Woman Unable To See Dying Mother Because Ticket Agent Needs to Go On Break

A man who rushed his girlfriend to the airport to catch a flight to see her dying mother, watched her miss the flight because a United Airline's ticketing agent refused to help because "it was time for her to go on her break." His girlfriend finally reached the gate in time to watch her flight depart, and the gate agent defended his colleague's lack of sympathy, saying "management really makes us work some unreasonable schedules." To be fair, breaks are serious business.

How much can you believe

[jeffgenest]

After working in the service sector for many years it is easy to see how a worker can get a pretty jaundiced view of the stories people give them.

Letter from observer to Mike

[Anonymous Coward]

If you or anyone you know have supported any mainstream politicians over the last 20-30 years, or patronised any major global corporation with your business in a similar time frame, then you have no one to blame for this incident but yourself and the aforementioned "anyone".

"My mother is dying" is the kind of lie a self-important management/bean-counter type would say to get their way, so it is no surprise that the overworked employee on the desk didn't believe you. People who deal with customers ar

United Airlines at Their Best

[Not_A_Jew]

Another satisfied customer.

why wait till she was dying

[tjstork]

If the lady's mother was so damned important to her, why did she wait until her mother was so nearly dead to go visit her?

Fact is,. It's not the ticket agent's fault that the lady could not manage her own damned life. Take a break.

Re:

[Tebriel]

There's a difference between "Mom is sick. Get up here when you can make it" and "Mom is dying you need to get up here NOW." It can quickly change from one moment to the next.

Also, I certainly hope you never face this "lack of planning" in your own life.

Re:

[tjstork]

There's a difference between "Mom is sick. Get up here when you can make it" and "Mom is dying you need to get up here NOW." It can quickly change from one moment to the next.

Well then, that's why you need to make an effort to go up and see her. If you could make the last minute effort to go and see her before she kicks off, why could you not go before she could here you say goodbye.

Also, I certainly hope you never face this "lack of planning" in your own life.

Which really means to say, that you hope that

Re:

[oldspewey]

Are there classes at the Learning Annex that I can take where I can learn to become cold and insensitive, while at the same time becoming an expert in everybody else's life so that I can tell them how to manage their affairs?

Re:

[tjstork]

Are there classes at the Learning Annex that I can take where I can learn to become cold and insensitive, while at the same time becoming an expert in everybody else's life so that I can tell them how to manage their affairs?

Sounds like you already did, because you are demanding that people be allowed to make slaves of airline ticket agents. How many people do you think have some really good reason for the lady to not have a break, or did you even think about that?

Re:

[Just Some Guy]

Fortunately, I tell my loved ones that I love them pretty much every day. I keep a relationship open with my family and I've chosen to live near them so that I can see them.

I talk to my mom quite a bit, too. If I got a call that I was needed home now, I'd still do everything I humanly could to get there ASAP. My dad died about a week after I'd seen him and spent a long lazy day talking and laughing and hanging out, but I was still on the highway within 5 minutes of getting The Call.