Have been a voyeur on PPRuNe since a pilot acquaintance put me onto this site a few years back. Used to just check in after an incident but now I also appreciate getting your perspectives on a variety of issues as well as the humour and computer tech support. I can understand the feelings of disappointment and anger expressed by some on this forum. Many appear to have gotten a raw deal and received pretty poor treatment from their companies. I know why you feel there is less fun in flying than there once was. I also sympathize with your frustration about over zealous and seemingly pointless security searches by Neanderthals in uniform acting on orders from above.
But comments like “technology has made us almost useless” and “bus drivers get more respect” .…..Surely you don't believe that. I know that most of you get into the profession because you love flying. In return for being able to pursue your passion, you accept responsibility for the safety of thousands of passengers over your careers. Because of that, the respect the general public has for you will always be there. Autopilot doesn't take care of every eventuality and we're well aware of that. We want to believe that you're up to the challenge of achieving the best possible outcome if things go wrong. (After time spent on PPRuNe, I know more than I want to about the downside of autopilot and FBW systems.)
My dad was a mechanic for a major airline. I'm old enough to have had the privilege of being allowed in the cockpit when I was a kid and remember being in awe of what I saw there. As an adult, that feeling of awe has given way to respect and appreciation for what you do. And I know that even those who aren't aware of some of the realities of piloting— like sleep deprivation and the toll separation can take on family life—are thankful that you have what it takes to do demanding work with more responsibility than the rest of us can even imagine. The crew of flight 1549 has done a tremendous job in reminding the public of that. As an aside, although I have always had a lot of respect for those in the cockpit, I now view flight attendants in a new light and admit that (in my mind) I didn't give them the respect they deserve.
One poster commented that you used to be treated treated like royalty and those days are gone. Well, even royalty isn't treated like royalty these days. It's a sign of the times. But hopefully most of you know that you are still respected, appreciated and even admired. Today's police officers would like a little of that.