'd have had to arrest me.

You know, I agree. This is what I would have said:

(very calm, quiet voice):"I will repeat this one more time, it is my mother dying. Now I will remain very calm and quiet and will say this quietly ONCE. Im giving you one more chance to do this for me, or, as God my witness, I will jump over this counter and make a huge spectacle. I will then make a big fuss out of this situation, hence exposing you as the douchebag that you truly are. SO what will it be?"

Little did I know that the only unkind strangers I would encounter would all be wearing United blue.

Yeah, I can believe that.

your gate agent was turning other passengers away (including those who had arrived late on a connecting flight)
And I absolutely can believe that.

Could she have possibly done something if she was there? I don't want people hovering over me when I die. I'm probably going to drag my body out to sea or something.

Heh, reminds me of a boss I had a couple years back while I was in college. I was working for one of the language departments and a student came in with a question. I was trying my best to help him but really didn't know where to go. So I started to ask my boss a question and she interrupted me to say, "Oh, sorry, I clocked out. I can't help you until I come back."

What a biatch she was.

I work for US Airways, so getting a kick, etc. etc., but really, this is pretty stupid of the ticket agent. I would also like to say that for as many of these kinds of stories there are, there are also the same amount, if not more of moronic passengers who miss their flight of their own accord, then get mad at the gate agent because they "didn't make the announcement", or "didn't hold the plane for them", or whatever. I've seen it first hand.

well, if it's good enough for a bad cop to lose his job...

Are they Union?

/dnrfa

meh, business as usual

I can't say I'm surprised, but I feel for the poor couple. I've handled similar situations with a little more gusto and came out on top... but it depends on a lot of factors.

I would praise St_Francis_P for that deadly accurate answer, but it's break time.

I have personally directed over $75,000 in business away from United over the last 9 months due to them screwing me out of 30k miles, so I am getting a kick out of these replies!

You know, almost Any time I'm in a hurry somewhere, the other customers will let me through either to, or Close to the front of the line so I can do my 30 seconds of business and be Gone. I naturally return the favor when I get the chance. I just hope that those selfish United workers understand the concept of Karma and think of this incident when life Really comes back to bite them on the ass.

CougarJeff [TotalFark] Quote 2009-04-12 09:26:47 PM
your gate agent was turning other passengers away (including those who had arrived late on a connecting flight)
And I absolutely can believe that.

That happened to me at Chicago O'hare. My incoming flight was a bit late and of course disembarked at the other end of the airport. I was hoping I wouldnt miss my connector. After running all the way to the other end of the airport and to the gate with my bags, they had just shut the doors and would not reopen them. I sat there for 30 mins while watching my plane sit there and ultimately taxi off and fly away. Then I had to wait another 5 hours for the next flight. This, like in the article was a United airlines flight (a short lived TED airlines flight, if I recall). Those doors dont reopen for anything once they are shut. Needless to say I was pissed but thank god my mother wasnt dying.

/Ryan Moats would sympathize with this guys situation.

For every person who gives some sob story to some business person, there are 20 more just like it coming later that day. Everyone's story is 'Unique' and deserves 'special attention'.



When we has a nation, only use the cheapest services for anything and everything, quality does tend to drop.

And that is why I no longer fly the majors.

Props to the ticket agent. I've done retail before. Customers are pricks and when it comes time to take your break, most of them would love nothing more than take it away from you just to work you like an animal a little more. I'm especially glad she didnt give her name, so its likely no repurcussions will come from this douche's whining.

Joey JoJo Junior Shabadoo: Heh, reminds me of a boss I had a couple years back while I was in college. I was working for one of the language departments and a student came in with a question. I was trying my best to help him but really didn't know where to go. So I started to ask my boss a question and she interrupted me to say, "Oh, sorry, I clocked out. I can't help you until I come back."

What a biatch she was.

I never got that. When I worked for Home Depot, and I happened to come across an issue when I was punched out, or on lunch, y'know, I just couldn't let someone sit there and get pissed if I knew I could help 'em. It was lame, sometimes, because you were working like hell and just wanted a couple minutes to scarf some food down, or take a load off your feet for a second, but if people needed the help. And that was for morons who couldn't figure out how to put soft water salt in the softeners; I'd have to agree with HappyHarryHardOn, I'm afraid.

Bunnyhat: For every person who gives some sob story to some business person, there are 20 more just like it coming later that day. Everyone's story is 'Unique' and deserves 'special attention'.



When we has a nation, only use the cheapest services for anything and everything, quality does tend to drop.

Agreed. When you hear a sob story all day, everyday, you tend to grow into a very cynical biatch. I still doubt that he argued with her for 10 minutes (it was probably 3 and he's pissed off and remembers it as more.) but on the whole, I sympathize with him for the crappy situation, and an over worked ticketing agent for having to deal with this kind of bullshiat all the time, with customers and crappy management.

Let's face it, this could have happened with any airline because none of them are willing to pay top-dollar for high quality employees. They all want to pay bottom-dollar and hope they end up with mid-quality employees.

Most ticketing agents are going to have the following attitude: "I will pretend to be nice and try to be helpful while I'm on duty, because my job security depends on that. But behind my smile, I really don't give a shiat about your mommy, or your granny, or your kids. My job is just to move you through the line. And if my break time comes up, you can be damn sure I'm taking it because I don't get paid enough in this lousy position for your problems to cut into MY personal time, and once again I don't care about you. I don't even know you. If you want to be a pain in the ass, I wish you would have chosen a different airline."

PsychoTherapist: And that is why I no longer fly the majors.

1. Fight land war in Asia;
2. Go in against Sicilian when death on line;
3. Fly non-major airline, where pilots make 18k/year and leave bird on autopilot in snow storm.

God, this is just sad.

She spent ten minutes arguing when it takes 5 minutes to do that ONE customer and would be a lot easier.

And just because you think he's lying doesn't mean he's lying.

Unions leadership is pretty insistent that employees take their breaks when scheduled. Anything else would lead to exploitation.

PsychoTherapist: And that is why I no longer fly the majors.

Ya Great Lakes FTW (if you don't mind getting delayed 90% of the time, incorrect baggage transfers, two-star hotel vouchers for disconnects, or the lack of any mileage bonus system)

nice letter.

I sent one of a similar nature, though not under such circumstances, to United as well. I think i even posted it on fark a month ago or so.



Their reply? They sent me a $50 coupon code off a future flight.


So instead of helping me address the current issue, they tried to get me to spend money with them again later on.


Good work, United!

krotoslol: God, this is just sad.

She spent ten minutes arguing when it takes 5 minutes to do that ONE customer and would be a lot easier.

And just because you think he's lying doesn't mean he's lying.

You are right, but unless I know all the details I tend to reserve my outrage. (It's usually only pointed in bad situations that I myself am involved in.)

ShotgunLobotomy: Props to the ticket agent. I've done retail before. Customers are pricks and when it comes time to take your break, most of them would love nothing more than take it away from you just to work you like an animal a little more. I'm especially glad she didnt give her name, so its likely no repurcussions will come from this douche's whining.

Seriously. If this person had called their mother everyday, and said, "I love you." This wouldn't be a problem. Moms die. Dads die. You die. There was nothing this person could do. It was pure selfishness to wait until the last minute to see the mother you didn't spend enough time with and chose to live miles from. Why should anyone help such a selfish person?

[sigh] Computer says no ...

//Little Britain ftw ...

Couldn't have phoned ahead and ordered the ticket? I wouldn't have gone there and waited in line without already having had ordered the ticket on the net or phone.

Or maybe you can't order on the net so close to departure. I gotta believe you can still order on teh phone though...but maybe not.

Still, they could have come up with something. what kind of company has a line full of people and doesn't have ONE person covering the desk to help them anyway?

I have read far too many stories of employees getting in trouble for violating stupid policies in extreme circumstances to be upset at the employee.

Why should she risk her livelihood so this guy can get to his dying mother? People have been fired for dumber reasons.

Claudia Chafer: ShotgunLobotomy: Props to the ticket agent. I've done retail before. Customers are pricks and when it comes time to take your break, most of them would love nothing more than take it away from you just to work you like an animal a little more. I'm especially glad she didnt give her name, so its likely no repurcussions will come from this douche's whining.

Seriously. If this person had called their mother everyday, and said, "I love you." This wouldn't be a problem. Moms die. Dads die. You die. There was nothing this person could do. It was pure selfishness to wait until the last minute to see the mother you didn't spend enough time with and chose to live miles from. Why should anyone help such a selfish person?

How DARE you be so unsympathetic to today's precious little snowflakes and their entitlement to have whatever they want, whenever they want? TROLL!

Not really, I completely agree with you (but I was scared to say it, as it is kind of cold and heartless.) But I think you're right. They could've called and talked to her before she died, right?

When his girlfriend finally reached the gate in time to watch her flight depart, the gate agent defended his colleague's lack of sympathy, saying "management really makes us work some unreasonable schedules."

That answer, of course, has no merit to all the good Samaritans on this list who work for employers who are actually concerned about giving their employees a fair shake when it comes to working conditions. As some one said up thread, how many sob stories like this do they hear every day for the one that's real? The screw the customer attitude begins with management screwing the help.

Script for "Death below the Skies"
After failing to convince an evil ticket agent to allow them through the line, a young couple is forced to wait for two hours in an airport until the next flight comes in. This is what happened in those two hours.

Guy: You could call your mother before she dies! Use your cell phone!

Girl: sobbing uncontrollably, as most women do. B-b-but it's just not the same! I haven't spoken to her in YEARS...and now we're too late!

Guy: It's all United Airlines fault!

Girl: Goddamn them! For YEARS I haven't spoken to her, told her I love her...they ruined the last chance I had of ever speaking to her!

Guy: Don't worry dear, your Mother will live on in the riches we gain from the lawsuit.

Girl: Oh Chad, whatever will we do?

Guy: Live one day at a time, Barbara, ONE DAY AT A TIME.

"We will, of course, never know what we might have been able to share with her in the two and a half hours we burned sitting at a gate at SFO."

What a bunch of sappy bullshiat. You had years and years to get whatever "wisdom" from your parent, but $omehow it'$ the airline'$ fault for not hiring a private jet for your "emergency"?

The story's bad enough but what about the other customers? Apparently this woman was the only person at that station qualified/allowed to print tickets. What were the rest of the people in line supposed to do while this woman was on break? It sounds like the other person was only capable of pointing at the other employee. In the 10 minutes she argued, apparently nobody else arrived who was qualified to handle her responsibilities. Was every customer in that line supposed to just stand there until she got back?

Bunnyhat: For every person who gives some sob story to some business person, there are 20 more just like it coming later that day. Everyone's story is 'Unique' and deserves 'special attention'.



When we has a nation, only use the cheapest services for anything and everything, quality does tend to drop.

THIS

Usually the states have laws that say if an hourly employee works at least so many hours per week (aka "full time") and they are working a shift of at least 4-hours (depending on the state) in a single day, they are entitled to a 30-minute break. States fine companies that don't let the employees take breaks. Even if the work load is there (as in a full line of departing passengers) and the employee doesn't want to take a break at the scheduled break time, usually the company tells them they MUST take their break or else they will get written up and possibly lose their job.

It's like when management hates how their employees are just a bunch of clock-watchers yet management-folk are the ones who forbid overtime and punish employees for clocking-in a minute early or clocking-out a minute late.

Big deal, find another airline, charter a jet are among a couple of decisions you had but didn't use. Instead it's time to whine when the whole world doesn't stop to cater to your endless needs. Stop using that airline, that'll teach em! not.

srhp29: Couldn't have phoned ahead and ordered the ticket? I wouldn't have gone there and waited in line without already having had ordered the ticket on the net or phone.

Or maybe you can't order on the net so close to departure. I gotta believe you can still order on teh phone though...but maybe not.

Still, they could have come up with something. what kind of company has a line full of people and doesn't have ONE person covering the desk to help them anyway?

RTFA he did that!

I highly doubt that the couple in the article did not keep in touch with the lady's mother at all except for right before her death. Most people I know don't rush out on a moment's notice for just any Joe Schmo on their deathbed. I can count six or seven from my family and about the same on my fiance's side for whom we would drop everything to do this, and we talk with each of those people at least once a week. I may be completely in the minority on this issue. And maybe if I flap my arms really hard, I can fly to the moon. Count me in with the outraged masses.

Byno: PsychoTherapist: And that is why I no longer fly the majors.

1. Fight land war in Asia;
2. Go in against Sicilian when death on line;
3. Fly non-major airline, where pilots make 18k/year and leave bird on autopilot in snow storm.

What kind of pilot makes 18k a year? One that's just trying to get some hours logged in? Hell the training costs almost twice that.

GoodyearPimp: $omehow it'$ the airline'$ fault for not hiring a private jet for your "emergency"?

yeah, that's what the article said.

/troll fail

I'll bet if he floored it, he probably would've DRIVEN from Point A to Point B with about ten minutes to spare. According to Google Maps, it takes only ten hours to drive it (allegedly, although Google Maps is pretty accurate on that)

If she died at three in the morning, chances are pretty good that they got that phone call at around four?

And if her mother was dying, chances are pretty good that she wasn't feeling all that hot a few days before? Girlfriend should've been up there THEN!

/Yes, I'm being a biatch.
//STILL haven't forgiven my one sister for ditching my youngest sister's funeral...claimed she was "sick"...she just wasn't the star of the show was why she couldn't come!

dear trolls, i hope you all die alone. mom's hang on to life for a few more agonizing minutes, hours, days, if they think they will get a chance to touch thier children one last time, to look in their eyes and tell them things will be ok. When i die, i want everyone i love there.
and whether you take 10 minutes or ten years to die, you don't really feel like saying the final goodbye until you got one foot in the door to the other side. this is not convienient. you can't pencil mom's death bed goodbye into your phreaking day planner.
the souless, heartless responses to this story are are so typical of the FARK trolls.
shame on you

Igor Jakovsky: That happened to me at Chicago O'hare. My incoming flight was a bit late and of course disembarked at the other end of the airport. I was hoping I wouldnt miss my connector. After running all the way to the other end of the airport and to the gate with my bags, they had just shut the doors and would not reopen them. I sat there for 30 mins while watching my plane sit there and ultimately taxi off and fly away. Then I had to wait another 5 hours for the next flight. This, like in the article was a United airlines flight (a short lived TED airlines flight, if I recall). Those doors dont reopen for anything once they are shut. Needless to say I was pissed but thank god my mother wasnt dying.

I was flying United once and they did open the doors for me. This was in 2004 I believe. My plane was late getting to my connection. The second they opened those doors I was squeezing past everyone on the plane and hauling ass down the jetway. I immediately asked the gate attendant who was outside of the gate where my connection was and she pointed about 120 feet down the terminal and called ahead to them. As I got there another attendant was just opening the door back up. Lucky me since it was the last flight of the night and otherwise I would have slept at the airport.

I would have beaten that coont into a farking coma.

abiigdog: Big deal, find another airline, charter a jet are among a couple of decisions you had but didn't use. Instead it's time to whine when the whole world doesn't stop to cater to your endless needs. Stop using that airline, that'll teach em! not.

You. Are. An. Idiot.

I tried to speak slowly so that you would understand.