WATCH: Teen Apologizes to Passengers for Bad Airport Etiquette

Don’t even think about butting in line on a Southwest Airlines flight. If you do, you may be subject to public shaming and viral status on YouTube.

That’s exactly what happened to a teenager from Austin, Texas, last week, when he was caught jumping ahead of other passengers as he boarded his flight.

The teen was travelling with his lacrosse team and coaches. When other members of his team were called to board, he joined them—despite the fact that Southwest has a first-come, first-seated policy based on check-in time, and the teen wasn’t among those who had checked in early. Passengers are called in groups, with early check-ins getting first choice for seat picks.

When the teen’s coach caught him jumping the line, he, along with some help from the Southwest crew, arranged for a public apology over the plane’s intercom.

“This is not how my coaches, teammates or parents expect me to behave,” the teen read from a prepared statement the flight attendants gave him. “And for all of this, I apologize. I hope you will all find it in your hearts to forgive me, for I am simply a young man that thinks I am smarter than I am.”

Of course, no public shaming would be complete without an online component. A video of the apology quickly went viral on YouTube, attracting close to 250,000 views in just one week.

What’s the rudest behaviour YOU’VE ever seen on a flight?