Back in 2006-2007 timeframe, I was a mad dog FO. I had a rushed commute, I hit some unexpected traffic and my first flight had seats but the second was oversold with jump seat taken. I got to parking lot in time grabbed my bags and hustled to catch airport shuttle. Once on the shuttle I realized I left my hat in my trunk. Oh well. I get to jetway for my first working leg a few hours later and I’m in the jetway as the pilots come off. ( Delta had asked the LCA’s to enforce the hat policy because a lot of pilots weren’t wearing them). An LCA comes off the plane and looks at me, looks at the top of my suitcase to see if there is a hat there, then looks back at me with disgust and says “Where’s your hat?” I politely explained my stressful commute and that I forgot it in my trunk. He says “Well, don’t do that again! I’m an LCA and they want us to make sure you guys are wearing your hat.” I said “Don’t do what again? Don’t make every effort to make it to work on time? Or don’t accidentally leave something behind?”

He took a deep breath and walked away. The FA’s were getting off the plane and saw the altercation. As I’m getting my bags situated in the cockpit, the jetway phone starts ringing. I’m thinking there’s no way he already reported me to the CPO, but I answered the phone because I was the only one down there at the time. It was the lead FA calling from the gate desk. She said “Prepare yourself to get a call about this. We just spent two days flying with him and he is an @sshole. Good luck.”

I never heard anything about it, but don’t think Delta won’t try to fight back.