Evil Fa

[US2]

From Flyertalk:

Any comments justifying this out there?

"Mrs. TPA us ff and I were on the last leg of our last flight home this weekend after a great time in New Orleans. Up to this point, all of the FA’s were in great spirits cracking jokes about everything from the snack basket to "Uncle Dave."
When we boarded our final segment, we both noticed the FC FA who seemed to be glaring at every PAX who boarded. No smile, no greeting, just a weird glare. Well, if this guy disliked his job, he certainly didn’t try to hide it. One drink service and a pass of the snack basket and it was off to the jump seat for him for an involved consult with USA Today for the rest of the flight. I really felt sorry for the coach FA who was responding to FC drink requests and cleanup duties for both cabins.

At any rate, we descend through 10,000 and the announcement is made regarding seatbacks, tray tables, etc. A man in his 60's in a suit coat who was across the isle from me (he had been asleep the entire flight) obviously didn’t hear the request. His seat seemed to be minimally reclined about one to two inches. At this point, the FA came up to the man and started jabbing his finger at the man’s neck and back! The guy wakes up and says "stop poking me." The FA says "I told you three times to put your seat up . . . when you’re on MY airplane you do what I tell you to do. The man very calmly replied "I just don’t won’t you to keep poking me." Thereupon, the FA says that since the man wouldn’t follow orders (the PAX had indeed fully raised his seatback) he was reporting him to the captain and would have him removed by security for interfering with a flight crew. I thought that the FA was just being a snitty jerk until he picked up the intercom and told the captain that he has a problem with a "disruptive passenger" and he needed help from law enforcement when we landed. If anyone was disruptive, it seemed to be the FA by his assault and aggressive poking of the passenger.

And sure enough, on arrival at the gate we were held until an armed security contingent escorted this poor guy off the plane!

In my nearly 2 million lifetime miles on US, I never saw anything like this. I’ve seen FA’s be consummate diplomats with unruly or boozed up PAX or simply straight forward like: “Listen to me or I’ll call the captain.†But never anything as unprovoked as this. Frankly, I would find this hard to believe other than that I was 3 feet from the events!

All of this leads me to wonder what standards apply in these types of cases? Apparently a single FA’s word is gospel – woe be to the passenger who may look cross-eyed at the FA."


I've slept though that announcement a few times over the years myself and never been treated with anything but a gentle and courteous awakening. I find the story very disturbing, especially given the fact that so many really good people are on furlouh now.

 

[A320 Driver]

PLEASE follow up on this. We can't afford this kind of nonsense.

A320 Driver

 

[cavalier]

Maybe that F/A watched the movie, "Anger Management". That is exactly how it all started in that movie, or maybe he is a copycat psycho. Seems strange that real life events mimic a recent movie.

 

[usacrew3]

Maybe he loves his job but just lost his house, lost his car, won't be able to provide his family with gifts for Christmas and just realized that the 71 hours he will be paid in December is the same check he received 15 years ago when he started flying.
Someone should have given him the number for the Employee Assistance Program.
We should never treat a passenger in this manner.

 

[exagony]

I've seen this type of rudeness by U employees many times although not quite as extreme as this. Rude gate agents, rude,lazy and cranky old FA's (what happened to the glamorous FA's of the 60's and 70's anyhow? Maybe topic for a new thread), indifferent customer service. This guy should be fired. Too bad if he lost his house etc ( don't wish this on anyone and I hope this is not the case) but if its so bad go get another job. I read so many posters say they are "well qualified" to work in the real world GO! If life and your financial problems are that extreme maybe you realize that you DO NOT have all the "real world skills" that you think you may have. Just looked in the Sunday paper and I saw pages and pages of help wanted jobs in them. Maybe some people are afraid to face reality and realize that outside of being an FA their job skills are Dunkin Donut level job skills. I sure hope that's not the case. Anyhow I'm sure this customer just decided to join LUV's, JB's, Airtran's, Delta's or AA's FF programs. I'm sure he'll NEVER fly U again and with good reason. If you hate Dave and U so much LEAVE! I'm know that there are many furloughed employees willing to take your place even under the current conditions at U. Don't give me "I've been here 30 years and I've never seen it so bad" crap. Times change, if you don't want to be professional LEAVE. After all, with 30 years of being grumpy and doing as little as possible every day I'm sure some local govt agency would hire you in a heartbeat. You already have their jobs skills and you would fit right in.

 

[PITbull]

US2,

No justification for what was witnessed on this flight.

Obviously, this f/a needs a major attitude adjustment, if it was played out like you said. And to place hands on a PAX, no less....

From your post, couldn't tell what base these pax were flying into, or city. Could you say?

We have our own way of internally dealing with these kinds of rare incidents you describe once they are reported.

 

[marco90821]

This would be handled interrnally. You should go to usairways.com and email customer relations this incident, include the flt#, date, and leg of this flight, along with your contact information. I believe the form requests all of this information. Make them aware this was the "A" FA. They will follow up with you, as well as the other crew members. I'm sure if he treated you this badly, he was probably a real treat for the crew to work with.

 

[usfliboi]

or even if this was the way it really happened.......

 

[Colby]

Us2

As Marco pointed this does need to go to customer realtions. For any of you that experience either a Rude F/A or one you feel should be rewarded...In the Attache Magazine are Comment Cards... Just fill in the blanks and drop in the nearest Mail Box. It's That easy !!!!

I had recieved quite a few "Good" comments... Hmmm and here I sit trying to find a job.... GO FIGURE !!!!

 

[AgMedallion]

After all, with 30 years of being grumpy and doing as little as possible every day I'm sure some local govt agency would hire you in a heartbeat. You already have their jobs skills and you would fit right in.

Who rattled your cage? I don't work for local government, but what you said about them borders on your having a mental problem. I've seen plenty of local government employees who are good, bad or average. Same goes for USAirways employees. I remember a redeye from LAX to PHL where I was in first with my son and my wife and another son were in coach. ALL the FA's (Philly based) were miserable, lazy, surly SOB's. My wife paid for a movie with a $20 bill and when she asked for her change an hour later, the FA snarled at her that she wasn't a thief and was going to bring the change. Yeah, right! At least most local governments don't hire incompetent thieves like Wolf and Gangwal and pay them millions. :down:

 

[Twicebaked]

Although I am not dismissing the flight attendants action, it may well have be his last flight of the day out of many as well.

Everyone is quick to jump down a flight attendants throat for their actions, yet I find it comical at best that no one says anything about how pax treat them.

Was this on of the weather days? If so, this poor guy was probably bitched at all day long from you people that he couldn't take ANYTHING anymore.

I lived that. I HAPPENS ALL TO OFTEN and don't say it doesn't.

I think we need to hear both sides of this story.

 

[Light Years]

This is terrible if its true and happened how it says ( <_< ).

Every active US Airways flight attendant has at least four years experience and should know how to act. Poking a passengers is obvously not the correct thing to do. I've been poked in the ribs by passengers hard enough to bruise as a way of requesting more ice or another bag of pretzels (DO NOT DO THAT- IT HURTS. While we're at it, dont touch items on top of the cart or try to peer into it through the FAs legs) FAs know this from experiencing it themselves.

I wonder if there is more to this story (again, if its to be believed). Having authorities meet the flight is pretty serious and involves lots of paperwork and statements from the entire crew, and isnt done lightly. Not putting up your tray table and asking to not be touched is not a reason to call them.

I would be suspicious of the FA if I was working on that flight. This is not typical behavior and our crews do not tolerate Sky N*zi behavior. I'd have called the captain on him!

I'm also having trouble with the whole thing of not doing service and letting the others do it? These are not the senior mamas I know, I think it would have been a battle of the Bows in the galley long before this incident would have occured. He'd have been taken out with a speared piece of fruit first if he sat and let someone else do the service!

 

[joanjet]

I do not believe a passenger was poked by a flight attendant. I think this story was embellished by the story teller. Have we all not seen this before? Their word against ours. Please. "Poked by a flight attendant." LOL

 

[firstamendment]

I've seen this type of rudeness by U employees many times although not quite as extreme as this. Rude gate agents, rude,lazy and cranky old FA's (what happened to the glamorous FA's of the 60's and 70's anyhow? Maybe topic for a new thread), indifferent customer service. This guy should be fired. Too bad if he lost his house etc ( don't wish this on anyone and I hope this is not the case) but if its so bad go get another job. I read so many posters say they are "well qualified" to work in the real world GO! If life and your financial problems are that extreme maybe you realize that you DO NOT have all the "real world skills" that you think you may have. Just looked in the Sunday paper and I saw pages and pages of help wanted jobs in them. Maybe some people are afraid to face reality and realize that outside of being an FA their job skills are Dunkin Donut level job skills. I sure hope that's not the case. Anyhow I'm sure this customer just decided to join LUV's, JB's, Airtran's, Delta's or AA's FF programs. I'm sure he'll NEVER fly U again and with good reason. If you hate Dave and U so much LEAVE! I'm know that there are many furloughed employees willing to take your place even under the current conditions at U. Don't give me "I've been here 30 years and I've never seen it so bad" crap. Times change, if you don't want to be professional LEAVE. After all, with 30 years of being grumpy and doing as little as possible every day I'm sure some local govt agency would hire you in a heartbeat. You already have their jobs skills and you would fit right in.

Oh and we all know Jetblue and Southwest don't have a single rude flight attendant. Buddy, if this guy is smart, he will write the guy up and the witnesses to this debacle should have come to the passenger's defense when the cops arrived...but please, oh please stop trying to play like US Airways is the only airline that has a few rude employees. I have been in this industry for 17 years and have experienced rude or indifferent behavior from the best of them....so please, find a new line.

Secondly, for the person who stated "what happened to the glamour days of the 1960's and 70's....the airlines refuse to offer good enough retirements for the "old hags" to leave and hire a new young group.

Thirdly, there was a time when discrimination completely ruled the airlines. The airlines discriminated against age, height, weight, looks, marital status, sex, race, religion, sexuality, and bust size. THAT, my friend, was the 60's and 70's...and while discrimination still exist today, we have laws against discrimination in the workforce that includes the exact things I mentioned. And if not law, highly frowned upon. May I suggest if you want to fly elitis, discriminative airlines, you fly the likes of state owned airlines such as Singapore. Yeah, great service. The staff bows down to you. Ummm...that's the problem in a nutshell..but what would your average American businessman customer care about how state owned carriers treat or discriminate as long as it ain't their daughters. Just rub my feet some more, kesha girl.

Lastly, if what was said about this f/a was true, he needs some time off. I am not happy about the state of my company, however I come and work hard for myself, not Dave, not the customers, not fellow employees, but for me alone. Happiness starts in the mirror. It sounds like this person is alot more unhappy with himself than with US Airways. I am so glad I am at peace with knowing that if the doors close tomorrow I will not have to hate or blame US Airways. My life and happiness is no longer contingent upon the survival of the company. I hope that this young man will get there some day and that ALL of my fellow employees will reach that place. It's VERY liberating.