Danny I must confess that I plagiarised the term from one of the inquiries into Murdoch but it sums up some of the testimonies at the public inquiry.
Chugalug...you were one of the lucky ones as was one of my Hamble course ex Court Line...whereas another albeit much senior wasn't.
The friendly cabin crew comment came about as there were certain "Gentlemen" and I use the term in the broadest sense - who admonished me for using "please and thank-you" "as the cabin staff are here to serve you..."
There is a very true story about a mega God on the European Tristar who rung down to the underfloor galley on a London to Paris in the days when passengers would get a three course meal whilst the flight crew would try and set a record flight time.
His lordship phoned down his order - the term "pig ignorant" comes to mind - whereby the steward asks - very poshly - "do you know with whom you are speaking sir?" ...."no...well eff off then".
At Paris the whole crew were ordered off the aircraft and lined up...his nibs never found the culprit who didn't pay for a drink for months ;-)
BOAC on minis - VC10s and 707s - was the complete opposite as was Swissair where 90% of the time the flight deck paid for all of the drinks for the cabin crew.
I never understood the mentality as we had a common goal - serve the passengers and have fun whilst we did it.