Portside you state, correctly "For Gods Sake!!! This PERSON has been accused of SMELLING of alcohol, nothing else."
When I stand in a pub and drink Pepsi/coke I leave, normally smelling of cigarette smoke. If I have had a drink accidentally spilt on me then I may smell of alcohol. I go home, wash/bath/shower, and the smell goes.
This Person was
smelling of alcohol, so how did it happen. I would not have thought he popped into the local at LHR for a Pepsi/coke/OJ before a flight as he would have been in uniform!
I am not one of the men and women who sit in the pointy end, I work behind the door with the the SLF.
I have a few friends that through their personal life crises have turned to drink for whatever escape they could gain from it. Two of them were crew, one realised they had a problem and approached the company. They were taken from flying duties and support till they were at a point in there life that they could come back to flying duties, wonderful
Another didn't, started turning up for work looking dishevelled and unkempt. the first time he came in smelling of alcohol it was suggested he remove himself from the flight. He refused. So he was removed from the flight and arrested. The cabin crew did this.
All of us in the aviation industry have a duty to care for ourselves, colleagues and passengers. We all know the rules and regulations that the CAA/JAR etc and our respective airlines impose.
If you have timed it wrong then go sick, if you think you may have a problem go to your airline or union.
Imagine something had gone wrong during this aircraft takeoff and an accident had occurred with deaths and injuries, and people smelt alcohol on anyone of the crews!!
I have utmost respect for the men and women in the F/D as I do for my colleagues in the cabin, but if I smelt alcohol on any of them when reporting for work, I would remove them, or suggest they remove themselves, from the flight and I would report it