lowerlobe, it is true...have seen the FSO with my own two eyes. It provided quite a laugh at briefing (well for the Captain and F/O anyway!).
According to a CSM I spoke to about it, the new A330-200s are the issue here. 8 Crew members and 8 doors (unlike the -300 which has also 8 doors but 10 crew). If one crew member goes sick upline (Mumbai would have to be the obvious one!) then they can get themselves out of there without delaying the service. Obviously the more sensible option would be to roster 9 crew and god forbid, increase the level of service at the same time!!!
All that said and done it's still a crock of **** and they'd have to drag me kicking and screaming down to man a door if it was required, at which point I'd suddenly and amazingly develop the same stomach bug that caused the flight attendant not to fly in the first place and demand to get off the aircraft.
TL