You have made my day, holophrastic. For real? They let you scream and shout, bully and bluster for three solid hours before taking your money? Wow. When I was working we had our own ways of torturing annoying customers, but that is classic. Trust me, you didn't win.
Here, let me tell you about an incident I was involved in last year. You should know that I am medically retired. The relevant part is that while I am mostly pretty mobile, there are circumstances when I benefit from the use of a wheelchair. Airports are one such place - it's the standing in line that my legs object to.
As it happens, the party in front of us in the check-in queue at Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport were in a similar situation. The matriarch of the family took control of the situation. She knew, as you do, that if you kick up a big enough fuss, things will happen. She did not accept the check-in clerk's explanation that the man who takes care of disabled travellers was busy and please could she take a seat. And sure enough, after fifteen minutes of yelling and screaming, a wheelchair appeared. She had won. Imagine how smugly she rolled to the customs queue.
My time dealing with arseholes on a daily basis had taught me a different lesson. I knew that a simple human connection is all it takes. So I looked the clerk in the eye, nodded towards the departing wheelchair and shook my head glumly. I knew just how the clerk felt, and I let her know it. She explained that the man who takes care of disabled customers was busy and please could I take a seat. I took a seat. We had checked in; the plane wouldn't leave without us. Fifteen placid minutes later, a motorised buggy arrived, complete with the man who takes care of disabled customers. We all sat on it and glided past all the queues that lay between us and our airplane.
We also glided past shouty-lady. As she diminished in the rear view mirror I heard her shouting, to no-one in particular, "How the **** did they get a ***ing buggy! It's ****ing discrimination! I want the ****ing manager! Now!"