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Flight Attendants'
Pet Peeves
Sharon Wingler is a a flight
attendant, a writer, and a member of the Journeywoman Network. She
has many flight attendant friends each flying with different airlines.
We asked Sharon to canvas her pals and come up with a list of pet
peeves -- passenger behaviours that these women find difficult to
deal with. Here is the end result: their do's and don'ts of air travel
safety and etiquette...
We are your flight attendants.
Observe our composure. See us smiling pleasantly. What poise we present!
Oops. What's that? A briefly furrowed brow? A momentary look of impatience?
Eyes raised toward heaven? What's caused this temporary lapse in our
serenity? Odds are some passenger unknowingly committed one of the
following sins. Now, these nit-picky annoyances may seem trivial to
you. But when repeated like Chinese water torture every day of our
careers they make us want to weep into our aprons.
It is not social outcasts who
commit these petits faux pas but nice, normal folk who do not realize
their behavior drives us crazy. So, if you see yourself below, please
reform!
- Parents who ask
their two-year-old what he or she wants to drink--while we wait and wait and
wait.
- People who put their luggage on top of the pillows and blankets and then ask us for pillows and blankets.
- People who ask us for a pillow, watch us open every bin to find one and then, when we bring it, ask us for a blanket.
- People who watch their neighbour ask us for something and then, when we bring it, ask us for the same thing.
- People who see us serving meals but make us hold their tray and wait while they finally clear their papers or computer off their tray tables.
- People who order a special meal and then decide they prefer the regular one.
- People who paint their nails on the plane--the smell is overpowering!
- People who take off their shoes then put their bare feet up on the wall or seats.
- People who cough or sneeze without covering their nose and mouth.
- People who get
up during flight turbulence.
- People whose
elbows, legs, feet and purse straps in the aisle bruise and trip us.
- People who won't
promptly turn off their electronic gadgets and computers for landing.
- People who
expect us to lift their luggage overhead for them. If you can't lift it...
- People who let their child ring the call-bell, draw, or place stickers right on the tray table.
- Those who forget the words Please and Thank you.
- People who shake their ice at us when they want a drink refill.
- "Touchers" who poke, tap, grab, or tug on our aprons to get our attention while we are busy serving someone else.
- Soft-talkers: People who speak too softly or just mouth the words.
- People who hang
out in our galley. It's the only refuge we have in which
to restore ourselves for our next daring venture into the aisles.
- People who look at us and say, "Smile!"
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Sharon's Note: I'd like to thank Journeywoman for giving me this opportunity to raise awareness and hold a mirror to those who fly. I also thank my fellow flight attendants who contributed to this list.
Ed. note: Calling all flight attendants! Have a pet peeve of
your own? Click here to let us know
what frustrates you. We'll
include them in an upcoming issue of Journeywoman.
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Women's
words on etiquette...
Much of good manners is about knowing when to pretend that what's happening isn't happening.
--Mrs. Falk Feeley, A Swarm of Wasps
Etiquette is what you are doing and saying when people are looking and listening. What you are thinking is your business.
--Virginia Cary Hudson, O Ye Jigs and Juleps
You can't be truly rude until you understand good manners.
--Rita Mae Brown, Starting from Scratch
Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills
you.
--Elsie de Wolfe, in Mrs. Falk Feeley, A Swarm of Wasps
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For more flight attendant
secrets,
click here
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