Circumlocution
'I didn't want to be TOO pointed!'
Well it was also a bit unfair to the Soviet gentleman as he had a very austere lifestyle, eschewed comfort and leisure, with a life of more or less solid and unstinting work. No commuting, working-from-a-distance , tax efficient lifestyle for him. Mind you he did have several houses - none in LA though.
The analogy with cabin crew doesn't leap out at me: though lots of people lost their jobs and much else under his caring eye.