You’re outraged indignation is noted, TheNightOwl, but this attitude WAS there in many Australians (more frequently among the ones who use “slurred speech and glottal stops”, which is why I wrote it that way) and this certainly didn’t help win us any friends among the general public in 89. It happened to me on more than one occasion pre 89 – some idiot getting quite rude, even aggressive towards me the moment he learned what I did for a living.
It was in now way aimed at everyone, and I can only assume that anyone who would take umbrage at the comment found it a little too close to the bone. I can’t see how any non-pilot who didn’t harbour such feelings would take offence at it.