Guess Who?

I usually don't have airplane stories, but I finally have a cool one I can pull out when people ask me for one. I was going from Monroe Louisiana to Atlanta. I had a passenger get on who was extremely tall. He nearly bent in half to get on. He came on almost to the last, mumbled that he had the exit row in 7D and that he was going to need the extra room. I got annoyed because he was going to be one of those complaining tall people and he didn't have the exit row and I wasn't going to help him with that because he would just need to deal with it. He gets back there and realizes that he doesn't have the exit row and gets my attention about it. Then says, "Never mind Miss, I got the exit row." I was telling him to come up front, but he kept saying "No Miss I'm just fine." At this point I felt generous (I don't know where it came from) and realized that I didn't have anyone sitting up front. Now the CRJ 200 is one of the only planes where the exit row has no extra room, maybe a 1/2 inch more than the other rows. Only the bulk head row has considerable amount more. I walk back there and looked at this guy and laughed because his knees were at his chin, plus his feet were completely under the seat, and he was leaning mashed next to the window. I told him that there wasn't really that much more room from the exit row and his original seat. I had an empty seat in the front row that actually had more room. He kept insisting that he was fine and would sit here until I said that no one had that seat. He got up and followed me and thanked me.

Once he got to the seat I thought for sure he would take his long legs and spray all in my galley because that is what people who are half his size do. Then I get to trip on them for the next hour and it is really annoying. But he sat in his blocked out space and went to sleep for the entire flight--I don't know how he did that because he had more room, but not that much more space.
I watched him as we were descending and I thought he is a punk college basketball player. Except he is a nice one, but he is bothering my OCD because he only has one ear piercing and that's an odd number which is really annoying. He finally woke on landing and I gave him a goofy smile and shouted "Good Morning Sunshine!" even though it was the afternoon. He kind of looked at me funny and then smiled.

I started to talk to the lady next to him and where she was going and why. She was talking about going to see the Saints play, and I noticed Mr. Tall listening a little, so I asked him where he is going and he said South Florida and seemed to clamp down which I thought it was weird that he didn't give a city or want to talk. Anyway the lady and I started to talk about football and the snow, and she remarked on how "Daddy Long Legs" over there was going away from the foretasted snow. I laughed and said yeah "Poor Daddy Long Legs." He stopped listening to our conversation after that. Once we had parked he stood up really quick. I suggested that he could stand right outside the door to stretch, as long as he didn't jump off. He said, "No, Miss I am alright." He shortly left after that.

I was cleaning the plane after the passengers had left and one of the rampers came on all excited and said, "Did you know that you had a basketball star on your flight!" I said, "I figured with how tall he was he must play basketball. Who was he?" "He played with Micheal Jordan on the Bulls...his name is Scottie Pippen. I even asked to make sure!" I busted up laughing. I gave Scottie Pippen such a hard time and made a fool of myself that explained the funny looks and the refusal of special treatment. He was incredible polite though. I am a little embarrassed that I made fun of his height. At least I know I will treat famous people the same as regular people because as I think back the exit row seemed to know who he was; the lady upfront and me didn't. I have only met a few famous people, but he and Micheal Gambon (the second Dumbledor) were the most polite.