The Good, the Bad and the Perverted

Day 1sh

Well, I’m on my way to Tahiti. We left LAX late and taxied for 30 or 40 miles… at least that’s what it seemed like. The seatback monitors were set up with a cool thing. We could see what the pilot saw—the whole line up of jets in front of us. Anyway, we are now far above the clouds about 3 hours into the 8 hour flight and I cannot sleep despite the fact that I’ve been awake for more than 24 hours.

There must be a bright moon out there even though I can’t see it because the clouds below us are illuminated and I can see a bunch of stars too. It sort of reminds me of Peter Pan…what does he say?  Third star on the left and straight on ‘til morning. It’s very surreal up here.

This is my first time on Air Tahiti Nui and I am impressed with them. Even in coach you are treated well. Each seat has a pillow, blanket and amenity kit. That contains ear plugs, head phones, an eye mask, socks and something else… can’t remember. And the seat pitch is decent for coach. The flight attendants are gorgeous—men and women both. Service is wonderful and the first meal was surprisingly good. We also get breakfast closer to landing. All the booze you want too.

I am sitting in the emergency exit by the window and I have leg room galore. It’s one of those with the slide thing at the exit. So, in addition to being nice and cool, I also have a wonderful leg rest.

I debated writing about this next part, let alone publishing it on my blog, but it is a travel journal so I feel like I need to tell the good and bad and ugly.  So here goes.

When we boarded I got to my assigned seat, 33a, and there was a guy already sitting there passed out reeking of booze. The attendant woke him and he was supposed to be sitting in the aisle. (I was counting on leaning up against the window and sleeping most of the way) Anyway, my first impression of this guy was… drunk, French Asshole—although attractive—very French looking and probably in his late 30s or early 40s.  Anyway, I settle in, he passes back out I doze off and I wake up and the guy’s arm is sort of hanging over the arm rest touching my leg. So, I skooch to the left and that seems to wake him and he immediately moves his arm back to his own side.

I go back to trying to sleep and awhile later he puts his hand on my knee—nothing accidental about it. I said… HEY, NO and he takes his hand away and puts both of them up like I wasn’t doing anything.

So, I again settle back in and what do you think happens?  Strike 3. He puts his whole hand around my mid upper thigh. This time I YELL, NO, STOP IT. Then I say you need to let me out. Of course this French Molesting Prick won’t move. I say let me out now or I make a scene. He lets me out. Just for ‘atmosphere’, I will tell you that the cabin was very dark with only emergency type lighting on while all this was happening.

I move up to the exit row and sit there wanting to punch the asshole or cry or I don’t know what. I am thinking I have traveled a lot of places on my own and never once did anything like this happen to me. It sort of rocked my world and made me feel sort of scared.. and I have never felt that way. Then I got pissed because not only did this asshole rob me of my peace of mind, he is depriving me of much needed sleep.

I got up and went back to where the flight attendants were in the little galley and I told one of them what happened. Actually what I said was, excuse me, but the man sitting in 33b in a fucking French pervert. And then told her what happened. She said she would tell the chief flight attendant and the captain. Of course, it’s my word against his. So, I hope he is not getting off the plane in Papeete because I really don’t want to see him again.

So there you have it. The good, the bad and the perverted. Actually, now that I wrote this down, I can feel the anger leaving me. Maybe I will be able to get a few hours of sleep now.

 PS. I did manage to sleep all wrapped up in a comfy, soft blanket for about 3 hours. Then they scared the crap out of everyone by turning on the lights and stating over the PA system that breakfast was being served.  2 hours later we landed in Papeete.