Telegraph: Passengers' anger at "crude" BA pilot
May 20, 2006, 4:25 am
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Telegraph: Passengers' anger at "crude" BA pilot
A BA captain has upset some Torygraph readers with a joke about nuts. Doesn't sound like the usual supremely confident and competent sounding BA captains.
Originally Posted by Daily Telegraph
Passengers on a British Airways flight from Paris to London have complained of the "crude and patronising" attitude of the captain during a flight delay.
The plane's wheel was punctured by a piece of metal on the runway at Charles de Gaulle airport in the French capital, and passengers said they became angry when the captain started making "crude jokes".
"The captain actually held up the piece of metal that had caused the puncture. He then started cracking jokes about tightening nuts. It was all very tasteless," one passenger said.
It was a piece of metal left on the runway that led to the Air France Concorde crash outside Paris in July 2000, with the loss of 113 lives.
Howard Silver, a 61-year-old Arsenal fan, was returning home to London after seeing the European Champions League final in Paris.
"None of the passengers was complaining about the delay. But then the captain started making these remarks," Mr Silver said.
"He was unbelievably patronising. He said that the engineer working on the plane was not au fait with this particular aircraft, which hardly inspired confidence.
"Then he started talking about tightening nuts, adding that 'Some of you know how that feels'. Some of the stewardesses were laughing but none of the passengers were. It was very poor."
Mr Silver was so incensed by the comments that he approached the captain.
"There was no bad atmosphere at all until the captain started to talk. I told him he had been very patronising," Mr Silver said.
The puncture repair together with bad weather in the London area meant the plane touched down at Heathrow about two and a half hours late.
A British Airways spokesman said that the airline was looking into the matter.
The plane's wheel was punctured by a piece of metal on the runway at Charles de Gaulle airport in the French capital, and passengers said they became angry when the captain started making "crude jokes".
"The captain actually held up the piece of metal that had caused the puncture. He then started cracking jokes about tightening nuts. It was all very tasteless," one passenger said.
It was a piece of metal left on the runway that led to the Air France Concorde crash outside Paris in July 2000, with the loss of 113 lives.
Howard Silver, a 61-year-old Arsenal fan, was returning home to London after seeing the European Champions League final in Paris.
"None of the passengers was complaining about the delay. But then the captain started making these remarks," Mr Silver said.
"He was unbelievably patronising. He said that the engineer working on the plane was not au fait with this particular aircraft, which hardly inspired confidence.
"Then he started talking about tightening nuts, adding that 'Some of you know how that feels'. Some of the stewardesses were laughing but none of the passengers were. It was very poor."
Mr Silver was so incensed by the comments that he approached the captain.
"There was no bad atmosphere at all until the captain started to talk. I told him he had been very patronising," Mr Silver said.
The puncture repair together with bad weather in the London area meant the plane touched down at Heathrow about two and a half hours late.
A British Airways spokesman said that the airline was looking into the matter.
May 20, 2006, 5:00 am
#2
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Mr. Silver sounds like a complete arse still crying rivers over his team's defeat and looking for a sour-mood fight with someone.
Mr. Captain sounds like Smirnoff
The Torygraph sounds like it's having a very, very slow news day indeed.
Mr. Captain sounds like Smirnoff
The Torygraph sounds like it's having a very, very slow news day indeed.
May 20, 2006, 5:32 am
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Originally Posted by G-BOAC
Mr. Silver sounds like a complete arse still crying rivers over his team's defeat and looking for a sour-mood fight with someone.
Mr. Captain sounds like Smirnoff
The Torygraph sounds like it's having a very, very slow news day indeed.
Mr. Captain sounds like Smirnoff
The Torygraph sounds like it's having a very, very slow news day indeed.
May 20, 2006, 6:42 am
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It is a bit of tasteless humour (mostly because it was uttered at the wrong place at the wrong time; at another time or only amoung the crew it may have been amusing), but hardly merits attention IMHO.
May 20, 2006, 8:07 am
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I fail to see how mentioning a bit of metal puncturing a tyre can be seen as tasteless humour when, errrr, a bit of metal had punctured the tyre. From what I've heard from first hand accounts the only aggro was from Mr Silver who'd been spoiling for a fight from the moment he'd got on the aircraft.
Now, what goes "beep.....beep......beep"?
The Arsenal open top bus reversing back into the depot.
Now, what goes "beep.....beep......beep"?
The Arsenal open top bus reversing back into the depot.
May 20, 2006, 3:08 pm
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Originally Posted by Panic Stations
From what I've heard from first hand accounts the only aggro was from Mr Silver who'd been spoiling for a fight from the moment he'd got on the aircraft.
May 21, 2006, 8:53 am
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Originally Posted by G-BOAC
Mr. Silver sounds like a complete arse still crying rivers over his team's defeat and looking for a sour-mood fight with someone.
Mr. Captain sounds like Smirnoff
The Torygraph sounds like it's having a very, very slow news day indeed.
Mr. Captain sounds like Smirnoff
The Torygraph sounds like it's having a very, very slow news day indeed.
Anything these days can be construed as 'offensive', heck on airliners.net the moderators are banning the use of the nickname 'Whalejet' when people refer to the A380 because some whiny ... teenagers have complained to the mods saying they are offended
May 21, 2006, 9:35 am
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Originally Posted by Panic Stations
I fail to see how mentioning a bit of metal puncturing a tyre can be seen as tasteless humour when, errrr, a bit of metal had punctured the tyre. From what I've heard from first hand accounts the only aggro was from Mr Silver who'd been spoiling for a fight from the moment he'd got on the aircraft.
Now, what goes "beep.....beep......beep"?
The Arsenal open top bus reversing back into the depot.
Now, what goes "beep.....beep......beep"?
The Arsenal open top bus reversing back into the depot.
Please! Mr Silver has to be the saddest most po-faced individual this side of Hiacynth Bouquet. I think this may have been a little of DYKWIA coming out.
Seriously - the Captain doesn't speak and that's a cause for complaint. The Captain does speak and he's accused of being patronising. Honestly!
May 21, 2006, 10:05 am
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Considering the appauling language that Arsenal fans regularly shout from the Highburry terraces, I'd suprised that Mr Silver took such exception to the captain's rather tame and light hearted remark.
Perhaps Mr Silver - in the age old fashion of Arsenal supporters - just wanted to start a fist fight with the captain?!?
Perhaps Mr Silver - in the age old fashion of Arsenal supporters - just wanted to start a fist fight with the captain?!?