Chewing Gum

[JW411]

Is it normal for BA cabin staff to be chewing gum during the food and drinks service nowadays?

Two of them were at it this morning on BA389 - one young lady and one not so young gentleman.

I personally thought it looked pretty gash.

[OzzieO]

OH MY GOD ALERT THE CHEWING GUM POLICE ASAP!!!

No its not standard and the two in question should be taken away and shot. Terrible thing to be doing on a flight.

Can't believe I have reacted to the posting. Mind you can't believe somebody has even bothered to start the topic!

[Katie]

Oh dear, does it really matter? At least they had fresh breath!

I can see the point of not drinking alcohol in uniform when off duty but chewing gum? This reminds me off my days in retail where you were not meant to eat or drink in front of customers! Heaven forbid they realise you were a human being!

[Carnage Matey!]

Yes they'll be like the current standards in BA that stipulate you don't eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in front of the customers. A quick word with the purser should have sorted that one out.

[apaddyinuk]

Oh I hate it when crew do that...We all have a tendency to pop a quick gum in our mouths when in the galley or before boarding to freshen ourselves up but they should really not be doing it in the cabin in front of the passengers! I agree with Carnage...a quick word with the purser!!!

[Katie]

I do think that not eating or drinking in front of customers is a bit much...does this extend to when you're not on duty but still in uniform?

[EI-CFC]

I can see the point of not drinking alcohol in uniform when off duty but chewing gum?

The point is they were on duty, and serving meals. To be honest, chewing gum while in the galley, out of sight of passengers isn't an issue. However, chewing it in front of passengers (especially the ones that do it like a cud-chewing cow..and I've seen them) while serving meals is just plain bad manners.

You wouldn't (I hope) sit chewing gum in front of you guests at home when they're eating, so why should customers have to put up with it!

[DX Wombat]

As a customer may I just say that I thoroughly dislike being addressed, served, etc by a person chewing gum. It gives the impression that the person chewing cannot be bothered to treat the customer with courtesy. I have no problem if the staff are off duty or out of sight and not dealing with customers, but PLEASE show us some good manners when dealing with us directly.

[Mr Seatback 2]

Fact is - it's unprofessional. You wouldn't go to a restaurant to see people chewing gum. Same for airline staff on the ground, and indeed in the air.

I've got no problem with crew chewing gum, eating, etc. out of direct passenger view. However...doing it on the cart is verboten.

WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB IN UNIFORM, YOU HAVE AN IMAGE TO UPHOLD. Can't deal with it? Leave. Someone else will be able to 'hack' the inability of chewing gum in front of passengers for another time.

It's called a service industry. Nothing new under the sun. Can't figure out why people in this thread are so shocked by the notion that you SHOULDN'T chew gum in front of pax!?

[smile]

Isn't it just as easy to pop a mint instead?!?

[tiggerific_69]

or why cant people get those little thin mint things that u jus put on ur tongue and they melt,like a bit of paper??

[apaddyinuk]

Tiggerific...Those things are rank!!! Its like going up for communion!!! Hehe!

[JW411]

Carnage Matey:

"A word to the purser would have sufficed".

The trouble was that the "older gentleman" could well have been the purser!

At least he was a lot more circumspect in the way that he handled his gum whilst the young lady facing him over the trolley was doing her best to emulate a young heifer that had just been released into a field of spring grass for the first time.

[BlankBox]

....yeeesh!....hope they weren't flyin' LHR - SIN.....they'd be in for a world o' hurt :ok:

[MudCrab]

Mmm,In the big scheme of things,who gives a bugger......:8

[Hand Solo]

The people who pay the wages. Or if thats a bit too far-sighted, the offenders managers.

[Katie]

Mmm,In the big scheme of things,who gives a bugger......:8

I agree...it seems a bit petty...:rolleyes:

[sinala1]

I personally think chewing gum in the galley/out of view of pax - go for it, however in front of pax its a big no no - looks tacky, like a cow chewing cud!

[crewboi83]

I was a number 2 at my previous airline and a seasonal number 1
If i seen some one chewing during a service i wouldnt be impressed i think it looks so bad! the airline i worked for wasnt exactly a top rated airline and had a repuataion for being unprofessional, however not if im the number one! i was trained better than that!
I agree, chewing behind the galley curtain (not that i like it drawn but someone you do need that bit space from the herd!) is fine, however the minute u entre the cabin BIN IT or SWALLOW IT!

[sixmilehighclub]

Swallow it??? Are you crazy?? Its solid non-bio matter, your digestive system can't break it down!!

It is not permitted for a BA uniformed member of staff to chew gum in public.
Eating and drinking must be done discreetly if necessary. In their defense however, being up early, long days or not being able to drink at regular intervals can lead to a need to freshen the breath, and sometimes chewing gum can get into areas breath mints cannot. But as many have said, and I agree, it should not have made it into the public eye!

I used to be an in-charge crew member and if any of the team were chewing anything in front of a passenger, they'd be pulled to one side and reminded of the uniform code.

Also I used to carry a bottle of hand sanitizer at all times, and if a crew member had to refasten their hair during the service, sneezed or scratched their nose, I'd be there to ensure they'd either go wash their hands or use the sanitiser.

Health & Safety regulations suggest chewing gum is regarded as eating, and food handlers must not eat during the handling of food.

To some its a big deal to others its not. Clearly from this thread, some are bothered by it, therfore it proves there's a reason why uniform standards and codes are in place. Gum should not be chewed. Simple enough. :*

I'm off to brush my teeth again.

[Katie]

Are crew in uniform allowed to eat/drink anything ie water in public view? Does this apply to off duty too?

[Full Emergency]

My own personal view as a customer is that it looks bad, esp if the person can't cew subtly or close their mouth when they are doing it.

I have worked with people in my profession when they have been in uniform and started chewing gum in front of people that they have been dealing with. It looks unprofessional.

That said, I aint no saint either, but at least I can chew it subtly, rather than look like some dairy cow.

FE

[keeperboy]

I have been Cabin Crew with BA for six years.

I have never seen a collegue noticaby chewing gum in the cabin while serving a passenger.

As for the question as to whether we can eat in public:

"Staff in uniform must not consume food or drink while walking in a public place. Chewing gum, eating sweets or snacks in uniform in public is not permitted. Staff who take a meal at a public restaurant during their duty must behave with discretion at all times."
- BA Uniform wearer standards booklet -

[whattimedoweland]

Are crew in uniform allowed to eat/drink anything ie water in public view? Does this apply to off duty too?.

Yes Katie,I have just done a 9 day trip and did not eat off duty in case a passenger saw me!!:D.I had to wait till I got home!!.

Or did you mean on the plane?.We are allowed to eat and try and do this out of sight of passengers,until the curtain comes open and the famous 'oh you get fed too' comes out.Airlines also allow us to drink water and juice etc,as our bodies operate in the same way as a passenger and we have the same liver and kidney functions too.

As for the next passenger who asks after a 11 hour Los Angeles flight (12 1/2 duty day),'do you go straight back'?!!!:confused: .

JW411,as for the original question re chewing the gum it's a big NO.I have been flying for BA 12 years now and have never personally seen it.If I do then I will leave them in no doubt about how BA see it.Cheap and tacky.

As some have pointed out in the greater scheme of things this may seem petty.Yes but it looks pretty awful and does'nt show your company in a good light.

Half way through a long flight I'd love a pint but I think thats one that has to wait,but god it tastes good when you get it,especially if the Captain buys it:ok:

WTDWL.

[Lets Get Wasted]

So a mouth full of passenger chicken out of traveller is out of the question then ? :uhoh:

[christep]

Swallow it??? Are you crazy?? Its solid non-bio matter, your digestive system can't break it down!! You may find this link informative: http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/chewgum.asp

[sixmilehighclub]

Christep - Wow I stand corrected! I have to say though that my comment was based on visits to various docs, had colonic hydrotherapy, sigmoidoscopies and mentioned swallowing gum on two occasions and was told it doesn't digest!!

Hey who does this sort of research anyway? :yuk: :yuk:

[ricciricardo]

It's just darned bad manners and a sign of poor breeding (except if your from the Valley)!

[captain cumulonimbus]

come on,admit it,a person chewing gum looks sloppy,its a fact.

so if you want to look sloppy,then i guess its fine...if not,you know what i mean.

[BEagle]

Personally I detest chewing gum. But for cabin crew to chew it in uniform in public view is totally unacceptable.

What the cabin crew do out of sight behind the curtain is another matter. But I do wonder quite what ritual ceremony a couple of Lufthansa pretty boys were indulging in when I saw them washing eachothers' hands with champagne. Why they opened a bottle during the descent long after cabin service had finished, I cannot imagine. I was in 1A and saw them do it......

[jayteeto]

Some people think this is a trivial matter and others don't. If I am in a bar, cafe or restaurant, I am distinctly unimpressed by staff chewing gum, I hve gone elsewhere on occasions. I accept the views of those who don't care, I might be a fussy sod, but there is an important point. These days, all airlines are fighting for customers in a cutthroat world. If your service annoys say 20% (up to 50%!!) of these valuable bodies, they may go to a rival next time.