Are You Flying on “Con Air”?

The wife and I are on our way to the Boarding Area Convention, known as BACON.  Been looking forward to this for awhile, especially because this will be the first opportunity to meet my co-blogger, Andy, in person!  Yep, a year together and it has all been virtual until now.  We’re going BWI-LAX-LAS to add a few more miles in there.  Vegas, baby, Vegas!

Anyway, back to the story.  Yesterday, we had been offered to volunteer to take a later flight in exchange for $200 flight credit.  We passed, but I thought that I would check again just to see if the offer had increased and, more importantly, how we could still get to Vegas on time.  The poor Gate Agent at BWI had no help and was trying to work everything by herself.  She politely asked me to wait while she made a call.  I heard her say, “I’ve got a prisoner in 38E, but don’t show the escorts”.  OK, maybe I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but this was really interesting!  I guess she go the answer she wanted and then dealt with me.  No love for the bump, so I sat back down.

It wasn’t long before I saw a very clean cut guy walking behind a guy who I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley and point for him to sit in a certain seat.  The guy then went to stand behind him.  No visible cuffs, but his hands were together and covered by a jacket, so pretty obvious if you were looking for the bad guy.  I was really surprised as I had never noticed a prisoner being escorted on a plane before, but maybe it happens all the time!

They boarded after the people with disabilities and I got a glimpse of the handcuffs and they were pretty substantial!  Like “bike chain” substantial.  I had looked at the seating chart on the display and noticed that seat 38E was the last row and right in front of the lavatory.  At least the Government was kind enough to give him the worst seat on the plane.

Later in the flight, I had to go to the latrine and passed by the happy couple.  He was just babbling like a homeless guy in the street corner.  Mostly reciting the bible or his version of it.  I felt sorry for the passengers stuck right in front of him if he was doing that all flight!  I stopped on the way back from the lav and politely said to the Marshall, “thanks for your service”.  He was a bit taken aback, undoubtedly because I can’t imagine that he hears “thanks” very much in his line of work.  Sounds like a good job to get miles and status, trouble is you couldn’t use them when flying for work.  Well, maybe if you wanted to upgrade your prisoner as your companion?

Anyone else every have an experience like this?  More to follow from Vegas!