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what happened on AA 121 on March 7, 2005?

 
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 1:42 pm
  #1  
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what happened on AA 121 on March 7, 2005?

My wife and I just got off this flight last night and it was fine, seamless. The FA's were all nice, no attitudes, nasty looks, etc. The food was good chicken or beef, (but the beef came with great spinach!)

I mean, from a pax perspective, it was seamless and nice and well worth it.

Now, the flight was filled with fashion models and associated industry people. But they seemed fine too, no attitudes or air of pretentiousness at all. The entire experience was smooth like butter.

So, as we were deplaning, the purser, who was a stereotype gay male (I first heard someone say this, but then I looked and saw it for myself) was on the phone, on the jetway, yelling loudly and clearly, at someone on the other end, telling them "This flight was a disaster and I want to know who I can talk to about it." and asking to speak to what sounded like a 'higher up'

I just want to know, what happened that was so bad? Does Annoyed FA know?
I mean, If it werent for that instance at the end, I would say the flight would have made for a great example of what thisairline can do.

Instead, as soon as we got off the plane, saying bye to the pilots and crew, this purser is rudely going about something that I feel should have been taken behind closed doors. Didnt make for great PR.

Its too bad, b/c often times on this forum, many people talk negatively about the J and F classes upper seniority types and pursers as being obnoxious, but I never saw that stereotype. Yet I think I noticed it yesterday for the first time.

thoughts?
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 1:48 pm
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Drama Queen?
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 1:53 pm
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Maybe you should write a letter to AA and let them no that by no means was the flight a disaster.
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:07 pm
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Obviously the fashion models were female, not male.
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:15 pm
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How is it possibly relevant that the FA was "stereotypically gay"???

Its meaningless, no more helpful than if the flight attendant had been african american and you'd said they are "sterotypically black"

Last edited by HardlyW8; Mar 8, 2005 at 2:22 pm
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:27 pm
  #6  
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Originally Posted by HardlyW8
How is it possibly relevant that the FA was "stereotypically gay"???

Its meaningless, no more helpful than if the flight attendant had been african american and you'd said they are "sterotypically black"
Is it possible that a somewhat flamboyant gay male might have different behavior patterns in such a situation that a straight male, or a female? Based on my experiences living in the San Francisco area, I'd say most definitely. As a result, this could be relevant to the witnessed behavior.

Cheers.
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:34 pm
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I don't see what the relevence of a persons supposed sexual orientation has to do with them being a flight attendant or a purser.

If this Purser was yelling into a phone, ending a rather pleasant flight in the manner that you described, then by all means write a letter about your discomfort with it. Granted, they could have waited until all passengers were off the plane, or away from ear shot.

Otherwise, don't think just because someone is flamboyant (guessing that is what your stereotype is) they are 'gay'. I've seen many 'straight' men act flamboyant.
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:36 pm
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Originally Posted by aaupgrade
Obviously the fashion models were female, not male.
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:38 pm
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Originally Posted by aaupgrade
Obviously the fashion models were female, not male.
That was a really good one!
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:39 pm
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I don't think the OP was ripping the guy for being gay: he was ripping him for being obnoxious on the phone.
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:40 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by sluggoaafa
I don't see what the relevence of a persons supposed sexual orientation has to do with them being a flight attendant or a purser.

If this Purser was yelling into a phone, ending a rather pleasant flight in the manner that you described, then by all means write a letter about your discomfort with it. Granted, they could have waited until all passengers were off the plane, or away from ear shot.

Otherwise, don't think just because someone is flamboyant (guessing that is what your stereotype is) they are 'gay'. I've seen many 'straight' men act flamboyant.
Completely agree as regards ability to do the job. I don't think the OP was questioning that at all. As for the "stereotype" part, I was assuming that they meant a behavioral stereotype, which, as you point out, may have nothing to do with sexual orientation. The former (the behavior) may well be relevant to what was seen. The actual sexual orientation of the individual certainly is not.

Cheers.
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:40 pm
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Originally Posted by Spiff
Drama Queen?

LOL... you folks crack me up
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:43 pm
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And just like a "stereotypical" passenger, I mean I've heard about them but this is the first time I've seen one, I think that someone will probably write a letter and ask for some compensation for their "discomfort" as they were deplaning. Oh brother!
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:48 pm
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How is it possibly relevant that the FA was "stereotypically gay"???

Its meaningless, no more helpful than if the flight attendant had been african american and you'd said they are "sterotypically black"


Who is saying whether it was relevant or not to the scene? All I did was describe the scenario in vivid detail.

I overheard the 2 persons ahead of me talk about the "stereotypical gay male yelling on the phone" and that was what drew my attention to it initially. After that, you could not not get away from the yelling.

Let me retract and restate:

The upset purser on the phone was black (I can't say if he is African American or not b/c for all I know he may be Spanish, Canadian, or French, nes pas?), he was flamboyant, tall and loud.
Sorry, but please dont turn this thread into one of political correctness.
All I did was state what I saw.

Still only describes the scenario but doesnt get back to the OP, which is what could have upset a purser so much that he lost his cool in front of the pax?
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Old Mar 8, 2005, 2:56 pm
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stereotypes are a prejudice (for better or worse) as you have a pre-conceived notion of how a certain type of person should look or act

in this instance, the issue i have is that your experience was in no way impacted by the fact that this man may have looked like what you consider (or the person you over heard considered) to be gay

your issue was that a flight attendant was yelling into their phone in an inappropriate place and manner, and you wondered what went wrong on the plane

including the additional information about what you think may be this man's orientation only opened the forum up to childish comments like drama queen and the lack of male models which only expose further prejudices and perpetuate baseless stereotypes
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