Just what is happening onboard airplanes these days?
Posted in Blatherings on 01/13/2010 02:06 pm by Michele
I took my first trip by airplane when I was 9 years old. We flew from Houston to Jamaica on a Pan Am prop plane. My mother wore a blue suit and white gloves. I remember the stewardesses (they were called that back then) wore blue suits also and had blue hats. They were all young and beautiful. The breakfast they served was hot, served on real plates with actual silverware. Everybody used their “company” manners, both the passengers and the crew. Everybody said “Please” and “Thank you”; and if needed, “Excuse me”. In short, everybody worked and played well with others. I don’t believe it would’ve occurred to anyone to act any other way.
I remember I had to write a paper in 8th grade about what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to be a stewardess. It looked glamorous. I remember writing to Eastern Airlines to get info I could include with my paper. I actually flew quite a bit the next twenty years; and in all my traveling I was never on a flight that had to be diverted, turned around or landed early due to an unruly passenger. All the flights weren’t perfect of course. There were delays, some bad weather and some really bad food from time to time. There were also kiddos that acted up. However, the parents paid attention when their young ones weren’t on their best behavior. Children weren’t allowed to act buck wild, subjecting everyone else to their tantrums.
It seems that the most basic courtesies now are rarely observed. I have a good friend who’s a flight attendant. She’s been flying for over 20 years now and only flies a few times a month, since her trips are quite long- Houston to Singapore, etc. Because her flights cover such distances, she’s stuck with some of these juvenile delinquents for what seem like endless hours. Some of the stories that’s she told me over the years are just crazy. I’ve now come to realize that being a flight attendant is a lot of things. However, glamorous it is not. I realize that travelers are stressed before they ever get on the plane these days. But is that an excuse for bad behavior once aboard?
