Thomas the Tank Engine is loved by young kids and parents. All the cartoon episodes cover life lessons in a fun and engaging way. I am fascinated that trains keep the attention of kids considering trains are not the most recent human transportation invention.
However, I digress from the point of this post. Thomas constantly refers to how he is a “real useful engine” always looking to do good work. He seeks to solve problems in a unique and creative way.
I experienced a real life version of Thomas the Tank Engine yesterday on my flight from Dallas to Chicago. After many delays and four gate changes (I am not kidding…American Airlines really did change the gate four times). I loaded onto a full flight of about 250 people. Just as everyone was relaxing, the guy next to me said his seat was not working. I was about to say “shhhhhh” and the flight attendance walked by. In seconds, the flight attendance was looking at the seat and shaking her head. “This is not good.”
All I could think about was an unplanned night in Dallas and a gymastics attempted to make it to Chicago by 8:00AM the next morning to meet a range of employees and customers expecting my arrival. I was going to arrive in Chicago at 12:30AM as it stood anyway.
My faith in our airline industry was dropping as the night progressed but logic and ingenuity prevailed. A service technician boarded the plane. The two gentlemen in the row and I were standing in the aisle as the fate of 250 passengers rested the hands of this technician. He studied the situation and shook his head. “Yep, the bolt is completely busted. But, this isn’t anything a roll of duck tape can’t fit.”
Duck tape! This guy is my hero. I have zip ties all over the house because they just SOLVE problems. My wife even gives me a hard time about them. Duck tape is right up there as one of the world’s most useful inventions.
This guy was obviously empowered to SOLVE problems. I didn’t see him call his supervisor….call the FAA…call the big wigs at AA headquarters. He just decided this problem was going to get solved. In about 10 minutes he returned with a roll of duck tape and a packing strap. He wenched down the seat, duck taped the thing to complete immobility and neatly placed a sticker on the seat with a warning.
The flight attendant found a seat for the now displaced businessman and we all took our seats.
Thank you American Airlines. Thank you for giving your employees the ability to SOLVE problems. Thank you for getting me to Chicago safely (hours late but safely)!
2 Comments
May 31, 2008 at 3:21 am
You failed to explain the extent to which you have personally exercised the use of zip ties in the past. Do the words, “muffler” and “Honda” ring a bell???
July 3, 2008 at 8:02 am
[...] “A Corporate Version of Thomas the Tank Engine” post was about a service mechanic on an American Airlines flight who solved a simple seat [...]