Very Strange FA Interaction
 

Yesterday afternoon I was on the IAD MSP flight (departing IAD at 5:30), sitting in F in seat 4C. Pax were still boarding and I was listening to some music through Bose QC2 headphones. The lead FA was walking down the aisle and made a gesture for me to remove the headphones. I thought this was strange but did it.

Shortly after takeoff I put the headphones back on without switching the power on (it was just too noisy -- lots of gab). Well after we had cleared 10,000 feet, and just prior to her making the okay electonics announcement, she came to my seat and asked me if the headphones were turned on. My exact reply was "No. I know the rules, thank you."

After taking drink orders, but before delivering the drinks, the FA came back to my seat and said she wanted to tell me a story. She proceeded to explain how an official with the FAA had fined a passenger $500 for turning a cell phone on too early, and that pax were required to obey commands from FAs. I asked her if I had done something inappropriate and she said no, and I considered this odd interaction finished. However, when she came back with drinks she told me I needed to watch the film "Anger Management." I was quite stunned, since I had treated her with respect and politeness, and hadn't gotten angry at all even when I made the minimally snarky "I know the rules" comment.

Later on, while pax in F had empty glasses and finished dinner trays languishing, this same FA was talking for 20 minutes with a colleague. I thought of telling her the apocryphal story of the FA who got fired after a passenger reported her dereliction of duty and inattention to paying customers, but decided against it as it would have been pissy.

Should I write to NW?

Seems a bit excessive on her part, especially with the "Anger Management" reference. Obviously we don't have her side of the story... but it seems that with the exception of your snarky comment, you were pretty rational.

I'd drop them a line, and be as upfront as you are now. It's entirely possible that this was a misunderstanding/miscommunication on both your and her part - in which case, no harm, no foul.

However, if this is a pattern of hers, she'll probably have other letters in her file, and one more letter might make a difference. It could be that you caught her on a relatively "good" day, and the next time she might have reamed you a new one. Not good for her or for NW.

I'd make this complaint -- in writing -- and send it to the NW HR honcho, not via customer service.

Have you seen the movie "Anger Management"? Maybe it goes along with her story about a passenger being fined for violating the rules. I am not sure that her comment was meant in the vein that you took it. Now if she has said "I think you should take anger management classes." That would leave no room for interpretation.

I have not seen the movie, but over the years I have learned that all movie titles do not necessisarly imply the movie is about the same topic as the title.

That's pretty bad. I don't know if I could have kept my cool. I was watching the movie "Passenger 57" a long time ago while seated a F asile seat and the FA told me that my movie choice was inappropriate. I might be a moody FA too if I knew I was getting a pay cut and my company was bankrupt - but still, no excuse for that treatment.

I'd say strange indeed, but not worth a letter. Since the FA was not overtly rude to you or anything, I'd just chalk it up to being a bad/wierd/trying day for her. I know they're not supposed to pass that on to the pax, but to err is to be human. I have also had plenty of FAs be late on picking up service items, as well as plenty who have come around too early for my tastes and have felt rushed to finish up my "whatever". I'd rather have them be late than early. If I'm finished, I usually stuff it in the pocket in the seat ahead of me until they come around.

And if she had told me to see "Anger Management", I probably would have asked her why. Then you'd have your answer, have a chance to tell her you didn't appreciate the comment, or maybe share a laugh because there was a reference that she wasn't passing off to you effectively.

I hope you replied "Good thing you are working, you don't have to watch it!"

It's only strange if you haven't seen the movie!
 

No. See below.This quote is closer to the mark.

She was trying to be friendly! :)

There is a really funny/sad scene near the beginning of the movie where Jack Nicholson is blamed for doing all kind of wrong things on an airplane, and none of it is his fault. He is eventually sentenced to "anger management" training that he really doesn't need.

I only see about a dozen movies a year, most of them on airplanes. That's where I saw it.

It's interesting to me that I should be the only one in this thread to have watched it, because I am most definitely not a film buff.

Anyway, don't write a thing until you've rented and watched the movie.

One moral (not specifically for the OP -- others seem to need it more) of this story is, don't jump to conclusions, particularly when they involve popular cultural references. ;)

You should have told her she needed to watch the film "meet the parents"

I love that! Is that the most realistioc airline scene ever?

[QUOTE=SPN Lifer]
There is a really funny/sad scene near the beginning of the movie where Jack Nicholson is blamed for doing all kind of wrong things on an airplane, and none of it is his fault. He is eventually sentenced to "anger management" training that he really doesn't need.
[QUOTE]

I thought Jack was the shrink?

Mike

This is a good lesson for all of us. Something is misunderstood, and a letter is written to management, put into the employee's file and the employee is reprimanded. Pretty harsh action for a friendly comment from a FA. Kudos to the OP for getting this aired out with a reasonable explanation after all.

And, I can sense their frustration with the Bose headphones. Is there a LED or anything visible to let them know they are powered or not?

Lol!
 

Agreed. I would have asked her if she had seen the opening of the movie, "Planes, Trains & Automobiles". Her attitude sounds similar to the FA in that movie; she refuses to let poor Neal Page sit in F even though he has a paid FC ticket, but then she lets the deadheading pilot that she has a crush on have his pick of seats in F while acting sweet as honey, and then she instantly goes back into crabby mode and tells Neal Page to save his boarding pass so he can receive a refund on the ticket price difference. If you watch the background as she says this, you will notice additional deadheading pilots who also start helping themselves to empty FC seats. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

-Alan

Mike,

I think you are right, Jack is the shrink.

I think sometimes we misinterpret things. Last week, I was on a roughly 2 hour flight BHM-EWK and I had two drinks, the flight attendant wanted to make sure that I knew of effects that booze has on you in the air. I certainly wasn't intoxicated and I'm sure she knew that, she just was concerned that it could hit me wrong I guess. Well, I chalked it up as concern and not rude.