SW: Disparaging comments from Pax
 

I am really not trying to let this color my view of SW, and specifically my stereotypes of the type of people that fly SW, but it's getting really hard......

Sitting in my aisle seat for a packed short hop from HOU to AUS. Single male traveller in middle seat, single female traveller in window seat. Given I was probably putting out my "don't talk to me vibe" male begins chatting with female. Fairly innocuous.

Steward makes traditional (ie includes lame jokes) SW announcements and male pax leans over to female pax and says "Have you noticed the crew is all guys and this one definately sounds like he spent too much time out behind the barn".

I didn't recognize the quaint southern saying for what is was totally (although I had my suspicions). However as the flight progressed there were more and more comments being made (i) about the relative "stiff" and "limp-wristedness" status of the various FAs, (ii) comments like, "oh yeah he is definately one", "you wouldn't think he was would'ya?" and "oh look at least there's one woman stewardess."

At the end of the day they never said anything outiright enraging ala Rev. Phelps, but the drivel that was coming out of their mouths (with some heavy Okie and Southern Rural accents) was just plain old dumb and ignorant.

I didn't say a word. Was considering a "did y'all know you were sittin' next to one this whole time" as I walked away (they weren't deplaning in AUS) but just rolled my eyes and walked away.

Does this happen alot? Similar experiences? Anyone would have handled it differently? Anyone would have been enraged rather than simply dumbfounded?

Thank God for iPod/Rio Carbon. Seriously.

You did the right thing. People like that are usually very insecure in their masculinity. Perhaps he "spent a little too much time behind the barn" himself and feels a need to compmensate. :p

Ignorant people are everywhere in this country. Comments like his just make him appear unintelligent and immature. Who cares?

That's what I would have been thinking, and that's probably exactly what SHE was thinking.

I would definitely have done this as I deplaned. What's the harm?

I would also have been sitting there with my blood pressure going progressively higher, but I doubt I would have said anything before deplaning unless they started going on about gay people not deserving equal rights, or deserving violence.

Just wondering, how far do we (or me, hetero middle-aged woman) let people go when they spout this stuff before responding? If the derogatory comments were about jewish or black people (or women), I think I would have gone frosty on them with a couple of sentences. But is this topic something put up with to keep hackles down? Is it ok to take potshots at, for example, Arabs?
Where are the lines drawn these days? Any comments? :confused:

Unfortunately, I have a big mouth and would have said something if it continued. It may not necessarily be the right thing to do, but I've done it before. When I did, the offender shut up and didn't say anything more about it, but I know that it could get ugly if that person was a bit off the wall. So I admit that it could lead to a confrontation. These people think that everyone else agrees with them, which is why they go on and on. It's nice to be able to let them no that is not the case. But I really don't blame anyone for not saying anything. It may not be worth it in the long run.

Which begs the question, if the offender is not talking to you, is it appropriate to interrupt someone else's conversation if you are offended by the topic? It's really a tough call, especially on an airplane where everyone is on top of one another. If they were talking directly to me, of course, I would have no problem speaking my mind.

Well... I probably would have said "I am offended by your comments and I am sure the crew members would be as well. Can you please change the subject?" I am not one to let these things go... people need to realize that "we" are everywhere.... :)

Also, I do not believe the fact this was a SW passenger means anything.... you were on the flight also, weren't you? :)

I avoid the typical pax of SWA... Never had a problem like this occur on Continental, American, or United.

People like that peeve me, I would have 1. indicated I was a raging homosexual, then 2. got up and found the most famboyant FA to help me find reseating - making sure that the FA knew who the harassing/offensive PAX were.

I also would drop the line "my BF would love to meet you" if none of the above were feesable.

-Vincent

Although slightly off topic, but still on the topic of speaking up:

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/begs.html

:p :)

earplugs.
everyone's happy.

Interesting responses and the funny thing is that put together they sound an awful lot like what was going through my mind at the time. I think in retrospect the thing that I am fighting more than anything is that it touched every single stereotype button you can imagine for that flight.....SW....."cracker accents"......they were discussing "the ministry" for a while as well, etc.

After a while I was just becoming more incredulous rather than angry. To make it clear this topic of conversation was decidedly two way, both the man and the woman wanted to participate. If it would have gotten that they were making truly derogatory or hurtful remarks (so and so's all need to die, etc) I would like to think that I would have said something on the spot. What was truly funny when I think about it is that they were also every once in a while throwing in the classic Seinfeld "not that there's anything wrong with that" sentiments. It was more like each was trying to impress the other that they could clearly identify "one of them".

Although I didn't end up using a good one liner on them, I have in the past. First trip to Salt Lake City and I really wanted to see the Temple Complex. You have to go on a free tour to do it and I wasn't really up to dealing with the "conversion thing" during the whole thing as I really only wanted to look at the buildings, etc. Tour guides for the small group I ended up with end up being these absolutely adorable young mormon women in their late teens / early 20s and sure enough as we're walking towards the building the choir performs in she walks up next to me and chats me up, where am I from, etc. Then she hits me with "so do you think it's possible that our Lord Jesus Christ came to the new world after his resurrection and appeared to the natives?" Without hesitating I said, "I don't know but I think my BF probably would." She got this startled look on her face and for the rest of the tour I was left alone!

When they talked about one of the FAs, I woulda said, "He is kinda cute...do you think he's available?" :D

You only get to find that out if he sends you an email after you fill out a survey... :)