Cat-like Reflexes

Okay, I guess it wasn’t good to just drop I saved a kid’s life at the airport and leave it at that. But that post was about all that was good with my trip, not stressful. Anyway, here’s the story, in a post of its own.

I’m at baggage claim at the San Diego airport waiting for my bag to be catapulted onto the conveyor belt below. I’m not exaggerating there. The bags drop with a vengeance, and some bounce back up, sometimes almost off the belt. I assume someone was once hurt by a rogue bag and that explains the small Plexiglas partition and metal rail in front of that exact spot where the bags drop onto the belt and rebound.

Just to the right of said spot is where a mother, grandmother and 3 year old were standing. Or should I say that is where a mother and grandmother let their son/grandson stand, and then proceeded not to pay attention to him.

I’ll be frank and tell you I flipped them a look—which I hope conveyed Really?? You’re gonna let him stand there? Do you see those bags flying off?—but to no avail.

And the next thing I knew this little boy, who was wearing a shell necklace that went down to about his knees, was four feet down the conveyor, being dragged by his necklace that was caught on the wheel of a suitcase.

With my cat-like reflexes (go ahead and laugh, Jill and Jon did) I reached out and snapped the necklace, thereby detaching the boy from the suitcase and preventing his injury/death.

Yay, me right? Nope.

As soon as I released him he started crying and ran back to his mom, who said, “it’s okay, we’ll get you a new necklace,” as she flipped me a dirty look.

Yes. Really.