Inappropriate Pax Comments

[ditzyboy]

Why is it pax think they can say whatever they like to us? Or ask really personal / private questions?

The other morning I greated a group of women as they boarded and one said "You look really tired. Like you've had the life drained out of you. Have you been out all night?"

Known for my witty reparte I replied "You're not looking too good yourself, Babe."

She looked at me stunned and then started laughing. I must admit I am glad she didn't take me comment as a negative one (even though it was but I didn't want her thinking that!).

What was I supposed to say? "Yeh Lady. I am trashed - still f**ked. Off my chops. Just left the dancefloor."

Or should I have told her the truth. In the last 12 days I had one day off. I had just done 4 lates (all 9 hour days) and then a min rest NTL where I got 4 hours sleep and swapped to an early (after a fortnight of 1400 Sign Ons). It wasn't even 0800 and I was already operating my second sector that day.

I was once asked if I was Jewish. I told them "Yes but I forgot my little hat..." (They seemed offended by my response and moreso when I told them it was really not their place to be asking!)

I was also once asked if I had "any Aboriginal in me" to which I responded "Yes. Once or twice."

I had this lady onboard one day tell me she was cheating on her husband with an Army guy half her age. He was really great in bed....

One time this woman told me she was having sex with her best friend's sister.

I once had a guy tell me all about partner the swapping he got into with this neighbours.

I was told I should have work done on my teeth and they would look better with some bleaching.

What is this c**p?! I mean we would never be allowed to approach pax in such a manner yet they do it to us. Maybe because they know we can't bite back?

Anyone else had this problem? Or do I attract all the freaks? :hmm:

[Q-Tee]

You are in the customer service role, much like bartenders, haridressers etc .... you are someone who spends a fair deal of time with the public, as a paid service staff member, and you choose to do the job....

dont knock them too much, they pay your wages.

Oh, and if the passengers comment that you look tired, you can bet you do look tired.... they rarely lie about how crew look ;)


They have a right to comment, they pay as much for how we look and perform as they do the tickets, its all part of the package .... they wanna see happy, alert looking crew ..... sometimes you gotta put on the 'awake' look even when you are dog tired :) it certainly is not their fault you havent had many days off, and have been working nights .... they expect the best from the crew, as that flight is the first time they have seen you .... they arent aware or concerned with what sectors you have done before their sector ......... so please dont bag them out for comments made to you .... they were probably just stating the obvious (as after all thats what SLF do best !!)

no offence meant, but you gotta be prepared to take the good with the bad with this job .... and sometimes our customers really do just need someone to listen to them .... it's all part of the service.

If they have personal comments about you, just take it on the chin --- no point whinging about it, or making smart-ar$e come-backs etc ....thats just plain unprofessional.

it will never stop.... and as they dont know you on a personal level, I cant see why you would take it to heart :)

so, basically, after time .... you will learn to get over it !

[Dogs_ears_up]

Just people being people - probably unaware that they are causing offence, and actually intending to achieve the opposite.

Best just smile and roll with it!

:cool:

[ditzyboy]

Yeah I find the comments inappropriate and annoying. But I deal with it. As FAs dealing with it is our answer to everything thrown at us! I was wondering if anyone else gets these bizzare comments from no where. Just trying to have some fun.

I probably looked VERY tired but would you yourself say that to a total stranger? I just want to know what it is about us that make people think they can make these comments. Is it that open and friendly facade we project?

Like I said I was just trying to have some fun guys. Q-Tee and Dogs_ears you must have heard some wierd pax comments you could think to share.

[PAXboy]

I am astounded at these comments!! No saint me, I have upset and irritated countless thousands in my life but I tend to keep that for people I know!!

Whilst I agree that you may have no choice but to grin and bear it, your retorts to the people seem entirely appropriate. I can imagine, though, that if it turned into a verbal dust-up with the pax and your line manager - the company would not be enthusiastic about such remarks!!

When I meet the CC, I am only going to say nice things to them, as I am hoping for a double serving of pudding. (There's always one or two folks who don't eat theirs!)

Our western society continues to drift into incivility. So, to cheer us up, as ditzyboy suggests, let's hear other fabbo comments from us caring peeps in the seats!

[eal401]

Maybe ditzyboy would prefer it if we just sailed past without so much of an acknowledgment of his existance?

I always smile and say hello to CC on boarding and a thank you and good bye disembarking. Now I wonder what sneers I'm getting behind my back.... :confused:

[KTPops]

eal401 - That's a little unfair don't you think?

I have worked in the Customer Service sector for my entire working life and I have to say that as much as I love my job, I have never realised until now just how offensive and rude the general public can be!

Yes we expect it and yes we do take it in our stride. We certainly don't sit in our galley crying about it or making snide comments behind passenger's backs.

95% of pax are a delight to serve and spend time chatting to, but despite "paying our wages" the other 5% don't reserve the right to be down right rude at times!

Let's not forget that this is a Cabin Crew forum and we are allowed to let off steam sometimes! ;)

[QF skywalker]

ditz,

Like you, I have received similar comments around the place and I have now become tough skinned when non appropriate comments are directed my way or towards fellow crew...However.....I believe that there is a cut off point which one passenger decided to cross last week with me. For the first time I did "snap" at one passenger who chose to make innappropriate "male flight attendant jokes " ( like how original dude ! pffft ) and then whistle at me like a dog for my attention.

Before I got a chance to advise him in a soft tone that I was not his dog/wife an off duty flight attendant (in plain clothes) from another aussie airline ripped in to him like a fat kid who hasn't eaten in months - GOD BLESS HER !
;)

[TSSOV]

Yes.. ppl can be so rude! I work in a cocktail bar (hopefully not for long tho;) ) and a young man tuned around and whistled at me to come and take his order. Because i know whats going on in my section, I was already behind him before he whistled and was taking his girlfriends order (ladies first guys!!!). My manager told me to tell him we dont allow dogs or any other small pets in ******** Bar if he did it again.

I love it when guests talk to me... ask how to pronounce my name... ask me where im from.... how my night has been... but what my sexual 'preference' is?...or why i smell like an alcoholic... "well actually.... the dumb b**ch on table8 walked smack bang into me when i was putting the drinks on table9... and in an effort not to ruin $4,500 woth of wedding dress on the bride sitting there, her pina collada and her new husbands ocean breeze ended up on me... and because we're so short staffed and so busy i have only had time to change unifroms...but not have a shower":}

:* :* :*

hey ditzy... do your bad comments or remarks outweigh the compliments? mine dont .... thats why i still like woking there.

im sure you get a few winks, smiles, and friendly pax:D
i want to hear more stories!

(and how do ppl look jewish?)

:D :D :D SMILE!!!!!

[SydGirl]

I had one pax say to me "Jeez you look like a girl I f***ed in high school".

Needless to say I couldn't think of a witty come back for that one, I just stood there stunned and speechless.

SG
:E

[sinala1]

Had to throw my 2 cents worth in folks....

Q-Tee is correct in saying that these pax pay our wages. I agree 100%. But just because say for eg I walk into McDonalds and my burger money is paying the kids behind the counter's wages, that I can walk in and say "Hi Pimple face, get me 3 bigmacs, HOT ones thanks not ones that look like your crater face, a Large fries thanks - large meaning larger than the amount of money you are recieving in your pay packet each week, and 2 cokes... and make it snappy!" Sure burger-boy is going to cop a small amount of obnoxious/crude/unpleasant customers, but they have no right to pry into his life or make personal comments.

I have to agree with Ditzy - questions regarding sexuality, relationships, racial background etc are completely innapropriate - you dont say "Good morning Mrs Jones, you are sitting 12 rows down on the left in a window seat... Judging by the boytoy you are travelling with Mr Jones is away for work again huh... and ps you can get that cum stain out of your dress with a little club soda - will take it right out"

Its about a level of decorum from the pax point of view, and a level of acceptance and understanding from Cabin Crew point of view - we know we are going to be subjected to copious amounts of crap, but as QF Skywalker pointed out we are well within our rights to respond in a manner that draws their attention to how innapropriate they are acting.

Oh and as far as burger boy goes.... i was a burger boy for 3 years so I speak from experience!!!!!

[ditzyboy]

SydGirl -
That is hilarious?! I would have cried from laughing so hard! :{

sinala1 -
Thanks for understanding my point. This was all just supposed to be fun.

eal401 -
If you had read my post carefully I did say these comments were made as I greeted said pax. All I expect from my pax is the civility and courtesy I extend to them. I will give back (to the point where I can get away with it) anything you throw at me however. And the only time we would mock a pax is when they are inappropriate and it is a way of dealing with it. As we cannot always give back what they give us. If someone was to yell at me "f**k off!" I would. Being around that person any longer could cause a major distruption.

Perhaps by turning awkward situations into humour that is how we deal with the few people whom act inappropriately toward us.

If I am rude to someone I would expect to be treated as such in return. However I challenge eal401 or any other person here to identify I time where I have not been gracious and accommodating.

Please note I am not talking about rude pax. I was simply talking about people who ask strange questions or make offensive comments - thinking it is OK. In each example I gave I never said these people were rude. In fact I shared a couple of jokes with the women who said I looked tired.

Of course the pax pay our wages. And without the few odd ones our jobs would be very boring. I think some of you have taken this post the wrong way. I just wanted to hear some inappropriate comments that have been made to others. This was all just about fun and seeing what other comments our lovely pax come up with. Like I said I think it is hilarious people think they can speak to us in whatever manner they wish or ask us any question they please. :ooh:

I guess it is because we try to come across as so open and friendly. After 3.5 years I just cannot get over how 'open and friendly' so people think we are!

I can understand by the way I wrote my post it may come across as bitter. Nothing could be further from the truth. I thrive on interaction with others. Was just wanting to have a laugh. :D

TSSOV -
She said I had a Jewish nose?! :ugh: Again - not something I would think to say to a total stranger but there you go...

[Sky_hi!]

:D LOL Some of the questions people ask you guys is hilarious.!

I work in nightclubs doing promotions (hopefully for not much longer), so I have fully copped the rath of the general public in my experience. O have learnt alot about tolerence. I have had everything from a slap on the ass to a marriage proposal. Most people are lovely, but it seems the more revealing the outfit the ruder the customer is! When someone is particularly rude to me I usually flash them a big smile and say 'have a nice evening!' it floors them everytime, they have nothing to say back.

I can totally relate to being tired and grumpy and still having to put on your smiley friendly face guys :}

Thanks for the laughs

[eal401]

Ditzy, my apologies, I'm not trying to imply that you are rude or anything like it.

My point is that the person in question was in all probability thinking she was showing an interest in you. I don't believe she was trying to be personal or offend you. Some people are like that! Then again, women can be so bitchy sometimes, you can never tell!! ;) (That was tongue firmly in cheek by the way!)

Of course, there is no justification for being rude or impolite to CC, e.g. telling you that you should get your teeth done for goodness sake! Were they American by any chance? As SLF I never am rude and I don't make comments either. As I once told my wife, who I was gently scolding for beliving you guys are just there to serve drinks, I am polite to you because a) it costs nothing to be nice and b) I never know when one of you will be shoving my backside down an escape slide. (Never hopefully!)

[Tony Flynn]

Survival rule number 1 - NEVER, EVER be rude to anybody who has access to your next meal....!

[dada]

it's a disgrace how we get spoked too. as john merrick said

i am not an animal, i am a human bean

[Brisvegasboy]

Hey guys - glad it is not just me that receives treatment like this.....

Was on a flight the other day when some FERAL and his almost as feral mother (first time flyers, I'm sure) clicked his fingers at me whilst I was walking through the cabin before takeoff and yelled "Stewardess, hey Stewardess!"

At first, I thought he was talking to one of the girls (bad enough) but when I realised he was talking to me, I was a little like Syd Girl - shocked and lost for words.......

I think he has watched "View from the Top" a few too many times.....

Had to evacuate an aircraft the other day - fairly major issue - with one woman asking, "...and just how long is this going to take?"

AND HOW MANY TIMES do ppl press their call bell (somewhere towards the rear of the cabin just after you have begun service) and you are CLEARLY working as fast as you can (touch the trolley, make some rattling noises with the ice bucket, walk to the galley, touch the curtain, make some signs to the front galley that mean nothing......sorry, couldn't resist!) and they say "I'll have a rum and coke, two Sprites, three chicken wraps...." and are pi**ed off when you explain that you are working row by row........

The list goes on......

Bvb xo

[34R]

Hey Ditz I agree with you, and without a doubt the best way to deal with it is humour, otherwise one day you might go SNAP!!

I can remember when a prior employer (may it R.I.P.) had this tragic idea of serving fruit as a snack on busy MEL - SYD - BNE legs between lunch and dinner. I'm sure you will all agree there is a limit to how attractive you can make a banana on a tray look, but when one woman took a look at her offering and in disgust told me to take the offending item and stick it up my @rse, I laughed so hard I had to walk away. And you know what, my reaction cut her more deeply than any whitty retort.

Most of the pax I cared for were fabulous and it was my experiences with them that made the job so great. But I had my fare share of tossers and looking back I think i enjoyed deailng with them even more.

I don't think any of you should accept inappropriate comments or being made to feel servilently compliant just because a purchased ticket is paying your wage. To do so is to pave the way for continued disrespect towards others in the service industry. Whatever happens just keep your sense of humour and don't let them ruin your day. And dont forget your CS/FSD (or whatever they are called now) are paid the extra dollars to deal with these clowns if you dont feel you can.

[Bodum]

Just the other day SYD-AKL, amid a conversation:

"Do you have any grandchildren?" Um, no im 28 :rolleyes:

"Oh well you'll just need to keep practicing"

But I must also say some SLF are often flattering. Got told I had nice shiny teeth the other day :}

[sinala1]

Sorry to go off track here folks but Brisvegasboy I heard nothing about an evacuation!!!????!!! What happened?

[ditzyboy]

34R -
Very funny. I couldn't agree more... Though I would have to say. I would have probably laughed then replied to Banana Woman by saying "After you..." I just can't help myself! :D

Bodum -
I love how you got told you had nice teeth and a pax just told me I need work done! I am jelaous.

I had this old kiwi guy open and close the ash tray on the toilet door and look at me and say "How do I open the door?" Now I could have been a b*tch and said "Turn the handle - like the one on your caravan." But no... I smiled and opened the door and said "You would have better luck in here, Sir." Quick as a flash this 100 year old man says "Yeh. IT wouldn't have fit in there anyway." I was in stiches for hours! Old people can be so funny when they try.

[GalleyHag]

Brisvegasboy

An evacuation is more than a MAJOR issue!! Can you give us details? How long did it take you to evacuate? How did the pax's react etc etc. We dont get to many evacuation stories in Australia, would be interested to hear how it all went.


Dont get me started on stupid things pax's do on board - like actually stepping into the wardrobe looking for the toilet with great difficulty I might, yeah like there is a little hidden compartment inside the wardrobe leading to the toilet, sure thats pretty standard on all aircraft pleeeeease!!

I dont really have to deal with the crap listed on these pages and if I did I dont think I would have the witty come backs like Ditzy. What I do get from time to time though is pax's coming up to me in the crew hotel or a bar or resturant and just start talking to me like where long lost buddies. I dont know about you guys but I dont even remember these people and sometimes I think to myself oh gezz where do I know this guy from. I'm always polite and friendly but one night in Adelaide this guy followed me everywhere I went, even back to the hotel scared the crap out of me. So I am a hello/goodbye girl if I pax approaches me outside of work.

[sixmilehighclub]

Some passengers leave their brains in the airport terminal, we all know this. They sometimes lose a fraction of the social etiquette they would have in their normal environment.

Passengers often make personal comments to try and make a common ground with the crew, in case they need them later, or just to be polite in not ignoring them, but can often overstep the mark without realising, especially if the crew member is very sensitive.

Cabin crew are there to think and act for all those who aren't thinking normally for themselves, just look at the wording in your drills - passengers need to be told to come towards the door to get out.

Look at the amount of times you make a simple request like to fasten their lap strap, and are looked at like you have just asked someone to tattoo your left nipple. Sound familiar?

Okay so someone has just made a comment that your teeth look bad. It is possible they are (or live with) a dentist, or have a friend who has just had similar work done on their teeth and the result was so impressive they think they are being helpful to you.

They probably wouldnt say it to someone on the street, or maybe they are one of the more outspoken members of the public, but passengers see crew as exceptionally friendly and approachable so they feel they can share almost anything with you.

Are you Jewish?? I wouldn't find that insulting! Maybe they were Jewish and as some religious followings are very proud of their faith, maybe they thought you would be pleased to be complimented. How often do you instantly warm to someone whos wearing the shirt of your favourite team or city, etc....?

In any customer service role, you are representing your company. Not yourself. If you find a comment odd, don't answer back as they may feel their comment is totally innocent, and it will come back on your employer in the long run. Humour and sarcastic remarks arent taken the same by everyone.

If it is a threat to either yourself, or the aircraft, then yes take it seriously.

Sydgirls pax who said she looked like a girl he once f***** in high school, in my head I'd be thinking "well clearly youre mistaken as I'm still smiling" or "ouch" or "actually I'm a virgin you as***le", but I wouldnt say it, i'd either ignore them and smile or just smile sweetly and say nothing or say, "really? aw well it wasnt me".

Only when I feel threatened or very humiliated would I politely say something.

[Honeytruck]

How many lines of work are there in which customers are sometimes actually offended if you stop grinning for a while? ...And feel they have a right, or even a duty, to comment on your facial expression, apparent mood?
I worked in a shop recently and was informed endlessly that I "looked tired". ("I didn't feel it until you became the 150th person today to pass on that titbit".) I find it odd. Would you go to a solicitor or a surgeon, tell them they looked tired and ask what they were up to last night?
I couldn't help finding something a teeny bit patronising about it all. It was one of the reasons I quit.

[flapsforty]

sinala1; hilarious! :) :) :)

Good topic ditzyboy. :ok: According to my colleagues I radiate 'friendly but don't f*ck with me', which is probably why I have never experienced any of the comments you describe. But I know that it happens with many FAs, because I have heard unbelievable stories and have seen too many of my colleagues pretty upset at the unprovoked rudeness of folk who think that their ticket price buys them immunity from common courtesy.
For your enjoyment, here's a story I posted on the Admin forum a while back. ;)

0400 hrs in the early morning, our 737 bulging at the seams sitting on the hot tarmac far away from the terminal building, captain reminding me that our slot time is too close for comfort. The last pax boarding is a well dressed gent with 5 large pieces of handluggage. I'm frantically and fruitlessely trying to convince the handling agent that there is NO way we are gonna embark on a 5 hour flight with 170 people on board an aircraft entirely devoid of paper towels, tissues or even a single sheet of bog paper, so I leave the disposal of the handluggage to the elderly, far too kind FA who works the front galley with me. She had confiscated a veritable mountain of handluggage the night before without a bad word from the pax, so I know her diplomacy is impeccable.
With the agent finally telling me that perhaps he would be able to lay his hands on 10 rolls of toilet paper after all, suddenly my FA comes running into the galley, big silent tears streaming down her normally placid face.
" I was apologising for not having space for all his bags and explaining the rules to him and how 5 pieces really is too much for even a business class passenger and then he suddenly shouted at me We all know what kind of people just follow the rules, don't we!.

I felt my whole body go cold and it was as if there was a vibrating metal sheet in my chest making a huge racket. I slowly and deliberately walked into the cabin, found seat 3F and heard myself say in a voice at least an octave lower and 3 decibels louder than my usual You have just told my FA that we all know know what kind of people just follow rules, and WE all know what you meant by that. That dedicated, hard working, sevice minded and by the way jewish woman is now standing in the kitchen crying her heart out because you insinuated that she is a Nazi. You have 2 choices. Either you get your b*tt out of that seat into the galley and apologise profusely and convincingly to that poor woman or it will be my pleasure to personally escort you and your ridiculous amount of handluggage OFF this aircraft. You have 10 seconds to make up whatever passes for your mind and your time starts right NOW!
After a vast silence the other pax erupted shouting and yelling their support, the guy got up and apologised to the FA.
I might be out of a job shortly.:(

This was october and haven't heard a word about it from the company, so I guess the guy himself realised he had really overstepped the mark. Thankfully idiots like him are few and far between, and vastly outnumbered by the civilised, the pleasant, the charming and the happy.
Contact with the pax was my first reason to start flying and it is still one of the most enjoyable parts of the job.

[ozskipper]

Niced one FlapsForty! :ok:

[Bodum]

Flaps forty,

Love your post. Great to see a manager supporting his/her crew, and standing up to some of these psychos, id fly with you any day :ok:

Ultimately, I reckon, the pax, their personalities, and the kitchen sink they carry around with them make our jobs all the more interesting. The more I laugh the more I enjoy my job.

Bring it on....... ;)

[allan907]

I'm a pilot not a FA but my daughter is one. I also fly regularly as SLF so perhaps I shouldn't be on here - but ......

A while ago I was pax with Cathay on a KTK - PER sector and had the unfortunate experience of having an Indonesian seaman plonk himself in the seat next to me. When they handed out the cool flannels he promptly unbuttoned his shirt and proceeded to de-BO his armpits, chest, stomach... ugh:yuk: Thankfully he didn't get to his nether regions:}

On another occasion I was flying a Malaga-Stansted sector as supernumery and wanted to get some video of my daughter in action in her role as Cabin Supervisor. I didn't want to make it obvious so I tried surreptitiously filming from the front galley. She then gets on the PA and announces "If anyone is wondering what that old bloke is doing with the video camera - it's my dad". Lots of loud cheers and clapping from the SLF:ok:

[timmcat]

'friendly but don't f*ck with me'
On behalf of the Jetblast crowd, Ms Flapsforty commands the utmost respect in our forum where she moderates in a similar vein.

(xxx)

[ditzyboy]

6 Mile -
It's all just good fun. Like Bodum said the more we laugh off the things we can't change the more we like our job. Really it keeps me sain.

Anyway to prove I can take the humour that I dish out I will share two gems with you.

First. I kept getting the head count wrong one day. On the thrid attempt I was still 2 over and no one knew where I was going wrong. It was brought to my attention we had a configuration change and I was subtracting from the wrong number of seats. I turn bright red. I then remark "Well I am not a flight attendant because of my IQ."

"No." He says. "The florist shop sacked you!" Hilarious. The pax in the first few rows heard and payed out on me the WHOLE flight!

The other time was when two guys from a rugby team were pillow fighting. It was getting a bit rowdy. I marched on down camper than a row of pink tents. I say in my campest voice "Now fellas. There will be no more of that!" (I was more or less joking. Certainly not telling them off.)

One rugby player turns around and says "Mate. It's better to be a pillow fighter than to be a pillow biter." What a gem! I laughed for weeks!

Smile... :D

[Pink^Wings]

:D :D :D :D :D

HAHAHHAA DITZY THATS A CLASSIC

:D :D :D :D :D

[sinala1]

:O :O :O

ditzy

love it! thats f:mad: cking hilarious! i would have been on the floor in stitches over that one he he he

[sixmilehighclub]

Ohhh memories of rugby groups! I was once on a flight and everytime I bent over to grab lagers from the bottom tray, I got a whistle or snigger from behind. After making it past a few rows without blushing, I turned and asked "which of you rowdy lot are were using me to play 'pin the tail on the donkey'?". Which was followed by a massive applause.

Same flight, further back the cabin a guy stood up in front of his mates and asked me loudly if I'd like to join the mile high club. Immediately I said "great idea, thanks"
Then shortly after he turned to his mates for recognition and gained a few smiles, I turned and said to him "so which one of your mates did you have in mind?" Their smiles turned to laughter and one spat out his drink, thankfully it was the last sector of the day and the cleaners would clean it up!

Have you ever noticed how passengers cant hear you as they leave the aircraft? We used to use interpret words such as "lemon pie" (bye bye), "commit a crime" (have a nice time), "hope you get laid" (enjoy your stay).
A friend of mine used to sit on check-in and as passengers were delving into their bags looking for their passports, she would say "bananas". They would look up and say pardon, but she would deny saying anything.


:D

[Sivin]

I remember one of the very first sectors I ever did I had to distribute magazines (the good ol' days) and a pax in first class being a smart *ss asked me for a Playboy. Innocently I turned to him and said 'I don't have a Playboy but I can find you a boy to play with.' I was only turning the words around but he went quiet very quickly and turned away promptly to avoid my gaze!

Regarding with the clicking of the fingers I had an American lady travelling with her husband click her fingers at me. I just turned to her and started clicking back at her and asked her what I can do for her. She was really embarrassed and her husband chastised her for her actions. She apologised and I ended up having a nice chat to both of them during the trip.

Ciao

[T_richard]

If this thread proves anything, it is that civility and manners have taken beating in our modern day culture. I would be fired from any of the jobs referred to in this thread if I personallyexperienced the finger snapping, rude, behavior of some of your customers. As for the gentleman:mad: with the 5 pieces of luggage, he would have been forceably removed from the plane (I'm 6', 240#) with or without the jet way. I wouldn't much care. I have only had one client ever snarl at me in 25 years and he had to crawl to get me to accept him back again, and I do mean crawl.

I promise you that neither me nor my children will display such abominable manners on your flight.

[ditzyboy]

T_richard -
I think our role as cabin crew would be extremely boring without the occasional rude or inappropriate customer! Flight attendants are the kind of people who thrive on interaction with others. I guess we have to take the good with the bad. For every rude pax we have 90 pleasant ones and 10 or so great ones. Although like every job we do have flights from Hell where there seems to be no one with manners. And having mostly nice customers doesn't make it any easier when dealing with a particularly rude one. Hence we turn to humour and each other to deal with it.

Many thanks for promising to be nice :ok: Now - if we could just get the millions of other air travellers on side...

Having said the above there is of course really really snarly cabin crew out there too. As a colleague we cannot tell them due to the close environment we work in. Makes it difficult. So by all means report them to the airline. Recently I apologised to a couple of pax for a flight attendant's rudeness and behaviour (she was unbelievably rude!) and it landed me in trouble. Turns out my company would prefer us to 'dob' each other in to management. That would not be conducive to working closely with complete strangers if you ask me.

[whatunion]

Allow me to join in from the flight deck!

I can understand how annoying it must be for some cabin crew to take some of the clever remarks, etc from passengers but these individuals only make fools of themselves.

I like the put down. "Gosh that was very rude madam, did you meant it to be?"

Many many years ago when pontius was a pilot i was an air taxi pilot. ( 6 seat a/c with all the pax behind you). I picked up a collection of business men who had obviously got brahms and lizt at their companies expense. On boarding i got all the usual crap remarks. On the way out to the runway after a barrage of every worst flying joke you have ever heard and various comments about the age of the a/c and myself. One of the passengers noticed I had only got 3 stripes ( i was a junior captain, means they pay u less!).

he said i a drunken drawl, " captain why have you only got three stripes"
(I hadnt spoken as yet as i just ignore pillocks.)

I replied, "I had a very serious crash in which all the passengers were killed and they took one stripe off me."

None of the passengers spoke again until after we had landed.

whatunion says speak to others in the manner you would like them to speak to you

[cheeryguy]

Not sure if this counts on this thread but it made me laugh...so here goes.

Little old Japanese lady come to the galley and asks where the toilet is. Steward assumes she does not speak English and decides to have some fun at her expense. " Bring your box over here love" he says to her and holds open the door. " Need a p**s or a s**t " he asks grinning. The old lady grins back and says "been a bit constipated the past few days so not sure yet"

Laugh I nearly answered a call bell!!

[ehwatezedoing]

I got this interresting one from my girlfriend, a purser.

Anyway, she had a female collegue who had to "deal" with this remark from a pax:
-"In my country (india), Indian woman are servants!"
-"Well, in my country (Canada), Indian man are taxi driver!" was her answer. :E


She was not fired....But did not escape the suspension...:ouch:

[blokehostie]

I couldn't help adding to this thread!! Over the last week or so(since Jetstar) I have had to put up with more rudeness and arrogance from pax than I have in the last 8 years!! We are now DEFINITELY carrying all the Ferals and the NFB's(never flown befores!!) and dare I say it, the once not too bad businessmen that hate us and Dixon etc and want us to know it! Twice yesterday, pax referred to Qantas as the 'real' airline! Guess we must be virtual huh?? Anyway, like all J* crew I'm trying to see that some good will eventually come of this..........xxx


And to add to some of the funnies, my replies during the magazine handout were....

PAX: Do you have Playboy?
ME: No but we do have Gayboy, which you'd quite obviously prefer!

PAX: Do you have Penthouse?
ME: No, but we do have the National Geographic, which also has pictures of places you're never likely to go!!

[sinala1]

BLOKEHOSTIE

Please please please can you organise a new pair of undies for me, cause I pissed myself laughing at your responses!!!! LOL LOL LOL

:ok: :ok: :ok: :{ :E :{ :E :ok:

[ditzyboy]

bloke -
Where have you been flying? All I have done is SYD-OOL and SYD-MCY and the pax have been lovely. I have had a handfull of very scary people who shouldn't be out in public on their own. But the bulk of pax have been lovely. I don't think I have had a complaint yet!

I have had terrible dramas with GateGourmet and their hideous staff and two run ins with a nasty Turn Around Co-ordinator at OOL.

But the pax have been much nicer than Qantas pax. No complaints and all smiles. Not one complaint about seating.

Also I am loving our reduced workload down the back with the new service. It is like being on a holiday! :cool: I was laughing with the girl who was OWA today about just how little we did!

[sinala1]

Ditzy

Do you know if QF staff run the turnarounds in OOL, or have they outsourced to a different company? I believe there is a company at OOL called Oceanic aviation or something, they run OOL ground staff for Freedom Air and Virgin Blue - do you use them?

[ditzyboy]

I don't know it is different in every port. Most places check in and customer srvice staff are Jetstar employees. I think the Turn Around Co ordinators are too.

Then main ports have Express Ground Handling (another QF company) for ramp operations. Gold Coast, Launceston and Hobart are all QF Staff although I heard they are contractors to QF. I thought they were QF employess though. How knows?

The Qantas Group is just one HUGE mess of shelf companies, subsideries, accounting divisions and contractors!

[blokehostie]

SINALA....thanks for that!! What colour undies do you want????

Ditzy...my flying has been mostly ex Tassie....maybe that explains it!! In all fairness there have been lots and lots of great pax and only a handful of the 'don't come backs!!', guess its just too easy to focus on the bad ones huh??
As for the workload, yes the service itself is very easy however I have been more busy than ever constantly trying to sort out the galley messes and all the paperwork we do now!!!
I too have had plenty of 'run ins' with staff, for me more the ground staff than GG. I have found GG to be very helpful(well in MEL they are, not in SYD!).
Wish we could get through a day with the PODs working! I'm sure things will get better...........


Anyway, you kinda had to be there but a guy I used to fly with(very very camp!!) had a really nice ring on one of his fingers. As he was mincing(his words) through the cabin a male pax said to him 'nice ring'. Without any hesitation he immediately put his hand on his backside and said 'ool, have I got a hole in my pants?' then just walked off!!
Well I thought it was funny anyway.....

BH

[andyw34]

I agree that you do have to "put the pax down" when they start being personal. I remember a friday evening prg, we had a stag party of at least 45 pax being difficult, i was being accused of looking at their crotches as we had turbulence. When it came to the final cabin secure one very ugly man decided to expose himself to me and ask me if i wanted to suck it.........i had been on duty for 10 hours by now.........as he was ugly i replied......suck on what........ive seen bigger sausages on my crew meal........result.. 1 embarressed pax and 44 mates of his with ammunition for their whole stay.

I also get the feeling that we are considered as being something that the pax have stepped in and also enjoy being poked when my attention is required

One other thing, there were a couple that had they offered me a go i would have accepted.

[DJ_Fly_Boi]

I couldnt find anywhere more appropriate for these comments - so decided to add them to this post.

A few years ago, I was working as a Travel Agent and was on an educational in Malaysia - we were seated at dinner at a very swish 5 star hotel when suddenly our tour guide announced that we had been asked to leave the hotel - much to our dismay! - It seems that the hotel staff were a little disgusted by our dinner conversation. - We had been discussing how Asian clients pronounce Qantas - the often pronounce the QA as Cu - say it out loud - Ill leave it up to you. - Imagine the amusement when they come in and ask - "How much to Bangkok with Qantas?"

At this particular time, Qantas had a number of wholsale airfares on sale - the rule reference for these fares were the CltHol the SltHol and the Tithol - as you can imagine a large group of Travel Agents - with too much alcohol in their system imitating asians asking for a "Clthol airfare to Bangkok with Qantas" etc was kinda funny and very offensive.

Another fun game I have played at work was when employed in Airlines Reservations we used to answer the phones between 2 and 6 am by saying, "F*&k for calling _________, how may I help you" - not once did anyone realise that we had not said "Thank you".

The earlier comment about saying 'bananas' when pax were not looking - we once spent an entire shift at checkin asking pax if the following, "Do you have any sharp or pointy objects in yur carry-on luggage, for example, nail files, scissors, cabbages?

The number of people that just said "no" or "Ive got an apple" was hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you've found these as amusing as what we did at the time!

[JonBoy80]

indeed funny, but I thought it was a post for inappropriate PAX comments. But hey, I did laugh at your hotel incident anyways.


Cheers

[barbiegirl]

i know its not a PAX comment, but how annoying (and rude) is having pax click their fingers to get your attention, when a simple excuse me will do?

[sixmilehighclub]

Next time a pax clicks their fingers at you, maybe offer them a tissue and when they looked bemused at you, just tell them that if every passenger flicked their bogeys around the cabin the cleaners would have a really tough job, so please use the tissue.

[sinala1]

Not really inappropriate pax comments, but had no where else to put it....

2 pax got on board (1 male 1 female, both probably late 20's). Male gets on first wearing EVERYTHING Louis Vuitton, and Aviator sunnies (not forgetting this is a 0830 flight). Ask for boarding pass, get glared at (I think, could not tell thru the sunnies, but could tell by the shape the lips made) as if I had asked him to show me his willy. Thrust it in my face and kept walking. Chick got on board, exact same scenario (minus aviator sunnies, plus D & G sunnies). She walked down the aisle and I looked at both of them, just to see his tag poking out of his shirt. Quickly walked down and mentioned that he had his tag poking out, just to see it was a Target Bonds shirt tag!!!

Louis Vuitton Bag x 2 - $50 (fake from thailand)
Louis Vuitton Thongs - $10 (fake from thailand)
Aviator/Gucci Sunnies - $20 (fake from Bali)

Getting caught out for the cheap arse label queen that you really are - PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!


We found it funny anyway :E :E :E

[ozskipper]

LOL

That caused uncontrollable bladder movement....

Well done, give yourself a hug! (loved it in other words)

;)

[Inflight BBQ's]

Hey Sinala,

Can't wait for the comments to start when this Calendar thing takes-off next year...

Quoth the Raven...:p

Once had a slightly, less than intelligent, NRL team on a flight to SYD one evening. During the service one of the "brighter" one's sparked-up and asked me, "So, is it true about all you male FA's?".

I replied "Absolutely! Now,what are you talking about?"

He sat perplexed for a moment, then spat it out and said, "You know, that ya's are all battin' for the other team!"

I briefly looked over he and his enterage and said, "Mate, you are spending the next couple of weeks showering in a locker room with a dozen or so blokes... ... and I work with over 1000 of the best looking girls in the country! Now you tell me who's battin' for which team?"

The rest of the team were in stiches but old-mate just didn't see the funny side of it.

Hmmm, maybe I hit a nerve?

:ok: Love my Job!:E

[sinala1]

Ah yes that infamous question - "isnt it true that ALL male flight attendants are gay?"

My response usually is something to the effect of "well to be completely honest I have no way of answering your question - for me to answer on behalf of every male flight attendant in the world would be somewhat arrogant and naive don't you think?"

One chick was chatting with me telling me how she had just come from the army, and asked me if I was gay, adding that she "had a theory regarding male flight attendants". I wanted to say "yeah well sweet cheeks I got a theory about chicks in the army" but my better judgement told me not to......:eek: :E

[panda-k-bear]

From a pax point of view - on Sunday night I was waiting for an aircraft tha was 90 minutes late. Finally got to the point of boarding the aircraft when the ramp agent (female) started asking people to hand of their hand baggage as the aircraft was full and there wouldn't be space for it all. The first half dozen pax all had high level FF cards that allowed them to take those particular pieces of handbaggage on board. She gave one guy a particularly hard time, but he bit back as well. This time the shoe was on the other foot (pax had the upper hand), but had her laughing when he said:

"Look, we're an hour and a half late and now you're telling me I can't bring my hand luggage on board? At this time of day I'm usually arguing with my wife but because you guys have made me an hour and a half late and I'm missing my daily row, I have to have it with you!"

There were a few guffaws from the assembled pax as well, so it all ended amicably (with Mr. pax taking his carry-on on board)

[whatunion]

great stuff but dont forget that other type of ********, THE STAFF PASSENGER!

[Airgus]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=94154

Check this forum.

Regards,

AirGus.-

[Flying_Sarah747]

Sixmilehigh, I LOVE that bananas thing!

It reminds me of a purser I flew with the other day. We were working in club, and there was this dude who thought he ruled the world. He made us get all the beers out and read the lable on everyone, clicked his fingers at us, the lot. So me and the purser were laughing about him, and she goes watch this! SO she went out with some coffee and goes "Some coffee for you piggy?" He turned around and goes "Oh yes please!" with a big smile on his face, then she cleared in his tray and goes "Could I take your tray for you piggy?" And again he was like oooh, yes with a big smile on his face, and through the whole flight she kept calling him piggy. Oh my god it was HILLARIOUS!!!! He had NO IDEA that she was saying piggy!