Have just arrived back from DOH to DXB on on that same airline that prides itself on so many awards!
Again the situation arose where we were taxying to the stand and there is a slight pause before the skipper completes his final move along the airbridge. It was an instant cue for a pax to be out of his seat and to open the overhead locker.
No CC on hand to tell him sit down as there jump seat positions are obscured from the cabin(need for CCTV?) and as the curtains have beewn fastened during the taxi so the great 'unwashed' at the back cannot see the forward cabin (surely a breach of the usual rules to have them closed before the a/c has finished docking ??)
Thus in order to inform the PAX that the a/c is still in motion & that he should sit down as his actions endanger others, I have to call across the cabin !!
(THIS IS NOT MY JOB BUT I DONT WANT RECURRENCE OF A BAG ON MY HEAD AS HAPPENED ON ONE OF THEIR FLIGHTS 2 YEARS AGO!!)
As I depart from the a/c I report the matter to the CC on the door, but there is little that they can do as they did not witness the incident and they again admit that there is little that they can do. My letter to airline is to follow in the next couple of days !!
However, on the walk ( Marathon ?) to the immigration hall, I am approached by the person's Levantine friend who berated me for calling across the cabin to tell his companion to sit down.
It is a long walk from the airbridge to immigration in DXB airport, so anybody who has been there will know the length of the conversation that took place, on the merits of cabin safety versus the embarassment and loss of face on his part!
Obviously there are cultural differences as to the perception of being polite versus having a 160kg body hurled at you with bags should the skipper have to brake suddenly!!
This is an issue for the CC's to rigorously apply (why else are they there?) and get the senioor CC to double up on announcements in the taxi and emphasise the safety aspect, or as NEO suggested earlier, get the skipper to halt the a/c in a safe location, until all PAX are secured!
Whilst it is law in the UK to obey the seat belt sign, but not in this part of the world, as far as I am concerned the skipper has 'de facto' rule of law for all souls aboard. (I wonder if PAX on this airlines A/C's at British airports indulge in this sort of carelesss beahviour?)
If this airline in question, does not enforce the rules strictly it will be only a matter of time before a pax takes out a legal action against them in the UK or US (when they start flying there!) or wherever an action will stick for endangering the pax on their flights!!
Nuff SAID!
