While headed to NYC for a work conference yesterday, I sat in the business class cabin of an Amtrak train (#ExpenseLife I’d be regular shmegular in coach otherwise lol…jk….I’d probably be on MegaBus).
Two business men sat in front of me, seemingly working on a deal. They fit the classic Wall Street stereotype of tall, white men in pristinely tailored suits.
When the ticket agent came around to check our tickets, she realized that one of the men had a ticket for coach. She said, “Excuse me sir, you don’t have a business class ticket. You’ll need to move up to a different cabin.”
Looking at his colleague who DID have a business class ticket, the man with the coach ticket said “I’m with him. Can’t I just stay here? This cabin isn’t even full.”
His logic? The cabin was pretty empty after all and he needed to get work done. Because of his association with the other gentleman, he should be allowed to stay.
At this moment…I looked up looking pretty much like this…
At this moment…I looked up looking pretty much like this… pic.twitter.com/sjOED00xIx
— Atasha Jordan (@AtashaJordan) July 28, 2018
The ticket agent seemed to share my dismay. Again, she told him “Sir, you’ll need to move, or upgrade to business class.”
Seemingly embarrassed in front of his colleague, the man without the business class ticket made a big scene about the fact that he wasn’t allowed to stay in business class without the upgrade. In the end, he and his colleague ended up moving to coach.
Imagine! Would you ever get on a plane and just sit in first class because there was an empty seat?? I know I wouldn’t!
The train is a slightly different situation, but this still made me think about the factors that made this tall, white businessman assume he could sit in business class with his coach ticket. The gentleman assumed that he could take up space in a place that he technically didn’t belong.
Yes, he probably had the funds to purchase the upgrade, but my question is, why didn’t he do that from the beginning, instead of trying to finagle his way into a free business class seat??
I’m not sure that women or people of color would be so bold to assume that they could ride in business class without having purchased the ticket. My final thoughts? His societal privilege as a white man gave him the belief that he could just stay in business class because he wanted to….
What are your thoughts on this white man deciding to sit in business class despite the fact that he bought a coach ticket?
Was it a display of white privilege? Is it not that big a deal? Let me know your thoughts below!
Peace and blessings,
Atasha Jordan, MD (to be)
Wow. That is definitely a classic case of white privilege. To imagine that you experienced that so recently! I feel you with the #expense life. I have come across a lot of people who were visibly shocked to see me boarding a plane first class and even told me that I must be mistaken as “this is first class”. Its quite shocking to see people exhibit their blind privilege to unabashedly. so sad
Author
That’s horrible that you get treated like that on flights! I’ve heard other consultants say the same, and even hear of black celebrities who get similar treatment. Since I haven’t done a travel case, I haven’t had the personal experience with the questioning looks that people talk about. On the other hand, the optimist in me sometimes wonders how much of our experience as people of color is perception vs reality. Which is why I posed the question about this white privilege example. It could be a display of white privilege…or there could be an unknown backstory behind it. Who knows?