Space invaded ... by a FA!
 

I was flying on an E-170 in the 2nd row of first class. I closed my window shade when I first came on board and was reading while waiting for everyone else to board. A few people board and the FA tells me "The window shade needs to be fully up". I responded "Yes, I am aware it needs to be up for takeoff and will raise it as soon as the door is closed" (At this point we were about 10 min out from closing the door.) I was then told that it has to be up anytime the plane is on the ground. I immediately complied with the request and then asked if that was a new policy as my impression from all of my previous flights was that it had to be up once the door was closed. The FA then said no it always has to be up on the ground.

Is this something new? Needless to say I sat there with the sun shining directly in my eyes for 10 min (My eyes are very sensitive to sunlight). Just thought it was unusual.

Then also before the door closed the FA comes over and opens the little vents above my head - I told the FA that I prefer to have them closed and the FA says "is it blowing on you?". I then repeated that I preferred them closed and reached back up to close them.

It was the weirdest thing. Not sure what was up with this FA but never had one open my vents and then challenge me when I say I prefer them to be closed.


Some may say the above two points are "petty" - I just found it very unusual and wanted to see if anyone else ran into this.

Sounds like she was just having a bad day and used BS to get things her way.

Shades do not have to be up while on the ground. In hot climates, they often keep them down to help keep the plane cool.

FAs many times lower the window shades along one side to help keep the cabin cool at the gate if there is direct sunlight hitting that side.... & that's why the air was turned on over your head---because with the shades open it was HOT.

Having said that --- You're asking to be cited for "Interfering with a Flight Crew" if you push it too far, especially on the puddle jumpers.

Look at it this way, it was a "Power Trip" that you didn't receive any miles for!

BS......you only have to comply with "crew member instructions" when they apply to safety, regulations etc.

Don't freak, man!

I was only inferring that if a F/A makes up a window shade rule, who knows what else they will come up with?

Chill!!!

Actually no, you can call this BS or whatever, when a fight crew no matter on duty or off duty deadheading or commute, as long as they are in uniform, and you ignore the instructions and become argumentative, very likely you will be kicked off the plane.

It is not like this is something new, or did you forget a few weeks ago there was a long thread about a FTer being kicked off just because he took several photos inside the plane then start to talk back to the FA ? By no means someone taking photos inside the plane don't even apply to safety or regulations, yet the person was offloaded.

Your statement is unclear. Taking photos inside a plane is indeed a violation on many airlines if it involves procedures or personnel.

Yup, I remember in 100F ELP when both UA and CO asked us to close the shades as soon as we landed, and they stayed closed until ready for pushback.

Perhaps you would like to provide some legal authority for that conclusory statement as such a limitation is not found in the statute.

Right there you declared to FA it's time to rumble. Likely no way to reverse course at that point.

I find that crews on RJ's tend to make up a lot of rules. You should travel with an infant. In a car seat. That has their own seat. In first class.

If they haven't seen the situation before, they just start making it up on the fly! (or on the ground, as the case may be!)

The problem is that the rules change depending on the operating carrier. Each operating carrier writes its own OpSpecs with slightly different variations in the rules, and those OpSpecs effectively become regulatory once the FAA approves them. The net result is that the rules may be different from one RJ to another, and those rules are different from the rules for mainline. I have no doubt that in many cases FAs are making up rules, but you really have no way to know whether or not that is the case, especially given that enforcement of said rules is inconsistent even within a carrier.

I have the opposite experience, "Can you please close your window shade?" No. I will not close my window shade during the day. I sleep at night like a normal person. I enjoy looking out the window and that's why I pick a window seat.

Kindly suggest you re-read the OP.

I was not referring specifically to the OP, just an issue in general on UA flights with half the pax closing the windows before taxiing during the day, and FAs demanding that the windows be closed during the movie.