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VLADKO
8th Aug 2012, 08:14
I recently heard that a Captain in one of the largest Middle-Eastern companies (no, not Emirates)has been fired after he took a bottle of water from one of the galleys while returning from duty. Suppusedly a Senior Cabin Crew member has reported about him(read:Snitched).

Now can this be true at all? Does this kind of stuff really happen at "the better companies"?
:confused:

RoyHudd
8th Aug 2012, 09:01
EK, EY And QR are not "better companies". They are representative of their home countries. i.e. slave labour-driven dustbowls. And their rules are applied unilaterally with no chance of appeal. So, yes, a Captain was grassed-up about a bottle of water and fired; check out where the Cabin Crew person came from....

City Flyer
8th Aug 2012, 09:16
Why didn't he just pay for it or pick up water from crew stocks? I don't know what provision there is for crew water at Gulf carriers, but there will certainly be some.

Much as I sympathise with him regarding the excessive response from the airline, it is no secret that airlines' asset protection is high on the agenda in the current cost environment.

Hope he finds luck elsewhere.

sharksandwich
8th Aug 2012, 09:20
Will he also be charged with theft? A criminal record does not look good on a CV.Poor sod, talk about sledgehammers and nuts.

Flytdeck
8th Aug 2012, 09:31
Usually, there is more behind a story than what is initially apparent. This is one of those cases. From what I have been told and found out so far, this individual may have had a few other issues with this particular company.

On top of that, it was not crew water, but water that was reserved for the use of the Executive Class passengers. Crew have their own supply. Crewmembers had been specifically advise NOT to use the Executive Class supplies but rather use their own provisions.

I have not verified the facts, but did ask a fair number of questions as this type of action appears just too severe for an operating company. Not been here long, but so far find working here quite enjoyable. As with anywhere, know and abide by the rules, even the silly ones, as long as they do not endanger your passengers and crew (or yourself).

Also, investigate any story that seems "off".

Luke SkyToddler
8th Aug 2012, 09:36
If you're talking about the "Evian Incident" at QR, yes it really happened - however it was a good 5 or 6 years ago.

Working environment in that outfit is absolutely unbelieveable ... the culture of fear, grassing up your workmates, cabin crew constantly reporting against pilots for any tiny infractions and vice versa, it's worse for cabin crew there's probably a dozen of them sacked every week, but the CEO likes to keep the pilots on their toes by occasionally sacking one or two of them for ridiculous minor offenses as well. They are the only airline in the world I believe that actually has a "termination department".

That, unfortunately, is the way the CEO wants it to be ... he can't provide, or isn't willing to pay for, a happy working environment or a loyal workforce, so the only way he can maintain some measure of control is the constant fear of instant dismissal hanging over everyone's head.

Andu
8th Aug 2012, 10:01
This sounds like the outfit whose names starts with a letter that in English, requires the letter "u" to follow it.

But in Arabic, doesn't.

ironbutt57
8th Aug 2012, 10:06
Well..... couple decades ago, a 25+ year in service cabin crew was fired at TWA (USA) for taking a small unopened carton of milk from the rubbish bin as it was being carried off the aircraft..it became a well publicized incident which resulted in the news media picketing outside the home of then CEO Carl Icahn, who finally relented and re-instated the crew member involved......something about her union involvement level.....rules are rules, like them or not...:ugh:

Luke SkyToddler
8th Aug 2012, 10:33
Guys there's no need to be cryptic about which airline it was, the incident has been discussed at length here on PPRUNE, just search for "Evian" on the forums and you'll find many threads on it.

I think AAB actually likes it when people talk about this stuff, the whole rule by fear thing only works when it's constantly in the front of people's minds, and everyone is constantly whispering and gossiping about "did you hear about him?! Can you believe he got sacked for that?!" :oh:

glad rag
8th Aug 2012, 18:32
I have not verified the facts

rightyho :ok:

FLEXPWR
8th Aug 2012, 21:08
In a place I worked, some training captains came to fly with an empty flight case, and loaded it with drinks from the galley until the handle was almost bent when lifted... I find this to be really cheap, you make thousands of dollars working in a nice environment (NOT a low cost) and you can't by yourself some drinks? This is called theft. If you're thursty, drink on board, unless it was crew water you didn't finish and bring home, for the sake of not throwing it away.

VLADKO
8th Aug 2012, 21:43
Thanks for the replys guys! Really interesting. I just had no idea that this stuff was going on...

Check Airman
8th Aug 2012, 22:50
On top of that, it was not crew water, but water that was reserved for the use of the Executive Class passengers. Crew have their own supply. Crewmembers had been specifically advise NOT to use the Executive Class supplies but rather use their own provisions.

Pray tell, what's the difference between crew water and executive class water?

fortystripes
8th Aug 2012, 23:00
My career is in medicine, not aviation but most of the employers I am familiar with have similar policies. They regard "theft" as grounds for immediate dismissal, and don't leave any gray area for minor, inconsequential things.

The stories are strikingly similar, with personnel being fired for using saline filled syringes to dampen a dry contact lens, or a couple of aspirin for a headache.

con-pilot
8th Aug 2012, 23:58
Pray tell, what's the difference between crew water and executive class water?

The ebola. :p

Oktas8
9th Aug 2012, 00:33
Pray tell, what's the difference between crew water and executive class water?

You get encouraged to drink one, and get fired if you drink the other.

Not as difficult as a V1 cut I would have thought. But then I suppose you don't get a chance to practise choosing a drink bottle four times a year in the sim...

BEagle
9th Aug 2012, 07:16
Wasn't there a case a while ago where an unsuspecting ba FO took a swig from a water bottle in the galley - only to find to his horror that it was neat gin?

Not being stolen by cabin crew, but a way for them to smuggle alcohol into some dry country which didn't have a bar in the crew hotel.....

'slave labour-driven dustbowls'

A remarkably succinct summary - and very accurate!

B737NG
9th Aug 2012, 07:38
It seemīs nothing has changed since I left the Orient. I miss nothing for sure.

captjns
9th Aug 2012, 07:56
Pray tell, what's the difference between crew water and executive class water?

Camel pi$$ versus rose petals. Guess who gets what.

RHKAAF
9th Aug 2012, 09:39
I remember once having to eat all the crew rations before being allowed to exit the aircraft at Thorney Island. The "enforcers" were the RAF police and were adamant that the crew could not take any in-flight rations home. Happy days!

Rananim
9th Aug 2012, 10:40
This culture of grassing is dangerous and a generational thing.We never had it before.Flying as a professional crew entails mutual trust/respect.How can you do that if you know your own crew are out to get you.Its a flight safety issue because it breeds division and mistrust,just what you dont need on a flight.I see crews today separated on the bus..flight deck on their own away from FA's,each with their own union,US vs THEM attitude.Its wrong.You report a fellow crew member as a last resort and only if the infraction affects flight safety.
Pilots would never have tolerated this culture of openly-encouraged grassing by any crew member.But then again pilots would not have tolerated much of what goes on now which amounts to the decline and eventual death of a bygone profession.So pilots themselves are to blame for this.The pilot character that would have checked something like this in the bud was itself extirpated beginning roughly 25-30 years ago with deregulation,CRM,social change in society as a whole,political correctness etc.Now the pilot is replaced by the sterile charcterless system operator.If you show any sign of rebellion or fight(ie. cohones for those less pc) you are a threat to safety,a maverick who needs to go back to crm class.
I dont know what happened in this qatar incident but if the Captain cant freely take a bottle of water from the galley,then what has the world come to?Political correctness out of control.Of course,I suppose if you're crazy enough to go fly planes in a dump like qatar then you probably deserve everything you get.