from Comments - 10/22

... on public transportation, an airliner in my case, but my story ran a different course.

Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) was a regional airline that flew in California and was later engulfed by USAir in the 1980’s. And PSA stewardesses were legendary for being extremely attractive, remarkably so even back in the day when all stewardesses had to be attractive to get hired. This before stews were rebranded as “flight attendants” and, well, you know what happened to norms and standards after that.

I only got to fly PSA twice.

Home on leave going to Veet Nom and upon arrival at the airport to fly to California to catch the plane over, I missed my flight, and Ozark had no options that would get me there on time and oh fudge. But Frontier (the old Frontier, mind you) came through and got me to Oakland just in time to catch a cab to Travis AFB and arrive 5 minutes before AWOL time. Whew, that was cutting it too close! But, upon reflection, I shouldn’t have worried. After all, what were they gonna do, send me to Viet Nam?

Anyway. I was way back of the bus LAX to Oakland and standing waiting for the aisle to clear so I could go face my destiny when one of those drop-dead gorgeous PSA stews said hello, all friendly like. She was a stunning brunette about three inches shorter than I was putting her about 5’10 and she had big brown eyes like deep, dark pools. They sparkled. I was gob-smacked but managed to say hi and then she said, we hope you’ll fly with us again real soon.

Me too, I said, but it’ll be about a year.

Her face darkened and her smile vanished. Obviously, she knew what that meant. Oh, she said. You’re going over. That was not a question.

Yes, I said, and she gave me about a five-count look and then flashed me with a huge smile and said, well then, I hope you’ll fly with us again when you get back!

I freely admit to being scared shitless about “going over” and that big smile was exactly what I needed at that exact instant. But the aisle cleared and all I could say was, I’ll make a point of it and like the dumb hick kid I was, headed for the door without thinking GET HER ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER YOU BLITHERING IDIOT!

But I was all a-tither about the process of going off to present myself before The Great Abyss, and that did not occur to me until afterwards.

I did keep my promise, though. Upon return from SE Asia, our planeload was bused to Oakland Army Reception Station from Travis and after several hours of hurry-up and wait, do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign Army bullshit, turned us loose. Four of us shared a cab to SFO and despite a direct flight to Dallas being available, I caught a flight to LAX on PSA just on the off chance, you know, but that was not meant to be either. I might never have gone home if it had.

I’ve often wondered whatever became of her. I hope she found some wretchedly rich Capitalist who took her away from all that and kept her safe and warm and well taken care of and they lived charmed lives happily ever after THE END. 

OK, show’s over. Y’all can go now.

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