This is why I fy cargo...

Sunday, I traveled on US AIRWAYS from LAX to Philadelphia to Detroit. The following happened on the 5 plus hour flight.

I was assigned seat 22D which is an exit row seat on the aisle. This seat has a little more legroom than most exit row seats because the emergency exit doors are full size, stand up straight, walk thru doors and nor over wing exits. Which are smaller. So I have about 4 feet of empty floor space between me and the seat in front of me. The window seat is occupied by an older lady. And the middle seat is empty.

GOOD NEWS!!!! No one in the middle seat. YEAH!!!!

BAD NEWS... CRAP!!!! After take-off a passenger about 4 or 5 rows in front of me asks the Flight Attendant if he could sit in 22E (the seat next to me and the lady). She asks him the required FAA questions about occupying an exit row seat. And he comes back to take the middle seat at row 22.

Now this is not that much of a big deal. It was a full flight, and US AIRWAYS has the FAA minimum spacing between seat rows. So, I can understand the young man wanting to get some more legroom. That's why I am there.

Now for the BAD NEWS.....

About 5 minutes later, one of his European buddies comes back to talk. Okay, that fine, but this chat goes on and on and on....

After about 15 minutes of chat, I get up to use the lavatory. When I come back to my assigned seat, the buddy is sitting in my seat and not giving any indication of moving!

After about of minute and a half of me standing there waiting for this bozo to get out of MY seat he finally gets up and sits down in front of the exit door at our feet. And the chat continues.

So now the lady and I have to put up with these two having a 2 hours chat with Bozo II sitting right in front of us! Both her and I are not happy about this situation.

Then the chat is over, Bozo II gets up goes to the overhead where his seat is at, gets an inflatable ball, brings it back, lays down at the foot of our feet and proceeds to go to sleep!

Like a good American, I keep my mouth shut. Blood is dripping down the sides of my mouth. (for I am now biting my tongue) and my blood pressure is rising.

I then decide to try and take a nap. So I recline my seat, but on my Bose noise cancelling headset, and try and stretch out, as much as possible, and dose off.

About an hour or so less, just half asleep, I go to uncross my legs, and I hit someone...

As I open my eyes, I see another Bozo (III)standing over my legs, stretching against the overhead storage, chatting with Bozo I and Bozo II.

At this point I say "OKAY GUYS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!"

They look at me like I am rude and crazy!

Just about that time the Captain comes over the PA and says everyone is to return to their seats, and he then turns on the "Fasten Seat Belt" sign. These 3 Bozos ignore the PA announcement and the sign being illuminated.

So, this is when I have had enough and go into Aircraft Pilot mode.

"Okay you guys need to go back to your assigned seats"

"The Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign"

Again they look at me like I am nuts and start telling me where to go...

About that time a Flight Attendant shows up and tells the 3 Bozos the same thing I had just said. As they are getting to their seats, Bozo I, setting next to me, starts chastising me about my poor attitude and lack of sympathy. He informs me that Bozo II has a hernia and I show a little more compassion.

I said, "I have been showing you 3 hours of compassion. And I had foot surgery a few month ago, so don't go there about your buddy hurting, because I am also". "How would your buddy like it if I laid down in front of his feet in the row he is supposed to be SITTING?" I then but back on my Bose noise cancelling headset and ignore him. He is saying "%*^^#($)$($#(#*#(*#(*$)$)*@*". I wanted to also say (but didn't) "If you don't like my attitude, why don't you go back to the seat YOU WERE ASSIGNED?"

After about an hour goes by and the Captain turns off the Seat belt sign. And guess who comes back with his pillow ball...

He lays back down at our feet and goes to sleep again. And stays there until we are on decent and the seat belt sign comes on again and the Flight Attendants shew him back to his assigned seat for landing.

Once we get to the gate and the seat belt sign goes off and everybody gets up to collect their belonging which may have shifted during flight...

After Bozo I goes to get his things, I lean over to the lady in the window seat and apologize if I was too much of an ASSHOLE to the 3 Bozos. She starts to laugh and tells me "No, you were not the ASSHOLE" She says that she was glad I had finally said something and agreed with what I said, and my assessment of our 5 plus hour ordeal.

Thanks God the flight to Detroit went a lot smoother.

So was I out of line? And was I an ASSHOLE or worse?