I once took a group to the Kentucky Derby in a PC small nine-seater plane. This was for four people: two men and two women. They pulled up in their SUVs and strolled up to the check-in desk. I went to help unload the luggage. There must have been twenty hat boxes β huge hat boxes! I played my best game of Tetris in the cargo area, and there were still probably ten hat boxes left. Therefore, I did my best to arrange hat boxes in the main cabin to leave as much room as possible for the passengers.
The four club seats up front were free, along with the aisle area between them. It was just the back two seats and aisle that were unusable. The passengers then boarded the airplane, and one of the women turned around and spoke to me. The cargo area at the back is it. We need them with us! She made her way to a seat.
The second woman boarded next, took a look, and turned to the first. The first man boarded without saying anything. The last man boarded a moment later and sat down, and I heard the group discussing the horrors I had inflicted upon them by loading their things into the airplane.
The flight went without incident. We landed and pulled up to where the SUVs were waiting, and the passengers went to the lounge while we unloaded. The last man walked with them about halfway to the doors before breaking off and coming back to the airplane. He shoved some cash into my hand.
I ended up visiting the recreation center swimming pool on a pretty bad day. It was raining on and off, and it was kind of windy, but the pools were heated and the opportunity to do some laps while the pool was empty could not be ignored.
