brp

It does count, but it can certainly be handled better. I do know the drill, but one time stood up to get something from the overhead-hadn't noticed the cart. The FA did act swiftly, but professionally. I don't recall if she simply motioned, or spoke in a reasonable voice-she indicated the cart and asked me to take my seat. Very simple and non-confrontational.

Cheers.

Deltahater

You have got to be kidding...

Your position will then also be to defend the FA who kicked the pax out of the galley on an TATL flight for security reasons, right?

dstan

And now the ongoing thread in AA has been appended to the original, graciously returned from Newsstand, with a little creative license taken for the combined title.

/Moderator

inyourvillages

LOL

Bacai

John Reed was voted for "Man of the year" on AATIMES magazine.

and Helen was voted for "Woman of the year" on AAUNION magazine

inyourvillages

Boy, some of you really have a thing about unions.

sluggoaafa

and how quickly some forget where the 9/11 Terrorists were sitting (or their frequent flyer status) when they took over the planes. The way that some DYKWIA pax behave, you would think they belong to the same group

Just yesterday on my flight from SAN-JFK (dang plane had no potable water...anyway...) when the cockpit was doing their physiological breaks and stretching, one of my Y crew members questioned why several pax were standing and waiting for the 2nd C lav (763). I asked her why should they remain seated? She said because the cockpit was taking their breaks....I asked her how many Lavs were on the plane for our C pax, she still looked at me with this blank stare. I literally had to spell it out that with the two FAs manning the carts blocking the C galley, there was no sense in restricting the C pax to the open C Lav and make them angrier than they already were. (to the lack of no hot water for coffee/tea, or water to wash their hands.)

I don't go all "Helen" on pax who stand up when the cart is blocking access to lav, but I do ask pax to either wait behind F, or just take a seat. Most will be ok, but I have had several go "Helen" on me for restricting their access to the lav when the cockpit is using it.

The funny part is, it could be hours that no one will use the lav, but once the carts come out, it seems EVERYONE needs to use it and is surprised they can't because the cockpit is taking their quick break.

I agree that there is a way to ask pax to wait a couple of minutes while the cockpit takes their breaks. Some FAs just take it way too seriously and bark the orders unfortunately

mvoight

I don't think it is odd that people don't go for hours. I go at the airport, before boarding, and really am not in a hurry to use the lav on the plane. Additionally, a lot of people will go after a meal, due to the difficulty getting up with a tray on your table or staff/carts in the aisle. People will also go after the end of a movie.

Regarding the mention of 9/11 by another poster. 9/11 happened. That doesn't mean that passengers should be treated as criminals for standing up when there is a cart blocking access to the cockpit. Once the crew member is out of the cockpit, and the door is locked behind him, where is the security issue? Why should passengers be then blocked from using the lav while the pilot or first officer chat with the FA next to the galley?

jaytcsd

I was on a flight from ORD one night when the captain came out of the flight deck, which we called a cockpit back then, and leaned on the back of 3B, I was in 3A, and ordered the couple sitting in 4A and B to the back of the plane. He told them they would be arrested if they did not comply.

I was shocked that he was saying that, there had been no notice on my part of any problems except for the FA being in tears just prior to that. The couple was in the 60s or 70s, not drunk or loud, but their crime was that the lady behind me asked the FA not to lean over too closely because the FA's perfume was too strong and the pax was sensitive to that. They explained their story to the captain, but he was going to protect his fellow crew members at all costs.

oklAAhoma

Then I guess it wasn't you who shooed me back to my seat the first - and only - time I made the mistake of getting up when the cart was blocking the aisle.

Boy howdy, did I learn a lesson that day that I won't soon forget! I was chased down the aisle by an FA who had come leaping at me (it seemed at the time out of no where), yelling "Go back! Go back! You can't be here!". He kept it up, pushing (gently) and yelling, until I was reseated.

Needless to say, I was a bit startled by the whole episode, and didn't even understand what had transpired until my traveling companion explained the significance of the cart across the aisle. She thought it was the funniest thing she had witnessed in years. I wasn't quite as amused, but I guess I brought it on myself.

Actually the funny part is that virtually every FA knows exactly when I plan to use the facilities and manages to bring the cart out a few seconds before I start to get up. Do they teach you that in FA boot camp?

tkelvin69

You work for FOX, don't you?

sluggoaafa

I cannot tell a lie.....

Evan!

Glad you winked because without that it sounds like you think there is some conspiracy by pax to make your life hard. It's not funny (strange) at all... or even eerily weird. Pilots probably take a lav break before boarding just like a great number of pax. After a humanly predictable average amount of time for the body to process liquids it is not strange that a cross section of the pax pool will need to use the lav at about the same time that a pilot might.

FAs are probably more aware of pax that want to use the lav when the cart comes out because it directly affects what the FAs need to do. FAs probably don't notice the numerous number of pax that used the lav when the cart wasn't blocking the cockpit door.

sluggoaafa

You'd be surprised at how many FAs actually do pay attention when pax go....it never seems to fail that when one person gets up to go, one is right behind them trying to open the locked lav door.... I see it roughly 85% of the time on my flights while working in F.

When working a flight with IFE, you start to know the trend. After first chime (still climbing) pax will get up (Sorry, have to go). Before preferences are taken. Seatbelt sign off (multiple pax) Just before meal/tray delivery...(I'll often wait on service until I notice it's calmed down) Meal/tray pickup, after movie. After sundae's. After water handed-out. As soon as cart is blocking aisle/lav after NBC Universal on American. During or after cookie's, sparkling water, prepare for landing....one last one as FAs take their seats for landing (usually when one knows there may be a long taxi-ORD)

Evan!

Okay, so let me see if I have this right. You list the following times during an average flight that pax use the bathrooms the most:

1. After first chime (still climbing) pax will get up.
2. Before preferences are taken.
3. Seatbelt sign off (multiple pax)
4. Just before meal/tray delivery...
5. Meal/tray pickup,
6. after movie.
7. After sundae's.
8. After water handed-out.
9. As soon as cart is blocking aisle/lav
10. after NBC Universal on American.
11. During or
12. after cookie's,
13. sparkling water,
14. prepare for landing....
15. one last one as FAs take their seats for landing

IOW, all throughout the flight. Yep, sounds like a very organized conspiracy.

Funny (your word ) that "when the pilots want to use the bathroom" is not on your list. We'll call that one #16.