Jimster
TUG Member
For what it’s worth, I have 4 pet peeves when flying. These probably aren’t the only ones and certainly some will see them as not a problem, but they tend to bother me.
1. DON’T GRAB MY SEAT! I don’t like people who think my seat (especially when sleeping) are something to grab or hang on to. Look at the flight attendants. They go up and down the aisle all the time but they don’t grab seat backs. They gain stability by moving their hands along the storage bins. Watch them-that’s how it is done. Other people grab the seats to get up from theirs or get into theirs. That too is mostly unnecessary. Lift up the side bar and slide into your seat or press against it to stand. If you have a window seat, have the others get up-leave my seat alone. It’s all a matter of technique.
2. DON’T STAND IN LINE AT THE TOILET! I usually avoid seats by the toliet but when I do I don’t want you standing there. Amazingly, many people don’t look up above the toliet door. There are red and green lights which operate when people enter and exit the toliet. These are visible throughout the cabin.
3. DON’T UNBUCKLE YOUR SEATBELT UNTIL YOU HEAR THE BELL! Actually we do better in the USA than in most foreign markets and truthfully, the danger is generally not mine but rather the person who unbuckles too soon. Why wait to unbuckle? Have you ever seen someone go flying down the aisles because they unbuckled too soon? Most people think that once they are on the ground, they are good to go. Yet if you are just inches from the Jetway and the pilot hits the brakes hard, you can get seriously injured.
4. TURN OFF THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND HANG UP WHEN REQUESTED. A flight attendant’s primary duty is to insure the safety of the passengers- not to serve you drinks, or make your life comfortable. First, no one wants to listen to your phone call. Second, it is hard to imagine something that urgent that you can’t wait. Finally, its the rule and that should be reason enough. Now I realize many people don’t like rules- witnesses the number of irresponsible drivers who don’t stop at stop signs. Ultimately, you can get thrown off the plane if you fail to comply-remember George Clooney.
I know I am going to get flack for saying these things, but I think people should know what others find annoying if they are unaware.
1. DON’T GRAB MY SEAT! I don’t like people who think my seat (especially when sleeping) are something to grab or hang on to. Look at the flight attendants. They go up and down the aisle all the time but they don’t grab seat backs. They gain stability by moving their hands along the storage bins. Watch them-that’s how it is done. Other people grab the seats to get up from theirs or get into theirs. That too is mostly unnecessary. Lift up the side bar and slide into your seat or press against it to stand. If you have a window seat, have the others get up-leave my seat alone. It’s all a matter of technique.
2. DON’T STAND IN LINE AT THE TOILET! I usually avoid seats by the toliet but when I do I don’t want you standing there. Amazingly, many people don’t look up above the toliet door. There are red and green lights which operate when people enter and exit the toliet. These are visible throughout the cabin.
3. DON’T UNBUCKLE YOUR SEATBELT UNTIL YOU HEAR THE BELL! Actually we do better in the USA than in most foreign markets and truthfully, the danger is generally not mine but rather the person who unbuckles too soon. Why wait to unbuckle? Have you ever seen someone go flying down the aisles because they unbuckled too soon? Most people think that once they are on the ground, they are good to go. Yet if you are just inches from the Jetway and the pilot hits the brakes hard, you can get seriously injured.
4. TURN OFF THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND HANG UP WHEN REQUESTED. A flight attendant’s primary duty is to insure the safety of the passengers- not to serve you drinks, or make your life comfortable. First, no one wants to listen to your phone call. Second, it is hard to imagine something that urgent that you can’t wait. Finally, its the rule and that should be reason enough. Now I realize many people don’t like rules- witnesses the number of irresponsible drivers who don’t stop at stop signs. Ultimately, you can get thrown off the plane if you fail to comply-remember George Clooney.
I know I am going to get flack for saying these things, but I think people should know what others find annoying if they are unaware.