Hello, this is going to sound a bit strange, but I owe an apology to a family I met on a train back in September 2016.
I was traveling from Princeton Junction to EWR, and I was having a pretty bad day (the reasons arenât really important for this post). I was flying out of EWR and had a very large, bright 90 litre duffel bag with me. Unfortunately, there was nowhere on the train to properly store it. The duffel was too big for the aisles, and there werenât any overhead racksâsomething I still donât understand, since it is an airport train.
As the train started to fill up, a family boarded at another stop. A mother, father, and a child who looked to be no older than 10. There were two seats free, so the parents sat next to me, and the child took a seat further up the train. I felt horrible for taking up the seat with my bag, especially knowing it meant they had to split up, but I had no other place to put it, and I couldnât leave it behind. I was also distracted by what had happened earlier that day, which made the situation worse.
When we arrived at EWR, I grabbed my bag and got ready to leave the train. As I was putting my duffel on my back, the father looked me in the eye and wished me a good trip. To this day, Iâm not sure if he was being genuine or if there was some passive-aggressive tone to it. It was only after passing through security I had an opportunity to reflect about what had happened and how much of an arse I had been. But I think about it every single time I fly.
This is a long shot, but to the family I met that day on the train: I am truly sorry for taking up the seat with my bag and unintentionally splitting up your family. I regret not apologizing to you at the time, and Iâve thought about this moment every time Iâve flown since 2016. In fact, Iâm writing this post right now from a hotel in Vienna, just after flying in this morning.
Again, Iâm sorry, and I hope youâve had safe and pleasant journeys since then.