Ok, finally a subject I can get behind. I don’t think mine compares to GB25 or Brad’s, but here’s a flight/puke story for you.
I was doing a road show for a PE deal I was heading up back in 2004. Being that I was already in NYC, I was asked to attend the RNC of 2004 there, to develop some contacts and prospective investors that were in attendance. Basically, I was asked to palm-press, eat and drink heavily for five straight days. Anyway, I did. The last night before heading back to Florida, I had to escape the madness and had a quiet—and what turned out to be a regrettable—dinner of heavy veal Milanese, pasta and wine. I was in such bad shape, I blew off tickets to a Yankee game and bumped my flight up to early the next morning. Once on the plane, and still nursing a residual hangover of the previous week, I could see it wasn’t going to go well. But it was early and I was hopeful I’d get an empty row so I could lay down and not feel stuffy. Instead, I got the row with this old woman who was given the window, and because I got the exception made to get on, was sandwiched between her and the aisle. I still may have been ok. But at the risk of offending anyone here, old Jewish women have some of the most disgusting habits ever. As I’m sitting there trying to keep it together, she reaches into her purse and pulls out this soft cheese, nuts and crackers wrapped in Saran wrap. The smell, the look, and the sound of her eating was too much. Just as we’re beginning to taxi, I grab the bag and concede. The guy next to me looks on in horror as he’s looking at sitting next to this for the next 2.5 hours. So he asks to move last minute, which they grant. But some guy near the back obviously didn’t know his motives and asked if he could swap as well. They allowed his move just as we go full seatbelt check. I have no idea what he was escaping, but his face was elation when he sat down. Then wave two came almost the second his seatbelt snapped. I’ll never forget his facial change as he realized what he walked into. I went through two bags, which for whatever reason could only be disposed of by the passenger themselves(some rule), so I had to wait about 15 minutes until we were fully up in the air. In the meantime, the smell, which was almost like pure fried veal and alcohol was so intense that the cabin began to fill with it and others gave in as a result. I couldn’t see, but random puking ensued all over the plane. The death stare I got from the flight attendants was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.