Flight attendant threatened to ‘spank’ me
Sep 5, 2018, 9:55 pm
#62
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 153
Not having been there, I don't think I would have taken offense but somebody not accustomed to US carriers may have found it unusual (I recently had a flight attendant who called everybody "sweetie" and have walked into the F galley looking for water and been addressed "what's up babe?"). Informal / colloquial, perhaps bordering on unprofessional (could you imagine CX flight attendants doing this)? but not offensive.
I'd rather have sombody call me 'love', 'honey', 'mate', etc. and maybe exchange some friendly banter with them. Life is too short, to not have some fun.
Sep 6, 2018, 12:32 am
#65
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So funny you should say that, as I used that very line years ago in a similar situation with a delightful southern FA on a US Airways flight.
Seat belt sign went on for turbulence well before landing but I just wasn't going to be able to wait. I popped up and headed for the lav. The FA was putting things away in the galley as I passed through.
She whips her head around and looks at me and says, "Sweetie, the seat belt sign went on -- hurry up, or I'm going to have to spank you."
I replied, "Darlin' is that a promise?" and headed into the lav.
She laughed, I laughed and when I deplaned a while later she gave me a hug and thanked me for making her day.
IMO, the only problem here was the lady in front of the OP who just should have minded her own business.
Seat belt sign went on for turbulence well before landing but I just wasn't going to be able to wait. I popped up and headed for the lav. The FA was putting things away in the galley as I passed through.
She whips her head around and looks at me and says, "Sweetie, the seat belt sign went on -- hurry up, or I'm going to have to spank you."
I replied, "Darlin' is that a promise?" and headed into the lav.
She laughed, I laughed and when I deplaned a while later she gave me a hug and thanked me for making her day.
IMO, the only problem here was the lady in front of the OP who just should have minded her own business.
Sep 6, 2018, 1:06 am
#66
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Sep 6, 2018, 5:06 am
#68
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Sep 6, 2018, 5:24 am
#69
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So funny you should say that, as I used that very line years ago in a similar situation with a delightful southern FA on a US Airways flight.
Seat belt sign went on for turbulence well before landing but I just wasn't going to be able to wait. I popped up and headed for the lav. The FA was putting things away in the galley as I passed through.
She whips her head around and looks at me and says, "Sweetie, the seat belt sign went on -- hurry up, or I'm going to have to spank you."
I replied, "Darlin' is that a promise?" and headed into the lav.
She laughed, I laughed and when I deplaned a while later she gave me a hug and thanked me for making her day.
IMO, the only problem here was the lady in front of the OP who just should have minded her own business.
Seat belt sign went on for turbulence well before landing but I just wasn't going to be able to wait. I popped up and headed for the lav. The FA was putting things away in the galley as I passed through.
She whips her head around and looks at me and says, "Sweetie, the seat belt sign went on -- hurry up, or I'm going to have to spank you."
I replied, "Darlin' is that a promise?" and headed into the lav.
She laughed, I laughed and when I deplaned a while later she gave me a hug and thanked me for making her day.
IMO, the only problem here was the lady in front of the OP who just should have minded her own business.
I find it so sad that what was said by someone trying to be a bit playful is made into "unprofessional". As for people nor flying to be entertained, the biggest source of complaints in flying these days seems to be the IFE not working. Frankly the whole situation seems to have been blown out of all proportion, and for it to end up says more to me more about OP than her. I'd fly with her anywhere.
As for the woman in front, she'd have gone short shrift for eavesdropping and sticking her snout where it was not required.
Since I am assuming that all this took place in F, did she do PDBs?
Sep 6, 2018, 8:29 am
#70
Join Date: Jul 2010
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Side topic but, which airlines in your opinion have the flirtiest FAs? Emirates is one I noted. The Asian ones definitely don't.
Sep 6, 2018, 10:37 am
#71
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 170
First of all--OP felt embarrassed by the exchange.
I think the FA was attempting to be light-hearted. But her choice of words was poor, and a more appropriate way to jokingly admonish would be to say you would be reprimanded (or put on time-out). Was she flirting--who knows.
But--using the 'spanking' verbiage has the potential to be interpreted as sexual. That's why it is inappropriate for a business/customer situation.
I have sons the age of OP and I totally understand why he felt awkward.
The seat mate saying that 'she's your momma tonight"--that is outright piggish. And any of my 5 sons would agree with that. Not appropriate public comment amongst strangers and not particularly funny.
The female seat mate speaking up was a little excessive. But don't say piggish things in public if you don't want to get called out on it.
Go ahead and flame me. Lol.
I think the FA was attempting to be light-hearted. But her choice of words was poor, and a more appropriate way to jokingly admonish would be to say you would be reprimanded (or put on time-out). Was she flirting--who knows.
But--using the 'spanking' verbiage has the potential to be interpreted as sexual. That's why it is inappropriate for a business/customer situation.
I have sons the age of OP and I totally understand why he felt awkward.
The seat mate saying that 'she's your momma tonight"--that is outright piggish. And any of my 5 sons would agree with that. Not appropriate public comment amongst strangers and not particularly funny.
The female seat mate speaking up was a little excessive. But don't say piggish things in public if you don't want to get called out on it.
Go ahead and flame me. Lol.
I can tell from some of the comments that the "lecherous old weirdo" demographic I see a lot of in the front of the bus is well represented here. Just stop it, dudes. It's gross and my desire to not have to listen to your schtick is not "political correctness."
Sep 6, 2018, 10:51 am
#72
Join Date: Oct 2015
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I knew you were a parent by this point in your post. One thing I've learned over the years is that parents, especially single parents and those with young children, often forget how to talk to other adults. This results in becoming offended by things adults might say to each but not necessarily say in front of children. Not flaming, just making an observation.
I personally am not offended by what FA said. I do think that it was a poor choice of words to use with a customer.
The OP is a millennial age man. From my experience with millennials (including work training on differences dealing with millennial vs. boomers), OP was creeped out by someone roughly his mother's age saying they were going to spank him. No matter how light-heartedly it was intended, it made a customer feel awkward.
The older gentleman's comment was crude, especially since he did not know the OP.
Sometimes older folks need to realize that the world has changed, and what they think is funny is now considered the equivalent of making racist jokes.
Sep 6, 2018, 12:06 pm
#73
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No flames here, all that seems right on target to me. I would also add that the first interaction was a little inappropriate but the second interaction was well over the line.
I can tell from some of the comments that the "lecherous old weirdo" demographic I see a lot of in the front of the bus is well represented here. Just stop it, dudes. It's gross and my desire to not have to listen to your schtick is not "political correctness."
I can tell from some of the comments that the "lecherous old weirdo" demographic I see a lot of in the front of the bus is well represented here. Just stop it, dudes. It's gross and my desire to not have to listen to your schtick is not "political correctness."
Last edited by whimike; Sep 6, 2018 at 12:14 pm
Sep 6, 2018, 1:50 pm
#74
Join Date: Aug 2011
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But OS attendants have quite a couple of times asked where I was staying and mentioned where they would be staying.
Also once had a long chat with a VS FA who told me that this upper class cabin was fully crewed by FAs from the "Red Car Club" - which according to her was a special rewards program where Sir Richard personally gave cars to FAs that had provided personal services to him in... she stated that this was a particularly good crew to have fun with.
I had a "mail flirt" with an AA FA once where she wrote little notes on napkins and she kept changing my drink every couple of minutes.
No spanking, ever though
Sep 6, 2018, 2:20 pm
#75
Join Date: Aug 2010
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We just had a flight attendant be a hair snarky to people trying to get earphones from her (sponsored by Avis) when they had their own. I thought she was a bit rough but nothing out of the ordinary for FAs dealing with crazy PAX all day, but, he was annoyed because she didn't know his earphones only work through the iPhone lightning port. She (and I) are white, the pax, and another random pax next to him, were both mixed spanish/black/something like that. They both decided together that she was being racist. I rolled my eyes. I had just watched her be short to everyone else on the flight too that also had their own headphones. Needless to say... oy.