Just arrived in the Chicago area for Thanksgiving (and, no, there was no problem landing at O'Hare--in fact, we arrived early). The first leg of our trip was great. The second leg was awful, and it's due to bossy flight attendants!

I realize it's a holiday travel weekend but why are paying customers required to turn in obedient sheep to satisfy weird -- and contradictory -- rules enforced by nasty flight attendants? They are, after all, paid to be courteous. They are (or used to be) employees of the airlines and not "cops in the sky."

Patrick, how about this passenger (me) trying NOT TO HOG the overhead bin, and the flight attendant insisting that everything go up there? That's after the person at the gate -- also with an edgy tone to her voice -- instructs us to NOT put our coats (we were flying into Chicago so we had no choice but to bring them along!)in the overhead bin until they're sure there's room for them. And not to stuff everything we have in them, because the flights are crowded and the bins may not hold everything and, most important of all, don't break the lights because that will result in the flight being delayed until the light is repaired!

It started with us being assigned to seats that don't have seats in front of us and, you got it, we can't put our coats/carryons under them! So we put them under our seats (we've done that before--even have been told to put our stuff under OUR seats in those situations). Along comes the flight attendant who, as I'm trying to figure out what to do with my laptop before takeoff, says I must put it in the overhead bin. When I hesitate, and then start to protest the "order" she yanks it out of my hands and opens the crowded overhead bin. My husband says that we'll put it under the seat at which time she announced that NOTHING -- absolutely NOTHING -- can go under our seats. "That's for the people behind" us---who, by the way, had nothing there. When I asked her to bend down so I could explain what was happening, she loudly announces she WILL NOT bend down to speak to me. That sets off the kid behind us, who is already making sarcastic comments (he was about 12--THAT age!) which is why I wanted her to stop making a scene because I knew that would be incentive for him to continue. She's now joined by a second flight attendant who wants to wrap the laptop in a blanket to "protect" it in the overhead bin. Neither will let me explain that I had a case for it, but it was under other stuff stuffed into the overhead bin!

After we got airborne, my husband and I retrieved the laptop, dug out the case and put it away (in the overhead bin, of course). Then I just sat there for the next 2 1/2 hours like an obedient passenger (steaming, of course!) and didn't dare try to watch the DVDs I brought along, or play a computer game. Heck, I didn't even get out my book for fear that one of them would yank it out of my hand and toss it into the overhead bin, too.

It reminds me of when I was a teen and, on occasion, we'd stroll through Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus during our lunch hour break from our summer jobs. The sales clerks treated us like we were scum (even though, in those days, we were well-behaved parochial school girls). Being too timid then, I didn't even think to say to them, "Hey, you work here. I'm a potential customer" (and later in life, was--potential, that is--but refused to shop in those places because of those early experiences). If I said that to a flight attendant today, I'd probably be hauled off the plane in handcuffs when we reached our destination. (In fact, one of the flight attendants said she was going to report ME when I confronted them after the plane emptied out. Oh, and the pilot stood there and did nothing to try to deal with the situation.)

So, when I arrived here in Chicago, hooked up the laptop (which, apparently, suffered no damage--thank heaven!)and read your article about overhead bins, I just HAD to write! When we return here for Christmas, I'm driving. Hope the weather isn't awful then because it will be a two-day trip.

It was first-come, first-served (seated) on that charter flight. Several of us waited for a long time to get the "good" seats. Across the aisle from us, two women managed to garner the aisle and window seat in the front row. Better even, no one took the middle seat.

The plane was almost full, when way at the back this woman and large man entered the plane. You got it! The man plunked himself down in the middle front seat, at which point the woman on the aisle started to cry.

Frankly, I felt sorry for both of them.

But, these weren't reserved seats. When a passenger is sitting in a reserved seat that belongs to someone else, the flight attendants should REQUIRE them to move. No one should be forced to take another seat! If the large couple wants more room, they should book THREE seats. Or fly with an airline like Southwest that doesn't have assigned seating and hope they get on a plane that isn't too full.

Oh, and as to using the overhead bins at the front of the plane even though assigned seats are further back, I've gotten on planes numerous times where at least one flight attendant is just standing there mid-plane watching people come board. That attendant could easily tell people they must use the bins back by their seats....but don't.