Saturday, September 23, 2006

Good Things

Flying is a different experience nowadays. I’ve flown more than most people, but sometimes certain thoughts still spook me, and I end up thinking about John Lithgow in The Twilight Zone: The Movie, just waiting for the monster to start ripping the engines apart. Whenever I get on a flight going home, I always try to think about all the good things that I’m on my way to see.

These thoughts were interrupted yesterday, when, before they closed the airplane doors on my flight from New York City to Buffalo, two well-built men in polo shirts walked to the rear of the plane and escorted a man back up the aisle and out the door. Everyone on the plane witnessed what happened.

The captain came out of the cockpit and addressed the passengers in person. Also unusual. He said, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We’d like to thank you for flying Jet Blue. Our flying time to Buffalo tonight is just over an hour. There is a little rain over Buffalo, but we don’t foresee any problems, other than the one that was just taken care of. So, sit back and enjoy your flight.”

There was complete silence on the plane. No one knew why the man was escorted off. People started to whisper nervously. Then, a lone male voice from the rear of the airplane yelled out in a clear voice,

“Buffalo is going to kick the Jets’ butts this Sunday. THAT was his problem.”

Back to good things.