[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

It sounds like that flight attendant has the airline's "SOP" manual, and FAA regulations, with her for bedtime reading. She was, obviously, enforcing EVERYTHING, down to the last period and question mark. I have no problem with that. What I DO have a problem with is inconsistent enforcement, by the airlines, of rules. I have flown, in first class and had no space, in the overhead bin, because the flight attendants allowed the coach passengers to fill-up the first class bins. I have seen bags, the dimension of duffle bags, being put into the overhead bin.

Because I used to work with a few "Ms. Oswalds" I know that the "rule book" can, without warning, be pulled-out at any time. So, when I fly, I prepare accordingly.

It sounds like Ms. Oswald is a power-drunk bitch who hates her job, and a lot of the customers she comes in contact with. Having said that, she DID, to my understanding, have the "rules" on her side. There is a weight limit as to what can be put into the overhead bins. British Air is nice enough to put a small sticker below the latch of every bin door, stating exactly what the limit is (it's quoted in metric however.) And, yes, for those flight attendants who want to move into the stratosphere of being anal retentive--everyone is supposed to have all of their things directly overhead. Although, the only flights where I've seen that happen, on a regular basis, is on the essential air service flights to a town south of where I live--Worland, Wyo. ("WRL")--and those flights average about 4 - 5 passengers per flight!

Again, if airlines, or anyone else, are inconsistent with enforcing rules, then they're asking for problems.