I used to fly helicopters to the rigs in the north sea out of Denmark. We would tell the pax to remain seated with there seatbelts done up until the blades have stopped turning and the doors had been opened. The Danish pax would start un-doing there seat belts as soon as we taxied in. After a while, we would advance the engines back into flight and sit there until they had strapped back in again. It only took a couple of times doing that until they realised we were not joking. Worked a treat !!

Not flying but I can relate to being possibly being rude but more accurately wound up.

The event was a dirty area and my whites covered in soot. I was wound up and wanted satisfaction. A gentle smile and "let us launder them for you" defused the situation.

So, rather than the SLF that is looking for any excuse to exert authority or seek redress, a simple and effective response will often defuse the situation.

Back to flying, the whole process of getting to the airport on time, packing, unloading the car, trolley and bus to the terminal, the queue to checkin, the queue for security, the strip search (I exagerate), the 'interminable' wait after the boarding now call, all add stress to what may be a stressful situation.

OTOH, we were bused to New Orleans some 6 hours before scheduled departure and 7 hours before ATD, (I have moved New Orleans down to bottom of my favourites). I guess by the time we were boarded any rudeness and aggression had been bored out of us.

All credit to the crew, with a 160kts jet stream we made up time lost.

If the take-off roll has been commenced, and you notice a passenger has undone his seatbelt, what are you supposed to do? Get up and talk to him? Tell the flight deck? Nothing?

:ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

I always thank the CC when getting off, and ask them to thank the flight deck crew, too. But I sometimes wonder if they appreciate it.

I'm sure they appreciate it. :ok:

Good manners cost nothing. I always thank the Cabin Crew and wish them a pleasant day when I disembark too.

Sadly, too many people these days think rudeness and aggression is the way to get what they want.
I worked in retail management in a previous job, and I've had swearing, threats of legal action and indeed been invited outside for a fight on more than one occasion.
This I found all the more curious as it was usually some 7 stone Chav doing the shouting, and I'm 6ft4 and 215 lbs.

They do it because they know you're constrained by company rules and can't retaliate, hence they know they can get away with behaviour that would land them in hospital if they tried the same thing with someone in the pub.
I used to secretly pray that I'd encounter these clowns on my walk back to the train station in the evening so that I could see if they were as brave as they made out! :E

As for businessmen leaping out of their seats the second the thrust reversers are shut off - I completely agree!

What can they possibly achieve by crouching in the aisle waiting like a greyhound in a trap for the door to open? :confused:

9 times out of 10 they'll have to wait for the transport to the terminal, wait for their baggage, wait for passport control, etc. What do they do with the few minutes they "save"?? I can never understand it.

I always stay in my seat (window) reading my book and let all the madness and scrambling carry on around me.
Once everyone's off the aircraft I get up, gather my odds and ends together and leave with a polite farewell to the cabin crew.
When I get to baggage reclaim my case is usually sitting there ready to go.
I walk straight through passport control and I'm on my way.

Easy. Why the rush?? :rolleyes:

Why not sit there for another 20 minutes.?
Why not catch a later plane?
Why not walk there?

Why the need to rush?

I'm with Ten West on this.

As soon as the seatbelt lights go out there's a mad scramble to unclip seatbelts, stand up, drag bags out of the overhead locker and...and....stand there, half-crouched unless you're in the aisle, for 5 minutes or so listening to the beep-beep of mobile phones being switched on. Utterly pointless.

I tend to sit in my seat making loud, rude comments about the stupidity of those around me. My wife hates it. But honestly, what is the point in rushing to be first off the plane, first through passport control and first to stand at the baggage carousel...waiting for it to start turning! :ugh:

MH152

Well, 95% of the time when I leave the terminal at the same time as the bloke who rushed through the whole process, what was the point of him building himself up to a heart attack to try and 'save' a few minutes? :confused:

After they've gone through all that they then normally stand around outside looking anxiously at their watches as they wait for their pickup anyway! :rolleyes:

Ah! So YOU'RE the one all the pax standing in the bus in the freezing cold are waiting for! I bet the cabin crew, who are now tired and want to go home, who are watching you calmly and quietly collect your things, give you the biggest fake smiles they can muster when you thank them, right?

Not at all.

As soon as the last of the pax are off I'm right behind them. Anyway, the crew will be on there for a while yet cashing up the bar, etc. so where's the problem? :confused: They don't just lock up and go home you know.

Since when do buses wait for late pax anyway? ;)

Exactly!

Boardingpass you are a silly-billy! No-one's suggesting we keep people waiting. In fact, in reality I tend to stand up and disembark once the mad-rush has calmed and I can find my bag in the overhead locker and lower it without braining a passing granny. I don't think I've ever actually been the last pax off the plane.

If the cabin crew ever give me fake smiles, it's probably because I'm smiling insanely and dribbling at the pretty hosties while being wacked on the back of the head by my wife...;)

Pretty hosties?

Do you fly Air Berlin as well then? I'll say Hello when I see you next. :ok:

Vary rarely will cashing up be done on the aircraft after landing, 9/10 it will already be done prior to cabin secure and in the very few airlines, it is done in the crew room- think about it for a second- counting what could be a fair bit of money with upto 25+ cleaners onboard and other staff, including catering guys in the galleys where are the crew supposed to count said money?

Trust me, crew usually walk past the last of their passengers on the airbridge/terminal!! (and beat them out of the airport)

So yes, they do go home(they don't even lock up at my airline)

Once I was checking in at Heathrow for Dubai. There was me and one other passenger at check in, him in front of me. He was a big fat t****r, he had a humungous cigar clamped in his gob (not lit of course, just for show), was speaking on his mobile all throughout the check in, and, I kid you not, threw his ticket at the check in operator. She politely processed his booking. He grunted or shook his head to each of her questions and when finished snatched his boarding pass from her. I'd watched all of this with increasing anger. I knew she couldn't say anything and could only be professional. As he turned to walk away he made the mistake of making eye contact me. "What a f*****g p***k," I said to him. For a micro second he stood transfixed, weighing up his options (they were zero, but I'd have loved him to try) before flouncing off.

Postscript, as soon as he was gone I got a huge beaming smile from the girl at checkout. Ever professional, of course, she said nothing about the incident. However, having taken my ticket she disappeared for a couple of minutes. Upon her return her smile was still there. "Mr McD***, I'm afraid we have bad news, our world traveller cabin is overbooked, so we're going to have to upgrade you to Club!!" Result. The best flight I've ever had. On board I thought of going to look for the p***k to see if he'd have anything to say, but figured I'd be better off enjoying the flight. I didn't even see him as we disembarked.

So, little darling, in the unlikely event you'll see this or even remember the incident, once again, a thousand thanks. I'd have happily punched his lights out for you!!

It's true what they say then, that the Scots do indeed travel well ... :cool:

I just wanted to relate this little one...

I'm relatively young by LH FD standards.

Out of CPT last wk I got a fat smelly (very afrikaans) premium pax turn round and say to me "You sure you gotta licence, boy?" as we were loading.

I replied

"No not yet. I only joined yesterday. This is the first time they've let me have a go but I'm well up for a laugh. Do you know which end I go to?"

Cue spluttering....

Was I unprofessional?

:}

VS-Toga
 

LOL!

Not unprofessional at all, IMHO.

But then again, I'm an Australian! :ok:

DIVOSH!

VS-Toga, high five. Now THAT is what I call a result. I know the type you speak of... sadly too many still believe they are superior to everyone else.

Stunning response. And alwayslookingup, well done too.

S.