These days we all have options when we travel. For example, when traveling within the states, we have the option of driving, taking a train, or riding a bus. But perhaps the most popular way to travel for most folks would be by airplane. It’s by far the fastest, and arguably the most convenient. Once we step on a plane in one location, we are at our destination before we know it, which can sometimes be hundreds or even thousands of miles away from where we started. Flying is a modern convenience that most of us have come to rely on and appreciate.
But, while flying is convenience and for most certainly beats spending hours driving to our destination, there are a few challenges associated with it. One of those problems concerns the fact that we are often crammed next to complete strangers. In most situations, people have very few issues with their fellow passengers and are able to put their heads into a good book or take a nap in peace until they land. However, for Savannah Phillips, the situation turned ugly very quickly but wound up becoming an unforgettable experience that she will always appreciate. It was one of those situations where a person starts off angry but ends up cheering when it’s all said and done.
Savannah had a very disturbing experience during her flight. While she wasn’t a newbie and flew on a regular basis, on this occasion, the 32-year-old woman experienced something she had not encountered before. And she shared her experience with others on Facebook. Keep in mind; she didn’t do this to garner attention. Savannah just wanted others to know about the kind act of one total stranger.
Savannah was on a flight headed to Chicago but had already been switched to different flights several times due to the storms in the area. She usually picked the seat in advance so she could have the row to herself whenever possible.
She admits that she isn’t the biggest person on a plane, but she’s also not the smallest. Her kind demeanor usually makes her choose a set that’s not next to anyone else. She never wants anyone to feel uncomfortable.
But on this particular flight, her seat was assigned when she got to the gate. She was a bit nervous, but as it turns out, the older gentleman sitting next to her was quite the comedian.
The situation seemed pretty harmless at first, with the 60-year-old man sitting next to her wearing bright yellow glasses. He even got up so she could get into her seat, which seemed kind enough at first.
The flight attendant made her way through the mandatory safety speech, and then the “comedian” seated next to her pulled out his phone and proceeded to send a text to someone, which absolutely shocked Savannah. She was able to see his phone because it was only a few inches from her face.
“He proceeded to text someone that he was sitting next to ‘a smelly fatty.'”
Savanah was devastated over what she read. She turned away from the man immediately, but could not get what he had written about her out of her mind. Like many people, Savannah deals with toxic negative thoughts, so this only compounded her problems.
“Before I knew it, I could feel hot, salty tears coming down my face. I sat and cried silently, hoping this guy didn’t try to make small talk, because I didn’t trust how I would react and I didn’t want to get kicked off the plane. I was so hurt. The pilot came overhead and said there would be a 30 minute delay before he could take off- great. Just more time I would have to sit next to this creep.”
At that point, the young lady could not stop her tears from flowing, so she pushed herself away from the offensive man and into the window of the wall of the plane, hoping that she would not be noticed. But that when someone from behind tapped the man on the shoulder and informed him that he would be switching seats with her right away.
When the rude “comedian” asked him why he wished to switch seats, the man told him, along with a bit of colorful language: “You are texting about her, and I’m not putting up with that.”
Before the older man had a chance to say anything else, the stranger shoved his way into the aisle and sat down right next to Savannah. It was then the man noticed that she had been crying and told that he had also seen the horrible text message.
“He encouraged me not to let that guy get to me and that everything was going to be fine. We talked about Ross and the kids, his two year old son, our jobs, amongst other things. He said he just happened to see that guy’s text messages and he started shaking he was so mad and knew he had to do something. He stopped the flight attendant and told her what he was about to do.”
Savannah was very grateful and let him know just how much his act of chivalry meant to her. The flight attendant was also thankful, and she called the man “her hero.”
All Savannah could think about at the moment was how blessed she was to have someone stand up for her during such a despairing moment in her life. She believed it was an act of God.
“And God saw me today. I told him that he was a blessing sent to me and how thankful I was that he was there.”
After she shared her story on Facebook, she put out a plea for help to locate her kind hero. It turns out, his name is Chase, and he works for Whiskey Row in Nashville. More than anything, she wanted people to know what Chase did for her and that there were “more good people in the world than bad.”
Incredibly, she managed to find him. You can watch him describe his response when he saw what happened to Savannah and why he felt compelled to speak out in this video.
Please be sure to share this inspirational story with your friends and family.