[Mitch101]

I need to file this letter to someone but here is my story and what I experienced yesterday.


To whom it may concern,

I learned alot about our country, our airlines and myself yesterday at LAX. I'm a 28 year old from Butler,PA and was out in California for some calibration/installation work for my company.

On Thursday June 3 I became ill and had flu like symptoms, congestion, loss of appettite. It was still in full affect the morning of my flight yesterday. I got there very early, around 8:30, for my 11:40 flight to Chicago. Upon going through security and walking around the gate terminals I noticed something very unusual. There was an extremely large group of overweight people at LAX. I know who these people were since I saw the main celebrity. I don't know if this was his only family of 500 people or what but he brough ALOT of overweight people to the airport and booked them flights. OK this is America spend your money... Heres what happen.

This extremely all to proud family of large people, happened to have the same flight as mine to Chicago. It all started to get strange when I could here the Southwest boarding group barking out orders to these people to make this an orderly fast board. I was sitting in the hallway at Gate 2 and could not see around the corner but the southwest crew kept emphisizing to keep this an orderly fast board and only approach the gate when your group was called.

After a few minutes of wondering what was going on I turned around the corner to find that HALF the plane had Medical PreBoarding Slips. After an extremely long boarding process of wheeling in countless overweight medically proud people, group B finally was able to board. I thought to myself what measures does this airline have of testing the weight capacity of this plane I was about to get in. When I finally boarded the plane I was still feeling very ill,sweating, loss of appettite. I turned the corner to find that calling this plane front heavy would be a complete understatement. Obviously the only room left was in the very back to the plane. After sitting down watching these people move about and putting their luggage over head the stewardesses were getting very angry telling everyone to sit down and we are already 5 minutes behind schedule. The door finally slammed shut and after looking around one last time I could take no more.

I was sweating my anxiety started to be to much to handle and this extremely bad claustrophobic feeling hit me like a hammer. This all happened about 1 second after the stewardess had SLAMMED the front door of the plane. I quickly turned to the back stewardess and said " Mam, I am ill and I need to get off this plane". She quickly said ok and pointed to the front stewardess. I quickly got up and exited the plane. The lady told me to check back with the boarding lady. So I did, but sadly this was the biggest mistake of all.

I explained to the lady that I felt ill and was claustrophobic and my anxiety was racing, that is why I needed to leave the plane. She asked me if I need medical attention and I replied "No" because I knew I needed to calm down and get something to eat and drink. I told her I needed a new flight home ending in Pittsburgh. She quickly found me a flight going from LAX to Phoenix and Phoenix to Pittsburgh. She printed out a boarding slip and a reciept for approx. 300$ for the new flight. This was my companies money and I was just recovering from a panic attack and I didn't have the energy to complain.

So I get my new boarding slips and have a good two hours to recover to get some food and drink. I purchased a sandwich and a big bottled water. I literally had to force down eating half this ham chibatta sandwich, but I started to feel better, at least anxiety wise. Then I started to notice more and more that these overweight extremely proud family members were everywhere....EVERYWHERE, including on my flight to Phoenix. I cursed in my head several times while wiping the sweat off my forehead. Again I noticed many of these people were in wheel chairs and had Blue PreBoarding slips and I thought to myself I cannot let this happen again.. I need to get home and out of this **** of a city.

With about 20 minutes to boarding I had to ask someone for help. I went to the gate and said these exact words. "Mam can I be honest with you"...."There is alot of LARGE people on this flight"! I stated that I am sick and am not feeling well and explained to her what happened with my last flight... she then butted in and said in a very snobby angry tone "Well what do you want me to do about it". I quickly responed and looked her straight in the eyes and said "I am sick and ill.. I want an ailse seat and I want to sit in the front of the plane!!!" She quickly handed me on medical PreBoarding Slip to which I replied "Thank You" and left and sat back down.

By now I though to myself that whole the airport terminals cameras were focusing on myself and were watching my every move. However I did not care because I had nothing to hide, and am not a dangerous person in any way.

Once they announced PreBoarding I quickly raced to the front of the podium and handed my medical slip in with my pass. I walked hastely down the ramp and into the plane. I walked into the plane and got a "Hi?!?!?" from the stewardess. I told her I have a medical condition and grabbed the very front seat in the ailse to the left. Sat down and buckled my belt. I looked aweful, stunk of BO due to the mass amounts of sweating so no one sat with me or they were scared of me, which they shouldn't have been. Not until all of the extremely proud overweight people entered that a guy about my age, that was about 6'10" thin build, sat down in the window seat. Then one of the last guys to enter sat in the middle seat, he was a about at tall as me and was probably in his late 40's or early 50's. I also believe the main celebrity was on this plane as well

The flight was fine. I held my composure and got off into Phoenix. Since I was in the front I got out first and had plenty of time for my three hour flight to Pittsburgh.

A modern day Rosa Park... I thought to myself! I am not a racist person, but I am raciest against stupid people!!!!!!!! Many of which I saw in this airport. They were either part of the Soutwest crew, part of the extremely proud people or part of some undercover scheme!!!!

A sick person needs to get home from all the way across the country and the people of LAX were oblivious to the fact. I had to take matters into my own hands and look as if I was a RACIEST!! to these people. Again I'm am not a raciest but have a problem with very stupid people. Stupid people that are apart of our law enforcement, stupid people that are apart of our airlines and stupid celebrities.

I could of written more of my thoughts about this country and other things I felt and noticed yesterday but maybe that will go to a different consumer.. Mr. Airconsumer.

No regrets,

Mitch Hollobaugh