An award should go to the United Airlines gate agent in Denver for being smart and funny, and making her point, when confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo.
During the final days at Denver's old Stapleton airport, a crowded United flight was canceled.
A single agent was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced
travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He
slapped his ticket down on the counter and said, "I HAVE
to be on this flight and it has to be FIRST CLASS."
The agent replied, "I'm sorry sir. I'll be happy to
try to help you, but I've got to help these folks first, and I'm sure
we'll be able to work something out."
The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the
passengers behind him could hear, "Do you have any idea
who I am?"
Without hesitating, the gate agent smiled and grabbed her public address microphone.
"May I have your attention please?" she
began, her voice bellowing throughout the terminal. "We
have a passenger here at the gate WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If
anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the
gate."
With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man
glared at the United agent, gritted his teeth and swore
"(Expletive) you."
Without flinching, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry,
sir, but you'll have to stand in line for that,
too."
The man retreated as the people in the terminal applauded loudly. Although the flight was canceled and people were late, they were no longer angry at United.