I’m not writing this as to say how great I am or not how much others suck. It’s more just out of my general frustration that, in today’s America, it’s completely acceptable to blatantly not give a shit about anyone but yourself.
I was on a completely full flight to Houston this morning. Thankfully, I had a great exit row window seat and no one in the middle seat. I was all set… or so I thought.
The last person comes into the plane with a carry-on bag and backpack, and come to my store. (Womp womp) All the overhead bins are full, so he shoves his carry-on under the seat in front of him and hides his backpack under his legs.
He says to both me and the guy in the aisle seat, “I hope I can get away with this.” I said, “Probably not.”
To my surprise, however, not one flight attendant notices that the exit row, one of the most important rows for plane safety, is effectively blocked in the case of an emergency.
If anything happens and we need to deplane, I’m out the exit door in a flash. And maybe ‘Backpack Guy’ gets out as well. Everyone else behind the two of us, however, is fucked. I don’t know if any of you have seen safety test videos of what happens when people are forced to exit a plane quickly, but it’s pretty gnarly and can end tragically.
I repeat: everyone behind the two of us is fucked if there is an emergency and we have to get out quickly.
America’s ability to overcome this pandemic required all of us to take actions in order to protect ourselves from infection, as well ás a few other actions to help ensure the health and safety of others. And it’s been an overwhelming struggle since Day One.
Many Americans have shown repeatedly that they don’t care about their own covid health, or anyone else’s. They would literally rather die, and kill others along the way, than do something as simple as wearing a mask.
That is the sad truth about America in the age of COVID-19.
All of this to say that I’m not surprised by ‘Backpack Guy’ next to me, and the blocked exit row. He’s about as American as it comes these days.
Me? I’m the aberration.