<p>FWIW the one time it happened to me I didn’t feel pressure to participate, just surprise. I wasn’t asked to pay for the next guy, just told the guy ahead of me had paid for me. . Sure, you can call me a sucker and tell me I shouldn’t have done it, that SB was trying to create a chain, especially since my drink was simple and cheap, but it was a harmless enough thing to do. But maybe it was spontaneous on the part of the guy in front of me. Maybe he had cut me off and I didn’t notice or maybe I let him go ahead of me in traffic somewhere on the way to SB. </p>
<p>I like being a compassionate flyer on the airlines. I have been that woman flying alone with two small, restless children, so I try to be patient and if I have any little distractions to offer I do so. I really like the idea of letting a soldier sit in my first class seat (if I ever have one!).</p>