On A Day Plagued With Weather Delays,like Friday,

[Severed-N-Happy]

....how passengers who had to drive thru a raging t-storm to get to the airport still question with the look and speak of "befuddled duh-ism" why their flight is delayed.
Sometimes it is so sad and embarassing to be the brethren of an American citizen......
Counting the days til EO!!!

 

[speedbird86]

I hear ya S-N-H. I remember back in the blizzard of March '93. Was working a small airport in the south that got 17 inches of snow in about 24 hours. The airport was empty that day except for employees that stayed over. All inbound and outbound flights were cancelled. This guy shows up and after he was told his flight had been cancelled some 12 hours ago, he scream "what do you mean my flight is cancelled"!!! Of about ten customers waited on that day he was the only idiot. So our conclusion was that one in ten passengers are total idiots.

 

[Severed-N-Happy]

Only 1 in 10? You are truly blessed and fortunate.....

 

[speedbird86]

Only 1 in 10? You are truly blessed and fortunate.....

[post="258524"][/post]​

Well I was being respectful to our non-employee friends. We did a non-scientific poll one week and determined that it's more like six in ten are idiots.

 

[tadjr]

I would love to see the producers of "The Amazing Race" get their next set of contestants out of the kiosk line on a reroute day (any day actually). That would be one interesting show.

We printed out a copy of the Southeast radar from weather.com and had them sitting on the counter. It seemed to help most people comprehend why the line (and they) werent going anywhere.

My favorite response of the day "Well just put us on someone else then". What part of NOTHING is flying north of here dont you understand? I had a lady tonight tell me to put her on something going West to get her to Portland, Me. I said there is nothing going West to connect to Portland. She said "How about through Philly or something"? I didnt know PHL was west of here, guess I missed that day in geography class.

Go up to the 9th floor of the parking garage and look at all the planes just sitting there and then come back and ask me that question. But it was Friday and all I could do was be pleasant and offer to rebook for tomorrow. Take it or leave it, sorry. I am not getting stressed out on a day like this. If they are too stupid to comprehend what is going on with the weather and delays, its not worth me getting upset trying to get them to understand. It aint gonna happen anyway.

Looks like tomorrow and the rest of the weekend could be nasty in the South as well so good luck to all who are traveling (and working) this weekend.

 

[Severed-N-Happy]

I would love to see the producers of "The Amazing Race" get their next set of contestants out of the kiosk line on a reroute day (any day actually). That would be one interesting show.

LOL!!! Truth be told, most ADULTS (in forementioned kiosk line) would not make it past ROMPER ROOM auditions, and I am being deadly serious.
Coming back to this industry after being S and H for a couple of years and once again dealing directly with a cross section of our country has once again reminded me how just plain ignorant, stupid, and most of all, illiterate, roughly 1/4 to 1/2 of the American traveling public is with regard to anything more complicated than just Breathing.
I would bet it's not like this in Japan or Europe, is it? :blink:

 

[PSA1979]

Years ago while working a PSA flight from LAX to SAN, we were fogged in in LAX. We made annoucements saying that both LAX and SAN airports were closed due to fog. Some moron flounces up to me and states "well, I'm going to fly United down to San". I told him to go right on down to their counter.

In about 20 minutes he shows back up at my a/c door "United is fogged in too" DUH!!!

I also got a lot of when is the fog going to lift? I told one guy to walk over to the jetway phone pick it up and ask for GOD, cuz he was the only one with the answer to that question!

 

[Severed-N-Happy]

I told one guy to walk over to the jetway phone pick it up and ask for GOD, cuz he was the only one with the answer to that question!

[post="258551"][/post]​

I also used a similar line of thought in a rare humorous exchange on FRI., but in order to be PC/not offend, used the phrase "With Your Chosen Deity".

 

[PSA1979]

I also used a similar line of thought in a rare humorous exchange on FRI., but in order to be PC/not offend, used the phrase "With Your Chosen Deity".

[post="258552"][/post]​

Good one. We didn't need to be PC back in the 80's.

 

[Severed-N-Happy]

Good one. We didn't need to be PC back in the 80's.

[post="258553"][/post]​

Yeh.. look what Archie got away with in the 70's LOL..Ahhhh the good old days of yore.....

 

[speedbird86]

Do people check their brain with their luggage?

[post="258567"][/post]​

Bob I think it happens long before they get to a ticket counter. One theory was it's the signs driving up to the airport. Too damn many. Concourse this, departures, arrivals, airlines, stop, one way, wrong way, arrows pointing every direction. We thought it fried their brain by the time they get to the terminal. Normal, intellegent people have turned into babbling morons who can no longer understand simple instructions or answer simple questions like "what's you destination today". So the four of ten that are not idiots probably were driven to the airport by someone else.

You are right, this is a fun thread.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

I always assumed it was a temporary side effect of the metal detectors.

 

[NuGuy]

Do people check their brain with their luggage? I cannot for the life of me figure out how or why people who in many cases are smarter, better educated & richer than I'll be if I live to a thousand completely lose their minds when they get to a ticket counter or gate.

It seems to be limited to airlines too which is weird.

Actually, the theory is that blast of air that you feel when entering the terminal, which is usually erroniously associated with the ventilation, is actually neutralizes certain cognative functions of the brain.

I was standing in CLT one day at the entrance to the 'C' concourse. This concourse, like the others, is designated by a 30 foot blue letter, and is illuminated with about 30 million candlepower, enough to cast shadows and to cause minor sunburn if you stand next to it too long.

So this lady walks up and asks me where the 'C' concourse is. All I could do is point. Sometimes not even spelling it out is enough.

Nu

 

[mimi]

I'm afraid this phenomenon is not limited to passengers. While in PHL with 2 friends waiting to catch a flight a passenger approached us and asked which way to C concourse, and my friend replied "Uh, I'm a pilot" Incidentally, we were in the C concourse!

 

[primowon]

For the record, I retired five years ago. But that does not mean I do not want to see this company survive. There are still many good people at the company I want to see be able to feed their families, if they choose to stay.

After reading the posts below of the perception of G/As being so much brighter than their customers, it is no surprise we are in the desperate situation we find ourselves today.

What most loose sight of when dealing with customers all day, day in, day out, is that for many travelers today is the much dreaded day they booked 8 months ago. They have been trying to blot out the fact that today they will arrive at the airport and be required to board a flight. Some are little old grandmas, some are fearfull flyers, some have never flown. Just because you can see as plane as day where "Concourse C" is lit...in 30 million candle power.." does not equate necessarily with those not working every day at the same airport.

All airport workers, G/As, T/As, pilots, F/As, whatever, your only roll is to move passengers in an efficient, cordial manner, and in such a manner that, hopefully, they may one day return because of your effort. In so doing, they may continue paying your salary. To have such a superior attitude of being so much more intelligent than the people you are trying to help..need I say more? It is not hard to sense when you are on the receiving end of the dunce award. The end result is obvious. Frankly, it is a contributing factor in where we find ourselves today. In today's environment we can't afford to allienate even one pasenger, regardless how "dumb" they are. You just do not know their circumstances. If that is too much to ask, you are in the wrong business. Do us a favor and move on.