cultural reference? Or coincidence?

I was waiting in the airport, yesterday evening, for Eor's sister to come off a flight, and there was an older man there waiting for someone who came off the flight immediately previous. His person came out dead last, after even the flight crew, and as soon as the doors opened in front of her he said, "There you are! I was afraid you'd pulled a Charlie and fell asleep!"

Of course I wanted to chase them and pepper him with questions! Was he referring to "Charlie on the MTA"? If so, does he actually think it's a song about a guy who falls asleep on a train? How many people think that it's about a guy who falls asleep on the train? Because that seems far too... normal. Average. Boring. It happens all the time, why would anyone write a song about it? I mean, airlines are always pulling fair increase stunts, and I think I actually have heard of one that was mid-flight, but if you made a reference like that I guess you would have to say that someone had a Charlie pulled on them.

OTOH, even if you totally knew what the song was about I guess one still might refer to falling asleep on transit-of-choice as pulling a Charlie, just because the person doesn't get off at their stop. Or maybe he actually knew someone named Charlie who did that. Hm.

(no subject)

Also, the Heebee-jeebees version of "Charlie" continues to make me crack up. :)