With Elaine’s help, I gathered details like a detective on a mission. The man’s name? Trevor — courtesy of his flashy briefcase. He worked in finance and had a fear of flying so obvious, even his whiskey couldn’t hide it. Between Elaine’s sharp memory and my internet sleuthing, we built a perfect profile.
Then came the masterpiece: a LinkedIn post. No names, but full of quotes, photos of the cracked screen, and a subtle tag of his company — known for preaching “corporate responsibility.” I ended it with, “Happy to provide witnesses.” The internet did the rest. It went viral.
Within days, the comments flooded in. “Sounds like Trevor from our Chicago branch!” “Sat next to this guy last month — same behavior!” Five days later, I got a message from his company’s PR director: “We’d like to speak with you about your experience.”
On the call, I stayed calm, professional, and factual. I referenced my witness and sent them a repair estimate. They didn’t argue. In the end? Trevor didn’t pay out of guilt — his employer did it to protect their reputation. As for me? My thesis survived. My laptop got fixed. And Trevor learned the hard way: next time, check behind before you recline.