Getting my comeuppance

I am good and smart — others are weak-willed and stupid

Dunking (Danny Karwoski / Keith Allison)

A brisk morality tale for Friday. Yesterday on Bluesky I came across a post quoting a Wall Street Journal article, which revealed that the Trump administration’s understanding of global insurance markets isn’t quite what one might hope it to be.

Unable to refrain either from inserting myself or somehow making everything about aviation, I fired off a post of my own, referring to a recent incident whereby a stranded passenger called up the British Airways helpline requesting a flight out of Oman. To which the operator replied “Oman… Can you spell that for me?” This struck me as a not wholly reassuring question from an airline employee in the midst of a Middle East crisis.

[Side note: I now realise this tickled me at least in part because it echoed a story — surely apocryphal — told by my English teacher many years ago. The King of Norway was visiting BBC World Service at Bush House and introduced himself to the receptionist, who kindly asked him to wait. She then proceeded to pick up the phone before turning to her guest and asking, “Sorry, you’re the King of where, did you say?”]

Anyway, Oman. My post didn’t exactly represent the steepest of social media dunks. No names were named or small animals harmed. There was no reputational damage, job losses or deep emotional distress caused. No one even consumed a Tide pod. It was just the usual online fare, intended to demonstrate that I am good and smart but everyone else is weak-willed and stupid. And the smattering of ‘likes’ suggested I’d pulled it off.

Then, a short time later, someone replied with mundane expertise.