[Bcopeland]

Shame on you, Continental, for having an employee who embarrasses and insults Senior travelers, lies about his name, hides his name tag, and doesn’t know his airport codes!

As I passed through the gate to board Continental Flight 387, Newark to John Wayne Airport, on May 23, 2011, a male gate official selected me and told me that my carry on bag would have to be checked.

I told him that my bag would not survive the check in process, but he tagged it anyhow. I asked if I could remove the valuables and jewelry inside, and he told me I could not. He tagged my bag and handed me a copy of the tag. My husband and I could only see the first name on his name tag, but we both made mental notes of it, “Jay.”

My husband suggested we move the tag to his bag, which was sturdier and contained no valuables. We made the switch.

When the gate official saw the tag on my husband’s bag, he became irate. “You can’t do that!” he shouted. He grabbed for my husband’s bag and I stopped his hand. “Don’t touch my hand. I tagged your bag and you have to check it or you’ll be in big trouble.”

“Can I take my jewelry out first?” I asked.

“Absolutely not,” he said.

“What’s your name?” my husband asked.

“You don’t need to know what my name is.” He turned his body away covered the name tag with his hand. “Jason,” he said, despite the fact that his tag said “Jay.”

Then the stewardess came out and said that all of the carry-on bags belonging to people in the jetway would have to be checked. I told her I had to take out my jewelry, and she stood between me and the irate gate official while I, a 69 year old grandmother, sat on the floor in full view of the other passengers, unpacked my bag, took out my valuables, and repacked.

After we were seated, my husband looked at the copy of the tag that Jay or Jason had put on my bag. Instead of SNA, the symbol for John Wayne Airport, it said SAA, Shivley Airport in Saratoga Wyoming!

Other passengers in the gangway expressed their distaste for Jay or Jason and apologized for his behavior. Several came over to me during the flight to make sure I was OK.

However, no one connected with Continental said a word about it...I guess that’s how Continental does business.