A Quick Rant

I'm home from my 4 day now and it was a nice trip, overall: we had a really great crew, and I flew with one of the most genuinely sweet ladies I've ever had the pleasure to fly with. There wasn't a negative comment to be found anywhere in the crew and every passenger request, grump, or gripe was taken in stride with a great big smile. Aahhhh....my kind of folks to fly with. Thank you for the bone, God!

That being said, though, I do have a couple stories to share from this trip regarding needy, rude, entitled and just downright mean travelers.

On our flight to Atlanta from Denver the other day there was a very young baby (about 2 months old) screaming in row 4. And I do mean screaming. Ear screeching screaming. The Captain called from the other side of the closed cockpit door to ask what all the ruckus was about. Seriously.

For me, however, the real problem was when we started drink service and I suddenly had no fewer than 5 people demanding alcohol, and doubles at that! We don't sell doubles, just for the record, but we'll often take folks their second one as soon as we can so they get their second drink, but a few minutes apart. One man, with his finger stuck in his ear and leaning dramatically away from said screaming, angrily groused, "I don't care!" when I told him I'd have to bring his second one back in a few minutes. Another one lightly grabbed my arm as I flew by on one of my frequent trips to the front galley for supplies, then said, "I'm ready for my second one now." He then dramatically rolled his eyes when I told him I'd be happy to bring it to him - as soon as everyone else had an opportunity for their 1st drink. (Sorry, sir, I know it's unfair that those in the back of the plane don't realize it's actually all about you.) A lady snapped nastily at me when I asked her to put her seat back forward for landing. You get the picture....the poor parents felt terrible enough about their disruptive little one; they didn't deserve the nasty sneers and mumbled comments from their fellow passengers. The Mom teared up at the end of the flight when I was trying to reassure her not to feel bad about her child doing something that babies are born to do, at least until they hopefully learn a more efficient way to communicate: they cry. It's their job. They don't do it just to spite the rest of us spoiled adults, and it's the other whiners on board who should be feeling regret at being so cold-hearted......................I know it's irritating when babies scream like that, especially in such close quarters. My ears were hurting, too. It's just that I guess the mother in me remembers how it feels to be in the parents' situation, and can relate.

For this trip my position was to fly the middle of the plane, which I actually enjoy almost as much as the front position because of the interaction you get with said "whiners." :) My back is sore and achy from this trip, however, because of the incredible number of backpacks, purses, sacks, ribbon adorned metal hoops (?), rolling briefcases, overpacked and oversized rollerbags, shopping bags, travel carts, booster seats, car seats, giant stuffed animals, jackets and guitars that were brought on board the plane this week. I "worked" those bins like nobody's business, got cheers from folks when I was able to get a few more bags in an overhead bin instead of having to gate check them, and even a piece of chocolate from a summit member who had watched my sweat-inducing, shirt-untucking, arm-straining efforts to shift items around and make room for absolutely everything anyone didn't want to have under their feet. And I am proud to say that out of 10 flights and approximately 1,314 people this week, we didn't gate check a single bag. Not one. My arms and back hate me, but you're welcome. It was my pleasure.

Rant over, but remind me to tell you the one about the guy in the exit row who blatantly watched TV during my exit row brief......