jcm9000

Slighty OT (but still on FAs) my oddest FA behaviour was on a small eagle jet from MIA - Greensboro (GSO i think) a couple of yrs back when i first started flying AA. Anyway, we push back and the one lady crew member (not far off retirement i would guess not that it matters) attempts to do the usual safety notice. After trying to say the first word ten times while constantly mopping her forehead with her arm, proceeds to try to read it from a piece of paper. More bumbling and mumbles of 'oh dear i'll start again'. Suddenly stops trying to read the first sentence after a couple of minutes or so and dances up the cabin in what can only be described as a flamenco style dance to point out the emergency exits. Back to the front of the plane and proceeds to pick up the piece of paper and tries to start the safety annoucement again. More bumbling on the first word. Captain comes over the intercom 'will cabin crew please take their seats RIGHT NOW'. Amazingly he still flew with this FA on board. She was either as high as a kite or completely hammered, but I certainly enjoyed the show! More oddly, very few of the passengers seemed to notice this very erratic behaviour so I'm not surprised that many FAs get cranky at people, its clear that no one ever listens to them! I decided to be nice to FAs from that day on, so whoever the crazy lady was, thank you, you changed my flying attitude for ever in what i believe is for the better (ive found be nice to FAs, and you get treated so well in return most of the time on AA)! Many a free beer, and even a free bottle of wine off a BA flight!

84fiero

I love these "First World Pains" stories!

zznoname

I'm compelled to make another futile attempt to convince some here that I'm not an out of control jerk but instead, a skilled and professional Airline Smoozer with many notches on my belt who had simply slipped up and forgot the game.

And of course to get it through "your" heads the FA 100% had a screw loose.

Yes I was annoyed the FA persisted to "have it so wrong" about the bin size (if she had simply come over to look) then watching her idiosyncrasies during boarding didn't help (the GA was in the cabin trying to decipher her two phone calls, eventually leaving confused) and finally I simply could not understand the reason why my jacket in the baby bin needed to be moved (nothing but jackets/purses fit in there).

Yeah it's pitiful.

Keeping my mouth shut during the carryon was easy, explaining my coat did not need to be hanged went smoothly, but inexplicable I "picked on" a second FA by curtly saying, "It's my coat, I want it THERE, thank you."

NOTE:
OK. The FA was trying to fit a pilot's carryon into the baby bin above our row 3. When the FA grabbed my coat as if its removal would somehow allow the PILOT's carryon to fit (Whose coat is this?) I sort of answered her question, anticipated the next one and exposed my annoyance with EVERYTHING.

OPS!

Obviously the FA was shocked at my undeserving response. So seeking a tiny bit of reckoning (in my exasperated mind anyway) she began peppering me with slightly flavored condensing questions.

NOTE:
The pilot's bag didn't fit and he moved on down the cabin.

Somewhere in the middle of my effusive apology and her questions, the brain fart or more like an uncontrolled burp occurred. "I'm feeling picked on."

I had the opportunity to end it right there with the apology, but instead blew it with four more words. In any case, once the words were spoken, it was over and I was at their mercy.

You see, I had crossed THE line. Everyone knows how crucial it is to only compliment and sympathize with their hardships, but never, ever criticize airport personal, especially to their face (Mon dieu!).

Taken alone, asking someone "if [they] are alright?", "What is the matter?", "Did you sleep well?" are appropriate words, but continuing on well after I had apologized and begged her to understand my comments were a mistake (I would swear there was a smirk on her face) then following up in the galley with loud ridiculing and belittling remarks** showed the FAs did not want to let the matter rest.

** Ripped off words from a brp post.

The Notes

Has anyone here had an FA ridicule you in the galley two separate, somewhat extended, times? Or has a FA sat next to you during boarding (yes, during the boarding process) demonstrating an AA app that can help you file a complaint against HER, "… quickly, before we take off."?

Yeah, I had a computer in the bin and I even carry a micro recorder readily available in my pocket. But my intent was not to taunt her, just a bit of push back (I'm not going to sit here like an fool "reading a book" listening your #$%$) and desperately hoping some reality would set in (Do you know what the hell are you doing?) and she would stop.

Nope. She decided it was better to offer me more paper, TWICE.

Hey, I knew I messed up but this was seriously moving into the twilight zone category and writing notes was my answer (What's yours?).

Keep in mind, none of this was contentious. I was stoic buried in the notes, the wife nodded the required answers and the FA was cheery (She knew if I opened my mouth again, she could hang me) and by cross checking it was over and all our conversations returned to normal at service.

I'll offer something else up to the fire gods.

We often pass out the Employee Recognition tear outs and have them handy. After service, I placed a sheet on our tray for a bit. Read into it what you want, I've written enough crap already.

Anyway, we talked frequently with the FA during the flight, all normal stuff, giggles and all, but I'm still convinced the worm turned when she saw EXP next to my name chilling the event considerably.

brp

Just based on the condescending actions by the FA (and I have no reason to doubt your story), I'm hard-pressed to believe that anyone could consider those actions anything less than completely inappropriate. Seems pretty clear to me, even if you had made some (already admitted-to) mistakes.

Cheers.

Science Goy

So do you see this as a case of an outlier with a screw loose, or do you believe all FAs are on a hair trigger set to blow up at the slightest expression of customer displeasure?

zznoname

The actual line read:
"But it was a moment at the beginning of service: Mr. XXX... long, long. long pause.. yeah. that's right, EXP."

Again, irrelevant, the bin, the coat or even "It's my coat, I want it THERE, thank you.". This stuff is small potatoes on a flight.

It was the personal comment, "No, I'm feeling picked on." (by YOU) that drove the event.

Odd. The FA and the smart phone, paper and galley stuff was not particularly petty.

I also noted the event was over "before cross checking" #16 (and other post) so by the time "I'm EXP!!!!" happen it was all over. But to be fair DillMan was referring the OP and the cross checking stuff was not there.

After "I feel picked on." and the FA ensuing questions on my emotional health, it was over in my mind. I was surprised the FA began making ridiculing remarks in the galley and began the notes in respond.

OK. I wanted to stand up for myself a bit. It's pretty weird having an FA go at you in the galley. In my mind it was clear I was being taunted, she was biting at the bit for me to make an "aggressive" comment.

OK, so you would take out a book and read it while they ridiculed you. I probably should add that taking notes is my thing. Got the micro recorder, pads, pens. I take a #$%& load of notes.

What's wrong with taking notes when a FA is engaging you in any manner anyway?

Yeah I wanted it to end. Especially because my stupid comment open the door for them - never could have imagined they'd take it so far - but the note thing seemed like a measured response.

zznoname

Well.. in post #25 I wrote: "Even in the best of times many AA FAs are balanced on a fence." And my "toilet" conversations with them are always measured.

I'm thinking I treat USA FAs like talking to the police with a bit of trepidation and an abundant amount of kiss a.. ing.

It's not like the "old days" but there have been wonderful memorable exceptions.

Science Goy

This is where I have a hard time being sympathetic. You claim to have this deep-seated fear/contempt of airline employees, such that you go out of your way to avoid offending them, but then... well, you did, and in a completely preventable fashion. Including the phrase "I'm feeling picked on," which I would never say to anyone for any reason, even if it were true. Contempt can shine through in plenty of nonverbal ways, so even though I don't doubt the situation transpired as you say, I also suspect you were sending some pretty strong signals that didn't help mitigate it. Certainly in my experience FAs have ranged from good to fantastic (with only a few rare exceptions), so the fact that you find exactly the opposite says more about you than them.

That said, as airline employees the onus is on FAs to avoid escalating these types of situations, and it sounds like she failed spectacularly in that respect.

TWA884

You were trying to intimidate her:
That's interference. Fortunately for you, she beat you at your own imbecilic game.

zznoname

No contempt ever. Ouch!

Contempt is a horrible personality trait. Seriously dangerous for the planet.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/contempt

I enjoy engaging people, but I also know which way the wind blows and the wind has blown a heck of a lot of power into the FAs hands. Any type of confrontation could end up badly.

If I haven't mentioned it before, during the heckling, the FA in the galley suggested they write me up, then laughingly deciding I (he) wasn't worth it.

Yeah, I've never said "picked on" to anyone before. Not exactly sure where it came from but that's how I was feeling. Odd. Who knows what each day (or early morning) could bring?

They were annoying me so true and a BIG yes to the strong signals.

"It's my coat, I want it THERE, thank you." got her attention right away along with the follow up zinger, "No, I'm feeling picked on." Yep. Totally blew past the nonverbal straight to the verbal.

But I tried like crazy to prevent the escalation. I apologized, told her I was tired, that I was fine, it's OK. I put everything into it knowing I was the one that had messed up.

"Fantastic". Mostly they want to finish service then sit in the back and read.

I find FAs to be regular diverse people and talk with them all the time, almost every single flight (I talk as much as I write). Especially during the the MRs in December/January sitting in row 7.

Many will tell you a lot about the "business" others will even talk politics and other than the Continental flight 15 years ago mentioned in the OP and the event here, never any trouble.

Even here, after the "brain fart", yeah with the notes, but head tucked down and mouth zipped.

Many feel quite comfortable doing the opposite.

Thanks for talking.

zznoname

For me it's much more nuanced. I'd describe it as a "measured push back."

Yes, she did come up with some clever stuff. I wonder if she did the smart phone thing before or improvised on the spot.

WRCSolberg

When two incredibly passive aggressive people collide....

The notes were a bit much, it reeks of an attempt at intimidation, IMHO. I would have just let it drop and ignored the galley comments - choose your battles, this was a pointless one to fight.

skylady

I'm curious, what exactly is this "cross checking" you keep referring to? And by placing the tear out on your tray for a bit, was that intentional? Did you put it away at some point, or give it out?

elitetraveler

While OP may have may not have been a model customer, I am wondering if you think the below quote is relative to an FA's job?


"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption in our work - he is the purpose of it.
We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to serve him."

skylady

Absolutely! My customers give me hugs, does that say anything about how I feel about my job?