Crew Take Offs

[T4Turtle]

Before I began my flying career I worked for a time in retail security where there is an environment of absolutely no pilfering. Despite the consequences, retail staff would steal for the thrill and loose their jobs. When I began to fly I realised civil aviation is a different kettle of fish. I observed that most flight deck/cabin crew would take off miniatures, soft drinks and dry stores for personal consumption. However, there were some who would blatantly abuse the opportunity. I recall going into the front galley towards the end of a flight and seeing the purser’s pilot's case full of miniatures still wrapped in cardboard and cellophane packaging. In addition they had bagged two bottles of champagne in a duty free carrier bag. One purser towards the end of each flight would routinely scout for anything that they may take home. Milk, coffee, tea, bread, soft drinks, chocolates, as well as miniatures. On one trip I decided to be mischievous and nabbed the unopened milk carton from the rear galley before the purser did their ‘rounds’. When they arrived and saw that the milk carton had disappeared a look of abject misery crossed their face, a terse comment and then a flurry back to the front galley. One crew member told me that she made a passenger a special order cup of tea. She looked for the small packets of biscuits to accompany the drink. There were none in her galley, which she thought strange as the catering load had been complete. She went to the front galley. There too, no small packets of biscuits. It transpired the purser had put them all in a duty free carrier bag to take home for a relative’s bed and breakfast business. This was in spite of a previous management crack down. Unsuspecting, a crew alighted from a crew bus following a trip. As the crew neared their cars to offload their stash before debriefing, to the crew’s horror, a director revealed themselves! In a panic some bottles of champagne ended up over wire fences. Reminds me of drugs down the toilet! Crew Hotels were a feeding ground for these frenzied fellows. I heard of a crew member pinching a duvet cover from a hotel and boasting; “They wash up really well.” At a Ritz-Carlton hotel crew would routinely take the large water glasses. Why would anyone wish to hold up a Ritz-Carlton hotel glass with the distinctive lion and coronet icon for a knees up?

[SkySista]

Turtle, I recall a post some while ago about "Best Thing You've Seen Nicked From a Hotel" - have a scout round for it, it's a classic!!!)

As for crew, I think they should be allowed to have a reasonable amount of take-home for personal use, but...

I used to work in a clothing shop. I didn't just take clothes home because 'they were there'. :E

Maybe it's the miniature size that makes people think they 'aren't really taking much'???

[Sully182]

From my days in another job, the definition of theft was:

To dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another with the intention of permantly depriving the other of it.

I'll leave you to ponder that one

Sully

[Mr Seatback 2]

My personal opinion is that there is no harm in taking items off the plane for personal use (ie. for ONE persons' use only). That is, items that might normally be consumed and have no 'significant' value (ie. a bottle of Veuve Cliquot doesn't apply).

I've worked for 3 different airlines now - in various guises - and my own thoughts on this matter are thus:
SEARCH THE BAGS AND FIRE THOSE WHO ABUSE THE SYSTEM.

Sounds harsh, but I've put up with far too many people in this industry who seem to think it okay to not only steal from the company, but from colleagues as well. No lie. This does happen - klepto's do not necessarily differentiate between company and colleague property.

Now...that isn't to say that the odd soft drink or two is grand theft, or that everyone who takes a soft drink is a klepto...but I do have a problem with those who:
1) Go out of their way to remove aircraft stores BEFORE the service has been completed where it impacts on the passenger (and yes, I have seen this happen)
2) Deprive OTHER CREW of consumable goods by being selfish and taking as much as can be physically carried (like,' fall down the airstairs' carried...funny, but sad really)
3) and, (my favourite), those who steal from other crew items that were issued by the company (ie. bar floats, service badges, etc).

Let me tell you a story relayed to me by a good friend...

My friend was operating a 6 hour return day trip (2 legs) where the aircraft was double catered. All crew were flying out of home base (this part becomes relevant later)...

On arrival into their destination, the Purser went looking for the Business Class wine bottles. Strange, she thought, they're no longer there! Maybe we used them on the way up by mistake. With no catering at this port, she shrugged her shoulders and continued with the service.

Later, she had cause to go into the coat cupboard where she noticed a crew trolley bag for the first time. Odd, since it was a day trip and all crew were operating from home base! She went to shift the bag to reach another bag in the cupboard when "clink clink", she heard bottles stirring in the trolley bag.

She secretly opened up the bag, and lo-and-behold, there were the missing wine bottles, tucked nicely and neatly away inside the FA's trolley bag.

This wasn't the first time she had blatantly stolen something from the a/c - in fact, she had been caught out stealing from other crew in the past. But out of CREW LOYALTY, no-one ever did anything.

Until now.

The Purser pulled aside all the crew one by one, except for the 'suspect', and told them what she'd found. All were shocked, but not surprised. Some were angry, because (as mentioned before), this wasn't the first time.

On landing into home port, everyone disembarked quite normally, including the tea-leaf and her trolley bag. When...

Oh dear...the manager of cabin crew was waiting at the end of the aerobridge with airline security!

All were escorted into a private room, where all crew were made to open their bags...Then came the tea-leafs turn to open her bag...

"You can't make me. I want the union present"
"Ok, we'll wait for the union"

Time and pressure...time and pressure...

Zzzzzzipp...

"ID please..."

And alas, alack, the thief was asked to resign.

Point of this story - don't go stealing things that you could pay for out of your own pocket. Ask yourself next time:

"Is my job worth it?"

I know it's a bit off topic, but airlines here in Australia are MAD about this. Theft (however innocent) is not tolerated whatever the excuse.

Beware everyone...

[sanjosebaz]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=76546

[RatherBeFlying]

Generally, management has decided that the time and money required for inventory management outweighs the value of catered goods.

Add to that that what's left behind of the consumables will go to the cleaners; so, management generally tolerates crews helping themselves to whatever would otherwise be binned.

As has been noticed, there are always a few who abuse the situation.

With the technology available these days, I would barcode every valued item such as wine and miniatures and complete cases of packaged items. At end of flight, the crew would be allowed to check out controlled items on offer at concessionary prices. Anybody found in posession of controlled items without a machine generated invoice would be subject to termination.

[T4Turtle]

Mucho Gracias sanjosebaz

[Ranger One]

Re. the odd missing bottle of booze:

On the one hand, such pilfering eats into the bottom line and can be conducive to a 'bad attitude' developing - and to strained relations with less larcenous members of the crew.

On the other hand, from a purely selfish male point of view, I must confess to having enjoyed the odd ummmm frolic with said larcenous crew members (their being suitably lubricated with contents of said bottles, following the inevitable room party).

On the gripping hand, schedules these days are sufficiently sadistic that the appetite amongst all concerned for 'frolics' is not what it once was...

R1

[sinala1]

On the gripping hand, schedules these days are sufficiently sadistic that the appetite amongst all concerned for 'frolics' is not what it once was...

:O

:ooh:

:E

[feet dry]

Looks like this will be controversial but theft is theft and the only thing you hurt is your company's bottom line.

Consider the cost to a company such as BA if every crew member took one miniature per trip, you might be surprised at the total.

Mr Seatback2, it is either wrong or not.....the personal use justification is pretty specious.

[SkySista]

now, now, Sinala.... behave... :E

I figure if it's been said you can take (reasonable) amounts for personal use, then fine. If not, then don't take it unless you're going to pay for it... no permission technically means stealing - whether 'everyone else does it' or not...!

My 2c...

and the old line "but they don't pay me enough...." equates with the shoplifter's "the prices are so high they deserve it..."

[sinala1]

now, now, Sinala.... behave...
Oh, but I have been!

:E

(Oh, Be-have!)

[teeteringhead]

To dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another with the intention of permantly depriving the other of it. .... which is more or less the wording of Section 1, Sub-Section 1 of the Theft Act 1968......

[Sully182]

the grey matter is not as good as it used to be and it has been a while since I used the theft act, but, i think the wording i used got the point across.

Sully

[gallie girl]

When working for a certain airline this particular behaviour of stealing alcohol from the aircraft was rife. As it was a 'free bar' nothing had to be accounted for. So once the airline suddenly noticed that their aircraft were returning to port with an empty bar and very sober pax they suddenly realised that something wasn't quiet right.

Pilots and flight attendants would often walk off with nav bags clinking, full of wine, champagne and spirits. With all those bottles tucked precariously into those nav bags up front it is a wonder the nose of the aircraft could stay upright. I myself never took any, as 1. I am not a big drinker and 2. I knew that management would suddenly catch up, and that they did. (They ended up going to the extreme of checking rubbish bags from the aircraft on their return into port, and seeing if the empty bottles in the rubbish collaborated with what was missing from the bar). No wonder this airline went bust!

I have also heard of one particular pilot who was such a tight ar#e that they would steal.. wait for it... light bulbs and toilet paper from the hotels that we would stay in.. surely their wage was good enough that they could afford these particular items from a supermarket????

[SkySista]

one particular pilot who was such a tight ar#e that they would steal.. wait for it... light bulbs and toilet paper from the hotels

gallie girl, if it's the AirliNe I think it is, you must be talking about "Take Away Ray"! :}

[gallie girl]

Hey SkySista

Well no it wasn't take-away-ray.... and this airline, was strongly affiliated with that AirliNe, this particular pilot, well she could of dated take-away-ray, i am sure they would of got on quiet well!!!


cheers gallie girl

[SkySista]

she could of dated take-away-ray, i am sure they would of got on quiet well!!!

LOL!! I didn't even think you might be talking about a gal, oh yes she sounds like the perfect match! :E

I once nearly had a crew take something of mine on a flight (but they were only joking.... I think.... ;) )

(Same AirliNe, too, hmm any connection there??? :p )

[gallie girl]

SkySista check you pms.... gallie girl