Jet Blue Flight Attendant -JFK

[Imzadi]

Seriously, this guy should claim he had a concussion from the hit on the head. I'm sure he could find a sympathetic doctor (they deal with the public, too) who could diagnose him as such. It would certainly explain his behavior and get him off the hook for his actions.

He probably could find an attorney who would use that defense. It's never a dull moment in the Big Apple. Just when you think you've seen everything . . . you haven't.

Well, it "cost" him his job only in that Jet Blue would have probably let him go anyway... depending on exactly what he said, IF he hadn't made the conscious decision to leave on his own. Given his lengthy career as a Flight Attendant, this was apparently the last straw in a long list of incidents - not an isolated occurrence that made him suddenly snap and behave in any version that could be considered immature.

Yes, I wonder if the fact that it took the flight crew 25 minutes to report it was because, A) they were still applauding the FA. B) They were cheering themselves. C) They had to debate among themselves as to whether to report it, as they had seen themselves how that passenger behaved and probably sided with Steve.

The news article the OP quoted said the FA "evaded authorities." No, he was found at home guzzling the beer.

 

[redlight]

I'm sure by the time he opened the chute, he wasn't too concerned about his professionalism.

Yes, as I said, that was gone long before the chute.

 

[novajeanjellybean]

I just keep picturing the flight attendant on the PA!!!I can just imagine!!! It reminds of the part of House Party 3 when they were at dinner and the dad snaps. (I loved that movie when I was in middle school)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Some people are made for customer service and some aren't. This FA is a fee fries short of a happy meal. Simply not the way to handle things. I must live in an alternate universe as I hadn't thought that passengers are that bad for him to warrant such a following.

Since the slide deployed, I'm sure--though could be mistaken, they would have no choice but to report him. Not exactly something that could be hidden.

Additionally--was this plane scheduled for more flights that day or the next morning? Was this FA's show justified as to disrupt other passenger's travel plans?

It was incredibly immature, stupid, and selfish regardless of how justified his anger was.

Can't say that I can be a fan of any customer service employee who hates the clientele that much. I had a relative that worked for ME. Thank goodness he finally quit because he was a non stop complainer. He had no joy in the job anyway...but he was really bothered by customers "who could not read" or "follow simple directions". This happened daily--and I'm sure he wouldn't have been celebrated for doing a similar act. There is no way all the guests can be that way, but you would never know it talking to him. And I cleaned toilets for Disney (Vero Beach).
As ticked as I might have ever been at a customer mistreating me (happened rarely), it didn't occur to me to be so disruptive as to
interrupt business for other customers who did
nothing.

 

[MiniGirl]

Okay, I'll admit that I have mixed feelings about this. I was a f/a for alomst 20 years. People were bad then but I know they have only gotten worse. I once had 2 people yelling at me over my shoulder. One because I would not get them the soda they asked for 5 minutes ago and the other one because I wouldn't give them their change right that minute. The kicker...... I was in the middle of the aisle performing chest compressions on a passenger that had just had a heart attack and wasn't breathing. (That was obviously before we had the defibrillators on the plane.) I was also subject to the absolute worst verbal tirade I have ever experienced in my life because it was lightening and the plane was grounded. I was told that if I cared at all about my job I would make it stop. Do any of you remember those phanes that used to be on the planes? You would put your credit card in a slot and then take the handset back to your seat. Well, a roommate was hit in the head with one of those. Her offense? The passenger didn't have a strawberry on his plate like the other passengers did, and that was her fault. Forget that catering missed one plate. Forget that they were at 28,000 ft and there was no way to get a stupid strawberry.

You know what was worse than all of those (and the many other stories I could tell you)? Was that in each and every one of those instances the airline (at least the one I worked for) not only sided with the passenger but would APOLOGIZE to the passenger for my (or the other f/a's) behavior and give the passenger a travel voucher.

So, while this guy's behavior was certainly not professional, I certainly understand where he was coming from. I know he only did what probably every other line f/a had always fantasized about doing. As to why they waited so long to report it.... well, they were, undoubtedly busy doing other things. The crew now had an airplane with a slide blown. That is a huge deal!! They also may have thought someone else reported it.

 

[klacey1]

All of you (us) who work with the public should check out notalwaysright.com ... and then blame darsa when you can't tear yourself away...

As a former waitress and retail associate, thank you. Laughing hysterically.

 

[Imzadi]

Some people are made for customer service and some aren't.

He worked 20 years as a FA without an incident of this level.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Some people are made for customer service and some aren't. This FA is a fee fries short of a happy meal. Simply not the way to handle things.

And some people who are "made for" customer service get so fed up after 20 years of it that they do something so dramatic yet ultimately harmless that it garners them at least two days of news, multiple talk show topics, and 62,000+ Facebook fans.

 

[Darsa]

All of you (us) who work with the public should check out notalwaysright.com ... and then blame darsa when you can't tear yourself away...

I absolutely take full responsibility If you have ever worked retail in your life, you need to check out that site!

 

[RelloCat]

I have sympathy for the actions of the flight attendant. Passengers are sometimes the biggest jerks.

 

[JoShan1719]

All of you (us) who work with the public should check out notalwaysright.com ... and then blame darsa when you can't tear yourself away...

That site has been bookmarked on my computer for a year now. I check it every day when I get to work. Too funny!

I work at the front desk of a hotel and this guy is tops in my book People have taken "The customer is always right" to a whole new level. Was it professional? No. But I'm pretty sure he didn't care about being professional.

This girl did something along the same lines. Kuddos to her for creativity!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

He worked 20 years as a FA without an incident of this level.

It seemed he must not have enjoyed it if something was stewing that bad inside of him to verbally abuse a passenger.

I find it interesting that this "harmless" act is okay. He cost the airline money and possibly delayed passengers. No big deal in the long run--but that doesn't make what he did okay.

Can you imagine of a Disney cast member went off on a guest lime that?

No--no employee should have to deal with "abuse" of any customer--doesn't make it right nor deserves celebration if they do. In fact, shouldn't their be protocols in place if said FA wanted to get the point across--maybe have the passenger detained as a terrorist threat or something? Authorities called for
assault? The outlandishness of his action makes this a funny story, but it doesn't make him a "hero".

 

[Jennasis]

Out of curiosity, has their been any word from the passenger who lit the fuse by hitting the guy in the head and ignoring instructions to sit?

FWIW, I think the FA should lose his job and he should have to pay for any damage (or the ramp), but no charges should be filed (criminally). Don't know if I would call him a hero, but I don't think what he did was so bad.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Out of curiosity, has their been any word from the passenger who lit the fuse by hitting the guy in the head and ignoring instructions to sit?

FWIW, I think the FA should lose his job and he should have to pay for any damage (or the ramp), but no charges should be filed (criminally). Don't know if I would call him a hero, but I don't think what he did was so bad.

I haven't seen the name yet but there is a free paper here in the city (Metro) that is asking people to "out" the passenger if you know who it is.

And as for being professional, I can't imagine working in that job for 20 years. The general public can be mean and nasty. I gather that between the stress of the job and his mother's cancer he reached his breaking point. While I will never quit a job that way, I have certainly envisioned it.

 

[GeorgeG]

It's sad that rudeness has become a way of life. The only way to change that is to hold people accountable for their rudeness and not "turn the other cheek." I'm not advocating going to blows everytime someone is rude, but when rude people are allowed to get away with it they feel more empowered.

For flight attendants who are held responsible for controlling rude passengers, I think they should be issued tasers. There has to be some consequence for being rude and/or unruley, especially when the comfort and safety of the passengers who behave is at stake. It seems the more civilized we get, the less civilized we behave.

 

[kaytieeldr]

As a former waitress and retail associate, thank you. Laughing hysterically.

Oh, in that case, thank Darsa!!! It took me five days to get through 279 pages the first time she posted the link! It keeps growing, it's great!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I absolutely take full responsibility If you have ever worked retail in your life, you need to check out that site!

... or customer service, or, really, any job where you deal with the public! That's a great site!

 

[eliza61]

Sorry I dont have any sympathy. This guy got paid to do a job. He should suck it up and do his job. Why dont we just all quit when the going gets a little tough.

BULL!! No one should have to "suck up" abuse. If a guy was beating his wife should she just "suck it up" because he's providing for her? Should those people in Conneticut just have to suck it up when a wackadoodle walks in and starts blowing people away because he got fired. Why the hell should anyone be forced to tolerate abuse?

You go to work to do just that. WORK! not to get beat up, hit in the head or any other crap. My neighbor is a ticket agent for USair. this winter she has had hot coffee thrown on her, spit on and cursed out. Why? because flights were cancelled due to the snow. I posted a thread begging people to give them a break. So you're saying that because some one works with the public you get to punch them in the head and they are supposed to "suck it up"? Does your boss get to harrass you?

When they closed down the airports due to the volcano she started carrying a can of pepper spray because she knew people were going to start acting like park apes. How horrible does the public have to act when in order to do a routine job causes you to carry pepper spray?

 

[eliza61]

I absolutely take full responsibility If you have ever worked retail in your life, you need to check out that site!

You are my hero today. This site is a new favorite.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Send your US Airways friend the link, too, eliza. Sounds like she needs the laugh!!!