Cabin Jumpseat Safety Policy

[ClueByFour]

If someone has become medically disqualified for their job, they should be put on Long Term Disability, regardless of the reason until they are able to return to work. If the company chooses to enforce a job requirement after hiring them, regardless of whether it is an FAA mandate, safety provision or other, they should accept the consequences of losing this person's employment and placing them on LTD.

Do you want someone on Dexatrim or worse, someone starving themselves in order to meet some requirement, to be responsible for the safety of 150 or more passengers? Why should the company build schedules that do not allow F/A's to get adequate nutrition (but you can have all the Biscoff's you want) then expect them to be the picture of health?

I might understand a company's behavior towards a replaceable employee, but the high and mighty attitude of fellow coworkers on these boards would encourage just about anyone to become a bulimic.

And deep down, it's all about the power to make someone feel worse about themselves, just so you can feel comparatively better.

"Flight attendants are here primarily for your safety." If it's a safety issue (not using an extender on the jumpseat), this has nothing at all do with making someone feel bad.

 

[luvn737s]

And lastly, even more ludicrous you advocate putting someone on disability (long-term no less) because they eat too much and don't exercise? Brilliant!

So you would like to choose which disabilities should be covered by LTD and which aren't? The person with lukemia is more deserving than the person with skin cancer because one person chose not to wear sunscreen? The obese should be given no protection because the chose to subject themselves to inhumane treatment by fellow workers so they could enjoy that twinkie they scarfed in the aft lav? What makes you think any rational person would choose to be obese rather than thin?

The generations of people raised in the fast-food and cheap-food era has no doubt resulted in genetic mutations that predispose people who make healthy choices to still end up with weight problems. Those people are no less deserving of insurance coverage to financially protect them while they are treated for their problems.

 

[luvn737s]

Since when has this company become pro-employee?

They don't give a hoot about anyones health.

And this policy isn't about anyone's health.

Does this company pay for any pro-active health screenings or is it all stick and no carrot (you know how fattening they are).

 

[4merresrat]

So all eating disorders are all a matter of a lack of self control, eh? I agree that encouraging a healthy weight is a good thing. Putting someone's career in jeopardy (and the hew and cry of the condemning self-righteous) is counter productive on almost every front. I know quite a few people who excercise regularly and consume far fewer calories than their skinny counterparts, yet are not rail-thin. They are fit, their blood sugar and pressure is normal, yet they do not conform to the fashion-model standard. They pose no more threat to the safety of others than anyone else, and may well be able to carry out their duties far better than someone more frail.

There are no requirements that the employee be "rail thin" as you state; just that they be fit enough to perform the job they were hired to do. And if they are fit then there abdomen is not hanging over their belt and they would fit the jump seat. If this is the case well great. It seems like we are bordering on the ridiculous here.

Futhermore, no one stated that eating disorders are a matter of self-control. In fact, you are the one that brought it up out of no where implying that the company was causing people to engage in this behavior (bulimia). Total rubish. It seems this is a very emotional issue for you but lets try to keep the drama down.

 

[sharktooth]

And your analogy regarding alcohol is ridiculous. . . alcohol is NOT food. People loose weight if they are alcoholics because they are starving, replacing food with alcohol. They don't eat.

and the items I see people consume could hardly be called food. Do you know how the calorie count of a food is determined?

The point is, the poster made a comment that simply counting calories will lead one to slimness nirvana. I said it is more complicated than that. Suppose a person's body used, on average, 2500 calories per day. One could consume 5000 calories of vodka every day and loose weight. One could consume 2000 calories of "fast food" and gain weight, depending on the salt content, etc. Some "calories" are "burned" by the body more efficiently than others. As one looses weight, it takes less energy to move the body around.

People try to make it simple but it is not. You are setting up for failure those who are really in trouble, IMHO.

The point is, address the problem from an intelligent manner. That means excluding any material from Madison Ave. and be conscious of what one eats.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> What's really ludicrous is to think that anyone could survive an accident at 9g's by being held by a belt good to 15g's. By the time the extender fails, there's not much left of you.

It’s not so much about the extension failing as it is whacking the person next to you with the buckle during a fast egress, creating a tripping hazard, or even possibly getting tangled in the door handle.

 

[Bear96]

The point is, the poster made a comment that simply counting calories will lead one to slimness nirvana. I said it is more complicated than that. Suppose a person's body used, on average, 2500 calories per day. One could consume 5000 calories of vodka every day and loose weight. One could consume 2000 calories of "fast food" and gain weight, depending on the salt content, etc.

Wrong and wrong.

If you consume 5000 calories a day and burn 2500, you will gain weight.

If you consume 2000 calories a day and burn 2500, you will lose weight. As to the salt content, that could cause some temporary variations due to water retention, but overall you will lose weight. If you live on "fast food" it won't be the healthiest diet and you may be setting yourself up for other health problems, but under your scenario you will still lose weight.

Are you really trying to establish that (1) if you consime alcohol only, no matter how much, you will lose weight; and (2) if you eat one McDonalds apple pie per day, and nothing else, you will still gain weight because it is "fast food"?

Really, where are you getting this stuff?

 

[flybynite]

It’s not so much about the extension failing as it is whacking the person next to you with the buckle during a fast egress, creating a tripping hazard, or even possibly getting tangled in the door handle.

Well, when you think about it, you release your seatbelt, & shrug off the harness, stand up and kick the Jumpseat up so it captures the seatbelts and harnesses. That's one of the jumpseat's purposes. The other being that it doesn't block the exit.

Maybe they are afraid someone will get snagged up with the extra belt material before they can stand up.

 

[FlightChic]

All of this discussion on how to lose weight is totally cracking me up! FYI, for anyone on here who would like advice on how to lose weight, maybe you should visit a weight loss forum and not an aviation forum. Or better yet, talk to your doctor or a nutritionist. I'm no expert, but based on my personal experience (you know - been there, done that!), consuming sugar, soda, alcohol, and fatty, greasy fast food is not healthy and does contribute to weight gain, high cholesterol, diabetes, and lots of other health problems. Now I think I'll go get me an apple pie from McDonald's and a Coca Cola. Although I did hear if I would just stop drinking all those gd sodas and drink water instead I would lose weight. It's such a hard habit to break! Or maybe I should starve myself so I can lose weight! Damm, I really need to lose 10 lbs. FWIW, I tried the Atkins diet and I lost so much weight (10lbs in two weeks and more after that) but then I couldn't resist the carbs and so I stopped and gained it all back and then some. My doctor also flipped out when I told him I was on the Atkins diet. I guess eating all that meat and fattening foods isn't so good for you after all. Oh well! Maybe I should just exercise more to make up for all the junk food I eat! In any case, I want to look hot in my new uniform! 😉 Maybe we should start a usaviation weightloss/exercise contest! That would be absolutely hilarious! BTW, does being angry and bitter all the time burn any extra calories? That's too bad because we would have more skinny flight attendants if that were the case.

 

[luvn737s]

In fact, you are the one that brought it up out of no where implying that the company was causing people to engage in this behavior (bulimia). Total rubish. It seems this is a very emotional issue for you but lets try to keep the drama down.

Nice try, but if you re-read my post, the bulimia was caused as a reaction to what was being thrown out on this board by co-workers. It would make anyone with any shred of compassion throw up.

I'm not sure how emotional it is, since I don't directly suffer from this problem. What does get me worked up is the bigoted attitudes towards heavy people and how they are regarded as some "safe" outlet for folks hatred of another group of people, since race and sexual preference seem to have made taboo.

Instead of taking glee in the suffering of someone (even if it might be their own doing, who cares) why not invite them to go on a walk and offer encouragement rather than judgement? Maybe you begin to feel good enough about yourself, that you won't have to take your anger out on someone else.

 

[USCREW]

Suppose a person's body used, on average, 2500 calories per day. One could consume 5000 calories of vodka every day and loose weight. One could consume 2000 calories of "fast food" and gain weight, depending on the salt content, etc. Some "calories" are "burned" by the body more efficiently than others. As one looses weight, it takes less energy to move the body around.

Wow, I must have skipped class that day, or this is some new physiology concept which defies the very definition of the calorie as a unit of energy.

 

[Travelpro72]

Bottom line is if your not able to fit in the jumpseat on the airplane regardless of type and size you need to remedy the situation. It is a job requirement. MANY other types of jobs require you meet certain criteria. Either you do or you don't. NO exceptions. People will make up EVERY excuse in the world for being bigger than the jumpseat. Shall we hire midgets too? Jesus. Oh and someone brought up the question if Usairways has some sort of health program or something....well YES they do. Read the latest "About US". Typical America....it's always someone else's fault or someone else should fix YOUR problem. Sometimes it's like walking through a damn FARM. I'm so SICK of the sensitivity and utter BS. TUFF! ! ! !

 

[flybynite]

What is interesting about this is that they have decided it may not be safe if a f/a uses an extension on the jumpseat, yet at the same time are not prohibiting the use of extensions by passengers in the emergency exit rows.

So, is this really about safety or an excuse to get rid of some over weight senior f/a's?

 

[sharktooth]

Wrong and wrong.

If you consume 5000 calories a day and burn 2500, you will gain weight.

If you consume 2000 calories a day and burn 2500, you will lose weight. As to the salt content, that could cause some temporary variations due to water retention, but overall you will lose weight. If you live on "fast food" it won't be the healthiest diet and you may be setting yourself up for other health problems, but under your scenario you will still lose weight.

Are you really trying to establish that (1) if you consime alcohol only, no matter how much, you will lose weight; and (2) if you eat one McDonalds apple pie per day, and nothing else, you will still gain weight because it is "fast food"?

Really, where are you getting this stuff?

You are quite incorrect about the calories. Where do you get your information, Madison Avenue?

It is well established that someone drinking thousands of calories of alcoholic beverages (only) per day will lose weight.

You just keep telling yourself you are guaranteed to lose weight by eating enough MacDonald's apple pies calories to total less than your daily caloric use. I can then guarantee you will shortly be a blimp.

If you eat properly, then your quick and dirty might work. Prepared foods are quite high in salt.

Go take a course in basic nutrition. You might learn something, like, the simplistic "rule" is just that, simplistic. If you want to be ignorant, that is your concern.

 

[4merresrat]

What is interesting about this is that they have decided it may not be safe if a f/a uses an extension on the jumpseat, yet at the same time are not prohibiting the use of extensions by passengers in the emergency exit rows.

So, is this really about safety or an excuse to get rid of some over weight senior f/a's?

Either way win win. . . 😱