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Galley Gossip: Pilot sexually harassed by a passenger!
Dear Heather, I have to share this with you. I'm a pilot and I was sexually harassed last night. While jump-seating home, the lead flight attendant calls the cockpit and says a passenger thinks one of the flaps is out of position. The captain sends me back to check the wings. I squeeze into the fully occupied exit row to peer out the window. While looking out the window, a female passenger sitting in the middle seat puts her hands on my butt. Her friend then shouts, "Woo, get some!" Passengers nearby all start laughing. Anyway, turns out what the initial passenger saw and thought was a problem were the outboard ailerons on the wings of the Super 80. One was up and the other was down. This is normal while on the ground. Anyway, I returned to the cockpit and told the pilots what just happened and we all had a good laugh. I should mention the Captain was female! Thought you'd find it funny! - Bob (the singing pilot)My first thought when I read Bob's letter was, wow! What kind of person places their hands on a pilot's you-know-what and yells out something like that.
Just to be fair, I later on found myself yelling out the exact same phrase several times throughout the course of my day. I couldn't help it! And each time my voice become lower and before I knew it I had developed this southern accent, kind of like that famous redneck comedian I can't remember the name of. Next thing I knew I was visualizing it, the whole exit row groping, only it was I who slapped the pilots and a few lucky passengers as I passed them in the terminal. Mmm hmm, get it girl!
NOTE: I would NEVER do something like that in real life!
Now back to Bob.
"I was flattered and a little embarrassed. And humored. Cause it was funny. I mean my butt was kind of in her personal space. She had the shot......she took it. So let's just say I was 'Flambumored.'"
At least Bob now kinda-sorta knows what it's like to be a flight attendant, if only for a few seconds, and for just one squeeze.
When I asked Bob to explain EXACTLY how it all went down so we could learn from his experience, he said, "I told the passengers in the exit row I needed to get in there to check the wings and that they could either get up or let me crawl over them. They all opted for the latter."
And there's the red flag.
Let this be a lesson to all pilots. Do not, I repeat, do not climb over passengers! Do what a flight attendant would do and let them step out of their row and into the aisle instead of wedging yourself on top of them.
All kidding aside, please do not poke, prod, pull or slap the crew. Trust me - there are quite a few touchy feely passengers who will live a whole lot longer if certain flight attendants (and pilots!) are left alone.
[Photo courtesy of TheZipper]
Filed under: Airlines, Airports, Galley Gossip
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Li Anne W Oct 25th 2011 12:50PM
Sexual harrassment is sexual harrassment no matter who does it to who. this situation should have been dealt with properaly in the appropiate ways. If it was acole slapping man touching a woman things would have been dealt with in a very different way, I suspect. Let's not play favorites just cuz it was cute blonde. Slap the rules back in their face: Hands off airline crew and other passengers!
johnmc Oct 25th 2011 11:27PM
There *was* a problem - she was on an MD-80. Those things suck out loud (and it's very loud too).
Ron Oct 28th 2011 1:08AM
-Only behind the wings, wings forward and in First it's actually quieter than any other plane.
Alex Oct 26th 2011 8:58AM
Nice shot of the old 747 classic flight deck.
Nina Oct 27th 2011 6:00PM
This brings up a really serious question I have for you. I recently started working for a major airline and on a recent trip a male FA I was working with asked me what I would do if a passenger ever grabbed my butt. He asked because it had happened to him on more than one occasion by a female passenger and he wasn't sure how to handle the situation.
Honestly, I didn't know what to tell him. There is very much a double standard when it comes to this sort of thing. It is completely acceptable for a woman to retaliate however she sees appropriate but I feel like a man can't say much without putting his masculinity at stake.
To add more to the story, though this FA was flattered, he said that since he has a girlfriend, he felt even more uncomfortable when it happened. My belief is the same as Li Anne W. Sexual harassment is sexual harassment and it should never been tolerated no matter who you are. So how does he tell these women to back off without making him look bad as well?
Any thoughts/suggestions?
Ron Oct 28th 2011 1:08AM
I think this is a fun story, however, I think Sexual Harassment always has to be taken seriously and frowned on. Even if I knew the person doing this, I would not find it at all acceptable. I suspect the same would be true for most people. My personal space is mine, if you violate it, be prepared.
Ann Nov 11th 2011 8:29PM
For years now I have had to put up with this type of thing on the plane. Male, female, young and old. Do not touch my butt! This isn't excepted in any workplace including titty bars. I have even been held in the aft galley by an intoxicated passenger who wouldn't stop squeezing my breasts and forcefully kissing me. I couldn't get away. The other and crew had left. I came out of the aft lav and he came out of the lav in front of mine. He was hiding and waiting to get me. I was saved by a male gate agent. They never called the police. They made me hurry on to my next flight because the flight was late and couldn't leave without me. This man showed up on my next flight. He was waving his level one at me as I boarded the plane. I tried to explain what had happened to the captain( from the training dept) but he said I was just making it up to get even with this guy. About that time a member of management came running and took him off my plane. Word must have spread up top and someone realized he was getting on another plane. He later admitted to having brought his own alcohol and told the ground management he was sorry. He was so drunk they wouldn't let him fly for the rest of the day. We should make the airlines address the subject of sexual harassment by passengers. This man should have gone to jail for assault. The woman who smacked the pilots butt in the article should have been issued a statement to cease and dissist. The police should have met the plane to speak to her about it. This pilot may have thought it was funny but it wasn't. What's to keep her from doing it again?
Phil Jan 9th 2012 1:53PM
Remember: There's only one thing hotter than a flight attendant. That would be two flight attendants!