The Curious Incident of the American and the Air Stewardess

Some people are just jerks. Plain and simple. I'm sure most people understand exactly what I mean but for those still a tad unsure, allow me to help you out, its not everyday after all that you get the pleasure of meeting someone so utterly contemptible!

Now aboard my first of what was to be many flights over the forthcoming year and have myself a nice little aisle seat and a spare seat next to me. To my right a seat further down is an American, whose name I would be leaving out if I did in fact know his name. Readying for take off and our American friend is playing with his phone, fair enough of course but not so fair after the third time the air stewardess has asked him specifically to turn it off. Each time going to put the phone away, waiting till she had gone and continuing where he had left off.

Shortly after take off, phone now finally immersed in pocket for good he gets his book out. Once again, no problem here, why should there be? Oh right, yes, he's reading aloud. Mumbling the words to himself, and of course, to those around him. Following this came another incident with the air stewardess who he seemed to completely ignore when she was bringing round food. The air stewardess had finally had enough, "I do speak English you know, so you CAN look and talk to me!" she verballed at our American friend. His response? Oh yeah, to take up the seat to his right, the one to his left and the one he was on. Leaving him with 3 seats and me, with his smelly socks far too close to my face for comfort, with just one. All I could do was shake my head in astonishment and ponder just how much spit the stewardesses had managed to get into his food!

Other than our American friend, the flight over to New York was long and uneventful. I was tingling with excitement and unable to really settle and watch a movie or do anything constructive for longer than about 10 minutes at a time. Eventually, after what seemed like 14 hours, not 7, we arrived at JFK International airport.

Fortunately I'd been through all this before, having spent some time in New York in 2003 but now, unlike then I was on my own. Unlike a good few that were turned away at customs for incorrectly filled in forms (American Airlines did a wondrous job of not even mentioning these forms on the plane) I was accepted into the Land of The Free for no longer than 90 days, sharing a chuckle about baseball with the customs officer along the way.

Taking the shuttle from the airport to my hostel was painless enough although when the bus pulled up outside an old dilapidated building in what appeared to be a not too good looking part of town I was just think how I pitied the person staying here before realising it was in fact I who would be inhabiting this building for the next 5 days.