Live from the Line: Hands Down

Posted in Live from the Line | 10 comments

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I know a lot of you including @SkyVan on twitter wonder why I work New York – LA all the time, and its a simple reason really: No one senior to me wants to do it, so I always hold my first preference in New York trips. In essence that allows me to build my schedule the way I like it. Lately, the passengers have been better than they have been in the past. I’m in the middle of a four day trip right now and of course, just worked New York to LA and there was only two passengers who got on my nerves. Go figure they were traveling together.

Just after take off I went to the overhead bin where my bags were stowed to get my lunch bag when someone behind the bulkhead asked me if I had a blanket. Because of “swine flu” we no longer have blankets, so I apologized to her and told her that we do sell them though and that she was welcome to order one. While this conversation took place, the woman sitting in the middle seat behind the passenger who asked me for a blanket started waving her hand in my face to get my attention. She didn’t raise her hand, she didn’t ring the call button, she didn’t say excuse me; she instead waved her hand as close to my face as she could possibly get. In the middle of explaining to the lady why we had no blankets, I had to stop, turn to this woman and say “I’ll be with you in a minute” to have her reply “well, that was rude.”

I’m sorry, “I’ll be with you in a minute” was RUDE? Was your hand in my face NOT rude?

So, I brought my bag back to the galley then returned to this woman to see what she needed. She told me she was having a problem watching the inflight movie and that she couldn’t hear any audio. The reason why she couldnt hear any audio was because she plugged her headphones into her neighbors headphone jack. So, I pointed out the problem and went back to work.

Later, after doing a trash run, I was headed back to the galley when hands went flailing again as I walked past her row, this time she was thirsty and wanted something to eat. The flight attendants in the main cabin had just past her row and when asked if she wanted a beverage, she said no.  So I explained to her how cabin service worked, and got her a drink.

Mid-flight I was bringing a drink to someone in the main cabin, when she threw her hands in my face again. This time, I told her that I didn’t really appreciate that, and that she should use the call button. She waved her hands at me again and said “anyway..” and continued on with her request. This time she pointed at her travel partner in the window and said “he wants his light put on.” I looked at her in disbelief. She really waved me down to hit the reading light button. So I turned it on and left.

I understand that as passengers you might want the flight attendants attention for one reason or another, but please don’t be rude about it. Please realize there are 149 other people on the plane who also want/need something from us, so please ring the call button and get in line. Don’t throw your hands in my face, especially for things you can do yourself, like turning on a light. Thanks for reading my Rant!

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  • Steve

    Your article on rude passengers has me piqued. I am an Australian flight attendant flying the transpacific route on a regular basis, and I find it annoying when Americans try get my attention by clicking their fingers at me. Is it just a cultural difference, or are they plain rude?

    • Bobby

      I think they were just rude! No one snaps fingers here at me. Not usually at least.

  • http://theflyinghighblog.blogspot.com/ Rob

    Whenever flying long haul eg; to Europe (short domestic flights arent long enough to request anything really), I always feel embarrassed putting on the call button to get a drink, I hate having to cause a fuss for the FAs :P Luckily the QF planes have a water tap near the toilet block that dispenses water and cups so I don’t die of thirst but i’d have still rathered a lemonade – except I feel bad!

    • Steve

      Well Rob you’ll be happy to know that the QF A380s have self-service bars even in Economy where you can get a cookie, biscuit, water, and yes, lemonade!

      • Bobby

        I don’t work international flights, but I do work longer domestic flights. I don’t mind like an hour or so after the initial bev service if people ring call buttons for drinks, it’s been a while. I probably already had a few more glasses of water myself.

  • Debbie Lee

    You’re still a SAINT!!

  • Skygoddess

    The “waving down” technique is indeed irritating, but I’ve got something even more obnoxious – being jabbed in the back side or side of my thigh! WTF are people thinking??? Trust me, it’s not just from men, it’s women, too young and old. I have to hold my tongue every time it happens. It’s very demeaning, then you have to pick your battle of telling them to (politely) stop doing it, or taking the path of less resistance and ignoring it, leaving me upset that I yet again have been violated. It feels GROSS! ewwwwww.

  • http://jumpseating.wordpress.com therjfa

    You are better than me. I normally ignore people that touch me or do anything that I deem as rude, like sticking hands in my face.

  • http://dining.14850.com/ MHA

    Skygoddess, I think you should feel free to say “Please don’t touch me. You’re lucky I’m not too touchy about that, but some flight attendants would take your hand off!”

    And, Bobby, the person waving her hand in your face should expect to have it wrenched off at the wrist.

  • Col

    You know patients in hospital are just the same. “Oh nurse I cant reach my water” “really, we operated on your bowel not your arms”

    I love flying and probably have asked a FA for something twice in the last 12 trips, and that was to see if the entertainment unit in my row was working properly (which it wasnt and needed to be reset), and once for a fork as my meal didnt have one.

    On one trip to SFO I watched a pax ask for a drink every hour, and every half hour asked the person next to them to move so she could go to the toilet.

    I did suggest to one FA in LHR that the flight was going to be “one from hell” with 200 kids going to SYD to see the Pope. When we disembaked he stopped me and said “sorry, you were right, it was horrid, hope your next flight isnt too bad”