rainboe
I can only hope you are retired and not a threat to crew or psgrs. anymore. You say no one should be on this site but professionals but you must remember that the population in general puts their lives in our hands each and every time they board an aircraft, therefore; they have EVERY right to read and commemt.
As for your opinion (however twisted) about the captain being the almighty and everyone should bow and grovel to them (actually you always say, "him"...there ARE female captains...I'm sure that drives you to distraction) and that he's the "be all, end all."
Well, our country suffered a tragic "sucker punch" that we refere to as "9/11." Ever since that day, our cockpit and F/A's act as "one" and we count on each other and back each other up. In the cabin we (the Flight Attendants) are the eyes and ears for the cockpit. They trust us and respect us...we earn it. We give the same to them as they've earned it. It's when one of us, on either side of "the door" does something grossly inappropriate, does that respect disappear.
The captain on this UAL flight was grossly inappropriate in his actions and it cost him his career. He requested from our flight ops. to land in MIA and he was denied...he landed anyway.Both of the F/O's on the flight tried in vain to talk him out of this action and gave him multiple reasons and alternative solutions...he deisregarded all of them.
We as crew members ARE allowed to discuss this as this was a "diversion" not an airline incident. I was there when the plane door opened and the captain didn't have the balls to open the cockpit door until after our Purser walked off. The Customs Agents that met the trip talked to the captain and at one point in a loud stern voice asked, "you didn't think you had any other choice than to land this plane in the middle of the night because you didn't get your papers that you didn't even need until after you landed???" It was at that point the captain didn't have much top say. To say the Custom Agents were infuriated would be an understatement. They asked our Purser if she was ok and assured us (her crew) that they would make sure she was on the first flight to ORD...and she was. She received a VERY warm welcome from management and crew alike. While this captain was met and taken behind closed doors for hours.
What does it tell you that he lost his job and his license suspended pendinf further investigation.
Face it, he was dead wrong...there were no heightened tensions between he and the Purser, there was no fighting...he had a breal from reality and he paid for it and rightly so. Can you possibly put yourself in the Purser's position?? She held herself together when really she was trying to figure out what the hell was happening, she held us together and she held her head high. You would have been lucky to have flown with her....we were and we will be again.