This is quite ridiculous.
Professional pilots?
Most assertive posters in this thread seem to have a viable point to make, no doubt, and I tend to agree with a little of everything the masses appear to see.
mad_jock is correct in his post regarding the (sometimes seemingly) verbal attacks you'll be subjected to throughout a flying career. It's all well and dandy for the lot on here to pipe up screaming, "I'd be disgusted and in this day and age nobody should be spoken to like that." Or, "As a pilot I'd never expect to be insulted or called names like THAT!"
Whether you like it or not is irrelevant. It happens, and I've been subjected to my fair share of negative verbal receipts (new PC term, maybe?) following what seemed at the time to be minor debacles, and I get on with most people. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I am a better pilot for it, and more critical of others' flying as a result. Get over it, or choose a different career, because you won't last long without building a thick skin.
However, under all this, is one of the most rewarding careers if you have what it takes to work hard enough and bear with the sh*t long enough to make anything out of it. I'm still in my prime years as far as flying goes, but already I feel I've come a long way - in some respects aviation really does make you work for success. Before I started flying, I never knew what it was like to come away from something (a bad flight) feeling so awful about myself and my performance. But you stick with it, and if you're any good you'll make it.
Anyway, back on topic...