Southwest Airlines; not your "family-friendly" airline....

On my flight from El Paso to LAX this weekend, I experienced something I've experienced all too often on a Southwest Airline flight. A drunk passenger. Not just a buzzed passenger, but the kind that makes you think they must have drank an entire pitcher of margaritas and chased it with a horse tranquilizer.

My brother and I experienced our first drunk passenger when we were young. We were old enough to recognize a drunk person when we smelled them, but young enough that we still needed to be supervised by the attendant. This drunk passenger jumped on the plane at the last minute, shoved her boombox (circa 1990) under my brother's seat, kicked off her Birkenstocks and put her smelly (read: unwashed for days) feet in the seat across from her (next to my brother). She then passed out for the entire flight. It was a memory I cherish (sarcasm).  

Recently, you've probably heard about this story: Actress Leisha Hailey was kicked off of a Southwest flight because she kissed her girlfriend...which apparently offended some good southwesterners. And she was famous! All this from the airline that claims to be the official airline of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).   

Then, also, in the last month...the lead singer of the famous grunge-punk band Green Day was kicked off a SWA flight for letting his pants hang low....and refusing to follow the flight attendant's instruction for pulling them up. He's known for how he dresses...and I'm sorry, but I usually don't think that someone's clothes are offensive enough to have them removed from public view or escorted from a plane. USUALLY. 

You can literally get kicked off a plane for anything. Remember the people that have been kicked off flights for "being too fat (Kevin Smith)," or for their loud toddlers (hello!?!?!), and the woman who was crying too loudly on her sister's shoulder about their father's recent heart attack. They almost missed those precious last moments with their dad because of that disgraceful act. This is all getting a little out of hand. 

Our flight was delayed coming out of Austin by about an hour which would have cost us an overnight stay in El Paso...but SWA gratefully held the connecting flight 10 minutes for us. We deplaned and ran to catch our flight which was just two gates over. Upon boarding the full plane (10 seats were waiting to be filled, including ours), the only two seats together were near the back of the plane. Not a problem for us because being closer to the restroom is better with a 3 year old. Honestly, I was just thankful to be on a flight heading home. 

I threw my carry-on in the overhead compartment and took to our seats as quickly as possible. I buckled my three year old in the seat in the middle and I took the aisle seat. The other passenger on our row (we'll call him Drunkboy, for brevity's sake) attempted to be cordial by offering us a bag of peanuts from his large stash of airline peanuts. I declined politely and waited for other passengers to quickly get on the flight so we could get home. 

Scout snuggled up next to me and quickly fell asleep before our flight even left the ground. Thank goodness. Because for the next two hours, I lived in fear that Drunkboy was going to throw up on me, my kid, or my purse. He tried to make conversation a couple of times, but "fell asleep" in the middle of his question or comment. I did learn he was from Utah, originally. He texted...or tried to, but was having trouble remaining conscious. His phone remained on and active for the entire flight. If I'm not mistaken, he received a text halfway through the flight. 

Drunkboy may or may not have been a young serviceman...there were many in my section on the flight. I recognized them not because of their uniforms or their overly polite behavior or conversations, but because they get free drinks on Southwest flights. Upon their ordering, they flash a military i.d. and the attendants usually thank them for their service and then say those three magical words "drink's on us." There were three other servicemen seated across the aisle from us, and they routinely looked over and cracked some jokes about how he couldn't hold his alcohol and if he was "going to get on a flight wasted, he was fair game." These young men (also getting free alcohol) kindly offered me a bag of pretzels or peanuts from their large stash (apparently you get all the snacks you want on SWA, too, if you are in the military). I declined politely and delved into my book and cuddled my toddler. 

Why didn't I say something to the airline attendant? It probably had something to do with the fact that I wanted to try to be respectful of the situation. But when do we sacrifice our own comfort for the sake of respect? I was clearly uncomfortable. I could have had this young man removed from the plane. But the thing is...that Drunkboy sat there for ten minutes (or longer) before I even got on board. The flight attendant had to wake him up and move him so that we could be seated. The two flight attendants working in our section of the plane stopped and observed him before the flight took off. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt...had his active cell phone on his lap, and was passed out against the window with a half-eaten packet of peanuts held to his mouth. 

Why didn't I say something? I should not have had to. 

Maybe Southwest Airlines should tweak that part of training that talks about "judgement calls."