If someone has already posted this notion, so be it. I haven't waded through all 14 pages.

If you are uncomfortable with something that has happened to you (in this case being delayed for an hour), the only reasonable thing to do is to complain only to someone who can alleviate your discomfort - if you have access to such a person.

Even mentioning it to anyone else is a pointless tantrum. I certainly don't want to hear about how disagreeable being delayed is to you, and I'm fairly sure the FAs don't either. In current parlance, "stick a sock in it."

Be careful that someone doesn't take offense to "stick a sock in it," lest you get the authorities called on you.

Geezus APWgirl...there were only a few people offering their support later because there are only a few people NEAR you on the plane...you think the people 15 rows back heard the interaction and would rush to his aid...thick.

AND your psych nurse comment shows what the real problem is here...'most' stewardesses go into situations cocked and locked with the "customers are stupid irritating cattle" attitude from the outset. You know it's true. They don't even worry if passengers are in earshot when complaining about them anymore. They know if anyone gives them lip it's easy to toss them. That kind of power is not good. It's like many LEOs these days..."protect and serve" has turned into "intimidate and teach lessons"

YOU SERVE ME...I paid for your services and you by contract serve my needs...deal with it...you are not in charge. Now we can both be nice and it can be a comfortable time...

The real problem here was the response from this woman...cursing out of frustration NEVER EVER warrants this response. Is it good for him to do in a perfect world? No...but the response was incredibly disproportional and anyone who says otherwise is making excuses to keep power in their hands. Take away these stupid "pseudo arrest" powers now. If there is a true danger to the plane one doesn't need arrest powers to stop it...one simply needs to take action and passengers and flight crews have shown they can and will when a real threat happens.

No, EVERYONE does not know that stewardesses had to be nurses back in the early days.

It is statements like yours that get a lot of posters in hot water on these forums, such as those who say "everyone knows" you can't bring such and such on a plane. If everyone knew that, there would be no bins full of confiscated personal items.

That sounds like more of a threat (of physical assault) than what the OP reported themselves as having said.

Beautifully stated -- and totally true. Every word. ^^^

Bruce

Folks,

Please keep it civil. Nurses and socks are not topical; FAs, pax and LEOs are. Stick to that.

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essxjay
TS/S mod

This is so true! In any dispute, the other party always tries to get you to lose your head one way or another, in which case you have effectively lost the battle. The police do this as a matter of course: "Why are you getting upset?" Then you get upset explaining that you aren't upset -- or weren't, anyway -- and the ball game is over. Steely-cold, rock-solid, rigid behavior is what you absolutely need if you are to win. If you lack self-control, then don't get into these battles in the first place. Swearing is just one way to guarantee that you come out a loser, even if you were completely correct in your position.

Bruce

When I read the OPs words, I heard:
OP: "Hey, what's going on, why are we sitting here, how much long are we going to be sitting here?", etc.
FA: I've no idea.
OP: "Wow, that's efin rediculous."

I can only imagine how he'd be skewered by some in this crowd if he had said JFC or OMG.

Furthermore, having been in the aforementioned situation, I can entirely empathize. I do not have the the information I want, how can I get it? I do not have contact with the FAA, airport management, GA or flight deck. The FA is an airline employee with contact to at least one of the aforementioned, or at lease access to one who has or can get the information. Let me try asking the FA, she is the only representative of the airline and airport infrastructure to which I have access. Wow, amazing, this employee with at least indirect access to the information germane to my situation is unwilling to assist.

The FA chose not to make inquiry with the flight deck, gate (if possible?) or anything. There were so many positive choices that it boggles the mind that the situation developed the way it did. "I'm sorry, sir, I've spoken with the captain a couple of times already and the tower isn't telling her anything, we're in the dark too," comes to mind. "I don't know, nor am I doing anything to alleviate the situation," is unacceptable.

Airlines miss this oh so basic point that situational awareness often alleviates axiety, stress, etc of uncertainty. Flying MSY-PHL on US a couple weeks ago, we caught a 2 hour ground hold at PHL after boarding, before we pushed back from MSY. Captain announces the situation, permits us to deplane and the gate kept us in the loop. It sucked, quite frankly, but we knew what was going on, we could set our expectations and the spectre of uncertainty was, at least temporarily, removed.

I'm having a hard time understanding what people expect to happen. You can ask a FA what's going on, but you won't get useful information. So why bother asking?

The ground controller will tell the pilot that the ATC situation is fluid because of weather delays in [distant hub].
The pilot will tell the FA that ground control doesn't know how long they'll be there.
The FA will tell the passengers that no information is available.

Getting pushy at this point is counter-productive, and most adults wouldn't contemplate doing it.

Cessna...saying "f*ck" under one's breath or even out loud in an expression of exasperation is not getting pushy.

What people want has been said repeatedly in these kinds of threads..."to be kept informed"

I don't think the OP believed the stewardess was to blame but as the representative of the airline she is obligated to keep people informed. There is always information available if you seek it out...it is just easier to say "don't know" and not bother with it.

But thankfully we have mature, perfect 'adults' like yourself in this world or things would be out of control...we'd have wars and violence and bad things like that...phew!

Advice to FA: Agree with passenger, deleting F-word. "It is frustrating, isn't it? I sure hope we all get off quickly." The FA could have done a better job of defusing the situation, as Societyflygirl said. Dealing with jerks, real or even only perceived, is the lot of those who deal with the public.

Advise To Passenger (geheim, though it seems he or she is long gone):

1. Learn who is responsible for providing compensation, if any (it isn't the FA.)

2. Avoid saying things like "I can say whatever I want to describe the situation".

This, more than the F-word, is what stood out for me. You were trying to establish dominance, notwithstanding your rather self-serving claim that your tone was reasonable.

It is not just up to you to decide what is reasonable and what isn't - if it were, we would not be having this conversation in the first place. What's more, you also evaded taking responsibility for your words. You tried to completely control the FA's reactions and feelings; you tried to force her to see your anger as simply a distasteful inconvenience, because that is what suited you.

One wonders why, if you think your words were merely a distasteful inconvenience that ought to be tolerated, that the gate delay could not have been seen by you the same way: a distasteful inconvenience. But that's not how you saw it, even as you demanded that whatever YOU sought to impose on others, by way of your behaviour and words, should be seen as completely reasonable.

Had you been forthrightly and completely honest and said simply "I know I swore, I am just so frustrated about this situation" you would have gotten my sympathies. As it is, you tried to browbeat the FA, and subsequently, your readers here - into seeing you as the innocent party, which in effect establishes the opposite.

I disagree with much of the above post....it IS up to me to establish what I see as reasonable...

Also...whether or not cussing was 'nice' or 'acceptable"....the reaction of the stewardess was the much, much bigger sin in this event...when one has someone kicked off a plane and LE involved because their delicate sensibilities are insulted THEY have the bigger issue not the 'cusser'.

The punishment (as if cabin crew should be allowed to punish anyone much like the TSA) did not fit the 'crime'

I did not quote the case per se, but Justice Brennan's opinion on the intent and extent of applicability of the First Amendment.Ad hominem. You lose.

Still no second post on this thread or anywhere else on FT. OP's total post count: 1.