Airports can be stressful, but that day at JFK was especially tense due to one rude traveler who seemed to think she ruled the terminal. It started near Hudson News, where a woman in a bright red coat was loudly FaceTiming without headphones. At her feet, her tiny white dog had made a mess. When an elderly man kindly pointed it out, she snapped back, calling him rude and telling him to mind his own business.
The situation only got worse. When asked to clean up the mess, she dismissed it, bragging, “They have people for that.” At TSA, she pushed ahead claiming PreCheck and demanded priority because her anxious dog was with her. She refused to follow standard procedures, threatened legal action, and annoyed everyone with her barking dog and constant complaining. At a coffee stand, she shouted at staff for not having almond milk and played loud music from her phone.
At the gate for my flight to Rome, she occupied three seats—hers, her purse’s, and her dog’s—and continued FaceTiming loudly. Her dog scared a toddler away, and people avoided sitting near her. I decided it was time to act. Sitting beside her with a friendly smile, I casually engaged her in conversation while nearby passengers watched, relieved.
Pretending to stretch, I stepped away, then returned and told her the gate had changed from Rome to Paris, with a warning about where to board. Without hesitation, she grabbed her things, dragged her dog, and stormed off, ranting and swearing about airport incompetence.
Silence fell. The barking stopped, and the tension lifted. Passengers whispered thanks, and a calm settled over the gate. She never came back, leaving us all grateful for a return to peace.
