headsets and layovers

the thing about headsets:
i had my first complaint made against me this past trip. i am very sad. the guest had asked me for headphones like half of them do so i replied with the answer that is true and honest. "i'm sorry, headphones are for sale at the gate and we do not have any available onboard the aircraft." to which he replied something like " well the Other flight attendants said they would look to see if they had any and i saw some up in first class."
well.. what do i say to that? oh ok i'll run up to first class and steal a pair from someone who paid twice as much as you to sit up there and get everything for free? i dont think so. so i politely replied with something like this " in first class they get the headphones complimentary. and we dont carry extra onboard because we have no way to sell them, i know we have none because i have already checked for other passengers. i paused to see if he had anything else to say, then when he didnt, i apologized again and turned to make sure the rest of the cabin was secure and answer the same questions about headphones and blankets and pillows. i didnt give it any more thought because, and if youre a fa you know, we have to tell so many people about headphones and other items on the plane that it becomes a routine. but this gentleman was MAD at me. and throughout the entire flight i had no clue. part way through the flight he came up to the other main cabin fa and told her that i was mean to him and that i didnt give him headphones that i said i cant help you and walked away. the sad part about this is that he didnt tell me that he was upset, and she didnt either. so i couldnt placate him or turn his frown upside down because no one let me know that there was an angry man onboard! as we landed and he left, the guest said out loud while passing my lead and my captain "tell stephanie thanks for nothing." which really hurt my feelings. my lead had no idea what was going on and neither did i, my capt said the guy was just being a jerk and told me not to worry about it. and it took an entire crew to come together and figure out who he was and why he was so mad at me. turns out during the flight someone in first class gave up his headphones for one reason or another so my lead gave them to the guest who had asked all of us for headphones. this probably made me look like i just didnt want to give him what he wanted. which is why he would be mad at me. it isnt the case though, i dont have the ability to conjure up whatever will make you happy, if i did i wouldnt be a flight attendant i would be a UN humanitarian worker. im still upset about it because even on my tired days i have never snapped at a guest or have been what may be construed at intentionally mean to a guest. and i have to agree with my capt that the man was being a jerk, couldnt even come up to me in the 5 hours we had in the air to discuss his feelings of neglect or anger.

let it be, just let it be

layovers:
SFO: the best authentic mexican food is Taco Luis on broadway in burlingame. its located in a little asian grocery store and is fantastic to run to and pick up a burrito to take with you on the plane.
LAX: manhattan beach is the greatest escape from the airport and frustrated passengers. i love to lay out in the sand,watch surfers, play in the waves and occasionally watch dolphins hunt along the shore. you can take the trolley from the strip of hotels roundtrip $3.
IAD: our hotel is situated just right. there is a mall that you can kill time and money in, a movie theater and pubs and restaurants, borders is located in the same parking lot, then behind the hotel is a shopping center with target, books a million, michaels and Don Pablos.