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Galley Gossip: A flight attendant responds to Senator Schumer's outburst
No one likes to be told what to do.
After the announcement had been made to turn off and stow all electronic devices, a flight attendant noticed Senator Schumer still chatting away on his cell phone and asked him to turn it off. He complied, but not without a fight. He argued that because the aircraft door had not been shut at the time of the announcement he was entitled to use the phone. The flight attendant, who was reported by Politico.com as being polite throughout the incident, told Schumer that she didn't make the rules, just followed them, and with that she walked away. That's when Senator Schumer made a big time passenger faux pas. He turned to his seat mate, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and uttered the B_word under his breath.
I can't help but wonder what Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had to think of Senator Schumer's childish behavior. Especially at the ease in which the word was used!
While I understand that passengers don't like to be ordered around, especially on an airplane by a lowly flight attendant who should know the customer is always right even when that customer is breaking an FAA regulation, this story is really much deeper than that. It's about respect - or lack thereof. The airplane is a microcosm of the world and the Senator's outburst is just another example of how society behaves today. Take it from me, the one stuck in a flying tube for hours on end with passengers from all walks of life, it's a me-me-me, A.D.D world out there. Don't believe me? Pay attention next time.
When I heard Brian Fallon, Senator Schumer's spokesperson, had stated that the senator regrets making the "off-the-cuff comment," I wondered if the Senator would have thought twice about what he'd said if the story hadn't made headlines? Doubt it. Oh and did you notice that nothing was mentioned in terms of an apology regarding the use of his cell phone at a time when it was not permitted, which is what triggered the outburst in the first place? I'm not surprised.
Want to know what I love most about this story?
This type of bad behavior over nonsense is just a regular part of my work day. Flight attendants constantly have to remind passengers, and re-remind them, and then re-remind them again, to turn off their phones. Passengers usually respond by either out right ignoring us or by hiding the device under their thigh until the flight attendant has passed and it is safe to resume the conversation. Last month on a flight from New York to Dallas, I had to tell fourteen passengers - fourteen! - that it was time to turn off and put away their electronic devices after a PA had been delivered not once, but twice! I even had to firmly tap, tap, tap a man on the shoulder, a man with his head shoved between his knees, in order to inform him that I was well aware he wasn't conversing with the floor. His seatmates chuckled. The passenger just glared at me. On another flight I witnessed the following conversation take place in first class...
FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Excuse me, Sir, it's time to-
PASSENGER: Can't you see I'm on the phone, bitch!
I couldn't believe my ears! I was even more shocked at what happened next. The flight attendant actually acted like it was no big deal someone had just called her a bitch and even left the passenger alone to finish his conversation. Maybe the flight attendant was just used to being treated like crap and therefore thought nothing of it. Perhaps the flight attendant was a fan of the passengers work and figured the well-known rapper meant nothing by the word used so often in lyrics. But could it be that this kind of reaction by a flight attendant is why so many passengers feel they can bark at us and get what they want? Who knows. All I know is if I went around calling passengers bitches whenever I didn't like what they had to say, I'd be out of a job. And apologizing about it after the fact would not make it okay.
Photos courtesy of Propublica and Kaiban
Filed under: Airlines, Galley Gossip
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
AIRBOY Dec 18th 2009 11:17PM
Next thing you know, the flight attendant is sacked because she asked a pax to turn his phone off TOO EARLY.
Arrgh on a humourous note : one of my colleagues was wrongly called a "lazy bitch" once while doing the full service meal cart (it's a service that lasts for 3 hrs people...) because a pax asked for a gin & tonic to which she said, she would happily serve a gin tonic but asked the pax to hold on few minutes while she gets the remaining trays out for the rest of the customers and then grab the drink from the back galley. The pax went on and called the FA a "lazy bitch" so she turned around in the most gracious way and replied with the best line without missing a beat: "You can call me bitch mate, but DON'T YOU DARE calling me lazy". The whole cabin was on the floor. And the cursing passenger didn't know where to put himself. Of course, he never got his Gin & Tonic. But she got plenty of appraisals from the rest of the cabin.
skygirl1 Dec 23rd 2009 1:47PM
Senator Schumer,
I was appalled when I found out that a colleague of mine while during her FAA & Company required Pre-departure walk-through was called a “bitch” for requiring you to turn off your cell phone as per policy. At times, this occurs from other passengers as well for having them comply with any Federal Aviation Regulation. I would have assumed sir that your position in the senate as well as your frequent traveler experience, would have made you somewhat classier and more knowledgeable then some of the individuals that travel aboard our flights today. I guess not. Had the Flight Attendant been in her right mind, she would have had you removed from the flight from using that type of language. There is nothing worse than being disrespected for being a safety professional following government rules.
Despite the fact, it was Senator Harry Reid that was on the other end and you felt that health care issues were more important (I believe that most of the US citizens disagree with government intrusion on our health care choices) then the safety of the flight and following government policies regarding air carriers, I disagree. I am sure he understood the position you were in and would know as well that you must “talk later.” Senator Reid would have also been required to do the same.
Finally, while you called and apologized (a gentlemanly thing to do) it still is not enough. We have issues with cell phone usage every day and our customers do not like being trapped in a seat next to someone talking on a phone. Maybe a great way to really show your remorse would be to ensure your support for a ban on in-flight cellular telephone usage is included in any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization legislation that passes out of the Senate. One of our arguments for this ban is that “…widespread use of these devices in the confined space of an aircraft cabin has the potential to compromise operational safety by increasing misunderstanding and conflicts between passengers and crew.” (Patricia Friend, Association of Flight Attendants, August 2009) You now personally know those conflicts. You recently had that experience.
Senator, it is the flight attendants that take verbal and physical abuse from the traveling public about anything they are asked to comply with. That includes FAA policy which is regulated by the federal government (FAA POLICY has not had many changes since the 1930’s) and Company Policy from seat belt compliance, cell phone and electronic usages, and the storage of excessive baggage. Life has changed since the 1930’s. We are only the messenger not the decision makers. I believe that the decision making occurs on the government and the airlines end. Flight attendants (the people in the public eye take the full force of the consumer’s complaints about both). Flight attendants do not make policy and laws; we just have to enforce them.
Consider this…every American is entitled to take to a court of law any assaults, battery, defamation of character, slander, libel against others making threats and claims. That occurs in both civil and criminal law cases under the US Constitution. For Flight Attendants, we have the additional opportunity to sue for interfering with a flight crew member. US CODE Title 49 # 46504 states that, “An individual on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States who, by assaulting or intimidating a flight crew member or flight attendant of the aircraft, interferes with the performance of the duties of the member or attendant or lessens the ability of the member or attendant to perform those duties, or attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.”
Can you imagine what would happen if every flight attendant that has been harassed, threatened, hit, peed on, or has lost the ability to effectively do their job takes that opportunity to be heard in a court of law, it would be a massive inconvenience for all. Police officers want facts now…not when we get back home. Flights would have to be delayed or cancelled because we must remain in the jurisdiction to file our right to justice under US laws. This is a personal right not one that comes with being a flight attendant. It comes from being a US citizen. If a flight attendant was battered by a customer throwing a bag and hitting a flight attendant because they have to check it at the gate rather than paying a fee to the airline, we would have to delay or cancel a flight because we have a minimum crew. Slander and Liable is strictly enforced by civil laws when the question of being a bastard or a bitch is suggested and verbalized or written and heard by others. Flight Attendants do not want to cause a “scene” because we actually care about other consumers on board. Just because we as flight attendants work for the transportation industry, we do not throw out our rights against being assaulted or battered nor do we expect this to continue. We also have never thrown out our right for equal justice under the law.
Fortunately for the thousands of flight attendants to which these incidents occur to every year, have thick skins as long as we know the airlines and the government that requires our duties stand behind the rules they required us to uphold. When we see our government officials and our airline officials want to sweep this under the rug, and try to get past their own regulations, it infuriates us. We will take a stance despite the fact we may be “gently persuaded” or not so gently to “turn the other cheek.”
While you have a history of disrespect for the airline industry, I am sure you never attended this to apply to those of us that actually care for your business and take our jobs as safety professionals to heart. We hope that your lack of judgment in this situation creates an open door to a better understanding of our position and industry. Remember, flight attendants are your front line access.
Respectfully…
Merry Christmas Senator Schumer! May you enjoy peace throughout 2010
Elizabeth Dec 29th 2009 4:21AM
In this day and age a flight attendant monitoring the cabin for safety and security should be thanked and not yelled at. The likelihood of running into a bad person, not a person who doesn't want to turn off their phone or buckle their seatbelt, is seemingly increasingly common. As the threat of terrorism increases on flights so should our appreciation of the carefully trained eyes that have watched thousands board/deboard and want nothing more than what we want...to safely arrive at our destination. To think yourself exempt from these policies is to compromise the integrity of the flight. Whether it be because you are missing your connection or because you have a stomach ache and don't want to buckle your seat belt...turn your computer off, its reflecting on the ceiling, and buckle your seat belt loosely around your waist, the rest of us want to get going.
Sharon Jan 6th 2010 7:21AM
I'm still confused. I thought that cell phones could be used when the door of the aircraft was open. I can't find the answer (I'm not the best "googler" I'll admit!) I would address this in any letter.
Also, there are two issues. One is the non-compliance, which I would directly address by saying, no, cell phone use is NOT allowed on an aircraft, even with the door open, if that is the case.
The other is the b-word comment was made to his seat mate. He did not directly "verbally assult" the F/A. As far as I was concerned, when I was a F/A, anything not said to my face wasn't said. I do have to admit that a lot of my passengers spoke other languages. I once banned smoking (remember the days??) on a trans-Pacific flight to Tokyo years ago. For those angry Japanese businessmen who had broken the "must be seated" rule about 15 times before I imposed it (with the full support of the captain), I didn't need an interpreter to know what they were saying!
I have to comment on this; "I believe that most of the US citizens disagree with government intrusion on our health care choices". First of all, this is a common misconception and makes it sound like you've been watching too much Fox News. It also turns the whole thing partisan, and deflects from the message in the rest of your letter. Anyone from his office reading this would immediately think that your Real Beef is that you're upset with his support of restructuring the Heath Care System. I don't think you meant to do that! As an airline employee, you don't suffer as many of our countrymen do from lack of affordable health care (definitely one of the many advantages to the job!) Basically, I just wouldn't go there, if your message is really about his conduct on aircraft...
Even if you have good health care benefits, you're entitled to your opinion and welcome to share it with your own senator (either pro or con-let them know!) You're also welcome to watch as much Fox news as you want (I bet they crawled all over this story!)
Tracy Jan 20th 2010 10:46PM
As a flight attendant I have my own tricks...I walk through the aisle with the new "food selling" computer, I stop at each offenders seat, pretend to type in the computer and say out LOUD "seat 23b, failure to comply with federal regulations". And then I keep walking down the aisle after pretending to file my "report". :) Works everytime!
Tracy