Im probably not going to improve matters by saying this but I will add one or two things from a crew perspective.

As has been explained at a crew base it is easy to be in control. My own view is that crew should not be taking up what I consider to be passenger facilities. Crew should have their own entry into their operation to check in and go through security there. That apart I do think that there should be a separate line for crew and airport staff. Let's face it, we talk often enough here about separate facilites for crew and airport staff. I know that the problem is that most of the airports were built long before queuing for security was the norm. HNL comes to mind where practically all the airlines passengers squeeze through the narrowest part of the building to go through security. Most crew there have been bussed in from layover in Waikiki and have to be aboard at a certain time to do the pre-flight checks (though in this day of buy your own food I'm surprised that this is really necessary. How often have I watched crew standing around making the queue even longer.

The question was really how rude the FAs can be. To my mind, anyone weating the uniform of an airline - in my case BA - is representative of the company and is subject to the rules whether they are being paid for it or not. Society as a whole is rude, and I think that if the authorities or the airlines had any sense at all someone should be combing the queues to see if anyone - anyone at all was running late. Not every thing works in this great world and I am always too early for everything. However, I had a flight for JFK at an outstation and needed a connecting flight to be there (as it so happens) and I am supposed to the ahead of the crew for briefing. I used my usual route to work and ran into the most terrible traffic. The police had closed the road due to a car smash and there was chaos. Fortunately I know other routes - but so does everyone else so they were far worse than usual. I watched my time evaporate as I boiled with frustration. I am not a slow driver and usually skirt with speed cameras and have yet to have a ticket for speeding due to what my husband regards as a luck and no judgement on my part. I threw the car into the parking lot and ran as far as foolishly fashionable shoes permitted and begged the good souls in security to let me through. Gentlemen and Ladies all they knew a whirling dervish when they saw one albeit in full BA drag. Never in the history of avaiation had I wished that BA gave pre-flight drinks as the airlines in the US do.

I tell you this annecdote only to say that whilst rudeness - arrogance someone well described it - is intolerable and unacceptable - sometines there is more below the surface. As for the Sister-in-Law - they are everywhere. All I will say is that a true professionall at this job is a consuate actress and the passengers should not know what you think about them. Trust me, I do not go home thinking how wonderful our passengers are - but I do go home and wonder how I could be better at what I do. It may be a bit late for that - but hey - when you stop trying you may as well pack the whole thing in and go and stack shelves in Sainsburys.