Today finds me at LaGuardia Airport in New York waiting at the gate for a flight to another major hub that hopefully will connect me to a second flight to home.  We have been told there are storms in the Midwest that is affecting flights in and out of Chicago where my connection is, but so far my flight is listed as only leaving a few minutes late.  The second leg of my travels currently is showing it will depart 25 minutes late.  With a little luck I will get home fairly close to when scheduled.

As I sit here close by people in line at the counter are grumbling at the gate agents as they try to re-route some people whose flight delay will cause them to miss a connection.  Two have been down right rude.  Once upon a time I might have been one of those people, but something that happened about 20 years ago taught me better.

I had flown from Denver to Los Angeles for the day concerning a job interview.  Upon arrival I got a rental car and drove to my appointment which went well, but long.  Traffic in LA is always a variable and driving to the airport I was concerned that I might not make the flight home.  I hustled through the rental car return and security then ran to my gate.

Upon arriving all sweaty from running to the gate I saw five angry people unloading on the gate agent.  He saw me and asked if I was on the flight to Denver which I confirmed.  He said “Sorry Sir, the flight is overbooked.  I’ll get you rebooked as soon as I can”.  I responded with something like “that’s OK.  Not your fault.  It’s been a hectic day.  I am gonna sit down, cool off and read for a while.  Motion to me when you’re ready to work on getting me on a different flight”.

With that I sat down, got a book out of my bag and began reading.  Over about 10 minutes the gate agent either got people on different flights or else sent the rudest ones to the main desk for rebooking.  As the gate cleared out the gate agent came over to me and said “Sir, come with me quickly!”  We trotted to the jetway door; the agent input a code to open it as he said “There’s one seat in the very back of the plane.  You have a safe journey home.”  I smiled at him and said “I am really grateful.  Thank you”.  The seat was in the very back of the Continental flight in one of those seats that did not recline.  I did not care though.  I was headed home on time.  I only got the gate agent’s first name and wrote a letter to the airlines thanking him for his good service to me.  I hope at the least he got a pat of the back.

Had I not been so tired that day in LA I could easily have been one of those being abrupt and terse with the gate agent.  By not acting that way I benefited from my treatment of the gate agent.  He could have selected any of the other people bumped from the flight in that seat toDenver, but he put me there.  The moral of the story:  Gate agents have no control on flight schedules and being mean to them gets you no where.  If you are cordial and patient many, if not most, gate agents will do their best to help you.

At least a half dozen times since the first episode I have benefited from treating airline workers as I would like to be treated.  A year ago I had three gate agents working to reroute me at one o’clock in the morning.  In spite of being exhausted I smiled, told a joke and socially interacted positively with the agents.  They ended up calling a supervisor over who bumped someone from a sold out flight.  I regret someone got bumped but grateful I made my destination in time the next day for a critical business meeting.  The airline employees did not have to help me as they did.  At the end the agents told me the only reason they did what they did was that I was an exceptionally patient and understanding passenger.

Rarely is being unkind, angry or mean to anyone a benefit.  I read once that being angry at someone is akin to taking poison and expecting the other person to die.  To me that explains it all.

Being nice does not always work and there are times where stating your piece pointedly will help.  I consider it a last resort.  I am convinced that nice guys (and girls) finish ahead more often than not by simply treating others the way he or she would like to be treated.  I am grateful for that lesson I learned long ago at LAX.  That wisdom has served me well.

Life is mostly froth and bubble,

Two things stand like stone,

Kindness in another’s trouble,

And courage in your own.

Adam Lindsay Gordon