At least we agree that the 'race to the bottom' started some time ago - can you put your finger when the downward spiral started? What level of proactive safety awareness and professionalism did the O&G sector reach in the first place? I've been made redundant without receiving redundancy and TUPED without being TUPED. I've also been told that I was 'lucky to have a job' by someone without a professional license and completely ignorant of the responsibility attached to the role.
The point being - you knew the point and what picture a threadbare carpet paints. You might be right in thinking that passengers these days don't care about levels of maintenance or attention to detail and will climb aboard any jalopy....but I think you do them a dis-service. Sometimes I am embarrassed to be associated with the UK O&G industry and such an outlook; other times not so much. Let's get real, the industry has been allowed to treat the commercial aviation providers with contempt and the providers have allowed it. There have been the odd exceptions but their safety standards and T&Cs didn't last long.