It's time for another Tommy Boy reference everyone. I tried to find the clip on YouTube but was not successful. Remember that scene in Tommy Boy when he's getting off the plane and his luggage comes off in trash bags? I had that moment flying back from Cali this week. You see, although I flew out on US Airways, my return flight was on Continental. I was about 99% sure that my bag weighed a little more coming home than it did flying out, but considering that I was able to pay the overweight bag fee, I was not concerned of my bag being rejected. So I roll up to the counter and tell the lady at the desk that she might as well take my credit card b/c this is going to cost me. Allow me to play out the scene for you.

Extremely nice Continental desk clerk: As long as your bag doesn't weigh over 70 pounds you'll be fine.

Me: Oh, that's going to be an issue b/c I know it's over 70 pounds.

ENCDC: Well, let's just put it on the scale and see.
Me: No, I assure you this bag is over 70 pounds.

ENCDC: We don't take bags that are over 70 pounds.

Me: (absolutely dumbfounded look) What do you mean you don't take them? What would you suggest I do?

ENCDC: Any bag over 70 pounds is considered cargo. You could go buy a bag.

Me: (to myself-where? at the bag store that you have conveniently located at the airport BEFORE security) What else you got?

ENCDC: Well, let's open your bag and see what we can do.

So together we open my gigantic suitcase and take out the two bags of laundry and my jewelry case.

ENCDC: There! You've made weight.

Me: Okay, but what do I do with these other bags? I already have my two carry ones that you say I can have.

ENCDC: Yeah, that's an issue. Okay, let's see what else we can do.

Back to opening the suitcase again. Now with my dirty laundry in bags on the floor. Meanwhile a line is forming behind me, so I have now become the customer in the bag check line that I hate. The person who seems like this is the first time they have ever flown. It's embarrassing. But right as I'm about to crawl into my suitcase and just tell her to zip it up, it dawns on me that I have a hanging garment bag. So I take that sucker out, replace the dirty clothes bags and hope for the best.

ENCDC: Yeah that still weighs too much.

Me: (breathe, breathe, breathe)

Take out the two dirty laundry bags and put it in with the other garments, still able to zipper.

ENCDC: One more thing and you should be set.

Open the bag again and this time take out some gifts that I bought.

Me: Can you deal with 70.5 pounds? Can I get away with that?

ENCDC: Yep, let's get this done.

So I hand her my Delta frequently flyer card to add my numbers to the ticket.

ENCDC: We don't take that. We don't code share with them anymore

Me: (tick, tick, tick) Work with me here, what do you take?

ENCDC: United, US Airways...

Me: Wait, you are code sharing with US Airways, but you have completely different baggage policies? I'm so confused.

ENCDC: Well, you see...

Me: Nevermind, that's fine, what gate?

So, I bid my baggage adue and head home. As I arrive in DC, I see a strange bag coming around the belt. Everyone is looking at it, and even I am smirking a little bit. B/c it's actually in a Continental garbage bag. It's exactly like Tommy Boy landed in DC and was on my flight and I didn't even know it. As it gets closer, I realize that the bag is actually mine. I'm mortified! But at the same time I take a picture b/c this is classic!

The lesson of the story is to not judge a bag by the content of it's character, b/c that POS could be yours!