Hey, everyone, I travel by air, I work as ground staff and will soon be a qualified FO and hope to be working this side of Xmas. I have seen ill manered people on the gnd and in the air. I have rarely seen rude CC. The thing is, when I travel ( and maybe this is due to my upbringing) I WAIT to be offered something by the crew, I never use the call button and I sit quietly, look out the window or read my book until the cart arrives at my row. What is it with all these people who simply have never been brought up to have any manners!! I'm not even that old, I'm 38, but I was well brought up and received an education and learned some manners along the way. I work on the ground and I will tolerate pax who are getting stressed and a bit hot under the collar, but as soon as it turns in the slightest way abusive, I end it right there and then. They usually calm down when they see I won't tolerate it, the ones who don't I walk away from. Thing is, CC don't have that luxury, making it much harder for them. I DEPLORE alcohol being served at the airport!!! IT IS INSANE! I know airports need revenue etc etc, but it makes everyones lives sooooooo much more difficult. At least there should be no bars airside. That way drunk pax can be screened at check-in and refused a pass, told to sober up and maybe get the next flight, then once again screened going through security, where there are enough guys and girls on duty to refuse them access airside and deal with the stroppy ones. I have worked boarding gates alone ( work for small regional) and believe me, 3 drunks at the gate is very intimidating, especially as you try and come up with the right words to try and tell them they should not fly and hope you don't get ypur nose broken. BAN THE BOOZE! Or maybe issue vouchers for a limited amount of drinks per pax once airside? Anyway, I'm rambling a bit but I find that alcohol ( see stag and hen parties) is a major cause of rudness and bad behaviour ( obviously) so why not start there!
Anyway, I find that as staff or as a pax, if people are nice to me and if I am nice to staff, so much more is obtained! Unfortunately, some pax seem to think that if you shout loudly enough and are aggressive enough, you'll eventually get what you want by intimidation and by not backing down. NOT TRUE! I once had a bloke who started shouting at me as soon as one of the girls at check-in told him he would have to pay excess luggage. He went straight on the offensive! ...........but he paid in the end!
Rant over, I love flying and I hate obnoxious people who ruin my journey!!!!!!!!!