you would only get the slightest whiff...

...that might smack of the least bit of a very minor form of dishonesty. But if I go ahead and confess, clear my conscience to make it squeaky, I won't feel badly or have any qualms about doing it again. And doing it again is very likely to occur the next time I have reason to go some place that requires passing through the Busiest Airport on the Planet. Hmmm.... almost certain to happen if I am not traveling with someone who would snatch me back, saying: "Mom! You can't do that!"

What happens is that when you print your boarding pass and get to the proper gate to await the call for actually getting on, the airline employee (hereafter referred to as Gatekeeper) will get on the public address system and announce it is time to stand in another line. Gatekeeper will call the people who have 'A' boarding passes making them feel Very Special. So they get up and get in line to be the first ones to get on and take a seat. While the rest of us mill around the margins, hoping we are not playing a game of Musical Chairs and won't be someone left standing when they slam the door.

Apparently the system works in a manner that allows the first ones to 'confirm' their reservations in that 24  hour window prior to flight, to be assigned a lower number that permits them to be the first ones on - also the first ones off. This last time I failed to confirm, waiting until I got to the airport about an hour before take off, so I was lagging, in the tail end to get on for seating.  Causing me to end up in a middle seat crunched between two people who were not communicative at all.

But here is what usually happens: I ease myself into the first boarding group, and just somehow neglect to patiently wait for my number to be called. In the chaos of scanning boarding passes, and people jostling in line, babies crying, drinks spilled, luggage mis-put, sandwiches gobbled, phones snatched from wall sockets, it's really easy to insert myself in with the first group called to trot down the gangway and onto the flight. It has always worked in the past.  I assumed my subterfuge would work again.

But not today: Mr. Gatekeeper, scanning passes to let people past the desk and into the tunnel leading to the airplane said: "Your pass says 'C' and this is 'B', so you will have to wait." I said: "Oh, sorry." And turned around to insert myself (inappropriately) in the middle of the line of sheep patiently, calmly waiting their turn.

Then, when I finally got on board, dragging my suitcase and whacking into people on both sides of the aisle, the stew. person said it is all open seating, so you are welcome to take any empty spot. Now I ask you: why do they make such a big deal about boarding 'in the proper order' if there are no assigned or reserved seats? You better believe I will be trying my 'early-boarding' trick again the next time I get ready to go off into the wild blue yonder....