The humor that stuck: Airplane!
A couple of weeks ago I was on an airplane flying home from Las Vegas. I was reading pretty intently. I didn’t bother to listen to the in-flight safety routine. In fact, I never even saw my flight stewardess until she came around with the drink cart. When I looked up to give her my order, I couldn’t believe it. I was staring right at Elaine, the character from the movie Airplane!. This woman looked exactly like actress Julie Hagerty. She even had the same vacant look as Elaine. In the movie, Elaine was the dim, spaced-out, perpetually worried stewardess character. I love irony like that. I mean, an airline stewardess who looks like an airline stewardess from a movie. I was chuckling over this little coincidence when it suddenly occurred to me: I was on a flight operated by United airlines subsidiary Ted. Ted was Elaine’s ex-boyfriend in Airplane! He is the troubled alcoholic pilot who is called upon to land the plane when the pilot gets sick. Ted and Elaine. A double irony right out of nowhere. It doesn’t get any better than that.
I kept waiting for “Elaine” to come on the intercom with this message from the movie:
"There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?"
9:29:53 PM 
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