My friend was rather late picking me up (at zero dawn thirty) and I arrived to the airport a mere hour before my flight.
Then I saw the line. Holy moley! The Delta checkin line for the flight to JFK was epic. There was *no chance* that I was going to get through this line in time to make it through security and get to the gate before the cabin doors closed. I was screwed.
Thinking fast, I rushed back outside to attempt curbside checkin. Normally, porters aren’t supposed to take customers with International itineraries. But I was lucky… I got a porter who liked cash more than he liked the rules. He said to me: “I’ve got friends behind the counter; I’ll take you inside and take care of you, if you take care of me.” I said “ABSOLUTELY!”
As a result of his actions, I was checked in lickety split. Normally the porters get $3 a bag, I gave him $10 for my one bag. It was the best money I’ve ever spent at the airport. Not only did I get to the plane on time, I actually had time to spare. As I was settling into my seat, I did notice one person who had been far ahead of me in that original “epic” line. He arrived at the gate panting and discombobulated. He had obviously struggled to catch the plane.
But I was sitting pretty… thanks to the friendly porter.