FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Can FA demand the window shade be closed?
Old Oct 10, 2008 | 8:18 am
  #1  
gonezen
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA MM/Gold, AA MM/Gold, Hilton Gold, Sheraton Gold
Posts: 369
Can FA demand the window shade be closed?

September 24 my wife and I were on the ORD to PEK flight and some jerk in C wouldn't close his window shades the entire flight. (Daylight the whole flight.) Apparently he needed to spend the entire flight reviewing God knows what in his big fat briefcase and the two available reading lights weren't sufficient for this. He did finally close one of the shades but half opened it later. Despite numerous complaints from other passengers, the FA's said they could only "request" that the jerk close the shade. One guy complained to the jerk's wife who told him to complain to the FA. At one point another passenger even yelled out, "What the hell, he can only read in the daytime?" The FA's got creative though and rigged up blankets across empty seats to block the light during sleep time. I have never before observed this type of inconsiderate behavior from a passenger and I wonder if the FA's just should have had a flight officer "chat" with the fellow. One of the FA's said she had only had this situation once before in a very long career.
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