Foxsucks81wrote about Barak Obama helping a stranger many years ago:
The Norwegian newspaper VG has reported a truly amazing story about a newly-wed trying to get to Norway to be with her husband, and the stranger who helped pay an unexpected luggage surcharge.
I was reminded of a similar exchange I participated in a number of years ago.
I was waiting to check in at a mid-sized midwest US airport and there was a delay ahead of me. An inter-racial couple was trying to check baggage above the weight limit onto an international flight. The airline representative said that they needed to pay a fee and their credit card had been denied. It all worked out in the end, but the racist overtones did not hit me until later.
The airline representative said that there was nothing they could do. The woman was in tears as they counted out their money. They were short about twenty five dollars and I offered to pay the difference.
I hate to admit that I did so in part just to get the line moving.
I am a Caucasian male, and I was in my mid 40's when this occurred. The airline representative was a Caucasian female.
When I stepped up and offered to pay the difference, the airline representative suddenly found a way to waive the fee and allow the couple to check their bags and everything began moving along again.
I felt pretty self-satisfied. My random-act-of-kindness had repaid me doubly. I got the warm glow of having stepped up to 'pay it forward' and it had not cost me a Dollar.
It was not until later that the racist overtones hit me. A black man and a mixed/Caucasian woman could not convince the white airline representative to waive the fee, but when a white man stepped in, suddenly the rules changed.
Maybe this would not have happened at a bigger airport. Maybe it would not have happened if everyone had been Caucasian. Who knows what would have happened if a man of color had been the one offering to pay the difference. Would they all be flagged by the TSA for extra screening?
As inspirational as Barak Obama's actions were, this really should not be the exception; it should be the rule.