Flight Attendant Rant.

[Doug Taylor]

Ok, so I'm sitting down at the coffee shop at the airport in Venice, waiting for the mechanics to (unsuccessfully) repair our weather radar.

The "crazy" one asks, "So? Did you see the new safety announcement? Do you like it?" in the happy tone of voice that you'd ask a 12 year old boy if he'd like a bowl of chocolate ice cream...

"Oh yeah! I thought it was actually fun and entertaining!"

Then the barrage of "you're an evil man", how oversexualized the video is, how it set back flight attendants 50 years, where's the women's eye candy, skirt too short and how she waves her finger is straight out of some torrid saturday night porn movie (how does she know? )

and "why did she have to be pretty? Why is she so pretty? OMG OMG!"

I turned to the captain and said, "Well, I guess I'm not going to win this one, geez..."

"Why's it about winning? Why's it always about winning! blah blah blah blah..."

Support from the crew? Zero. Effers.

But just so you guys know, "Oh yeah! I thought it was actually fun and entertaining!" in reference to this video:



...will get you on the "evil, misogynistic male" list.

Now I REALLY LOVE THE VIDEO!

[H46Bubba]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Ok, so I'm sitting down at the coffee shop at the airport in Venice, waiting for the mechanics to (unsuccessfully) repair our weather radar.

The "crazy" one asks, "So? Did you see the new safety announcement? Do you like it?" in the happy tone of voice that you'd ask a 12 year old boy if he'd like a bowl of chocolate ice cream...

"Oh yeah! I thought it was actually fun and entertaining!"

Then the barrage of "you're an evil man", how oversexualized the video is, how it set back flight attendants 50 years, where's the women's eye candy, skirt too short and how she waves her finger is straight out of some torrid saturday night porn movie (how does she know? )

and "why did she have to be pretty? Why is she so pretty? OMG OMG!"

I turned to the captain and said, "Well, I guess I'm not going to win this one, geez..."

"Why's it about winning? Why's it always about winning! blah blah blah blah..."

Support from the crew? Zero. Effers.

But just so you guys know, "Oh yeah! I thought it was actually fun and entertaining!" in reference to this video:



...will get you on the "evil, misogynistic male" list.

Now I REALLY LOVE THE VIDEO!

You can't help it that they look like they should be working on the Denny's night shift vs. being a Southunjets innanansional F/A! Oh and the other crew have wives that have the same mentality as those of the F/A's, so they know to keep their mouths shut and just agree!

[Nick]

I like that video.

It's more modern and personable than the usual formal, stuffiness on those videos.

This one is still second to United's in the music department though. I like the piano in the background on UAL instead of synthesized stuff like the rest of the carriers.

[BobDDuck]

I saw ONE skirt the entire time and it was in the frame for all of a second.

Nice tease Dough.

[Doug Taylor]

Tease? Crap, they could play that on Nickelodeon and it'd be alright, but a few think it's the arrival of the four horsemen.

I think it just means that a 'loosening up' of the image was well overdue and someone needs to quit and get a job selling "Precious Moments" and "Hummel" figurines at a strip mall.

[H46Bubba]

It's really geared toward the younger generation as depicted by those in the video (except the old guy in the turbulence scene) and they way it's produced.

[JA Yawd Bwoy]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Tease? Crap, they could play that on Nickelodeon and it'd be alright, but a few think it's the arrival of the four horsemen.

I think it just means that a 'loosening up' of the image was well overdue and someone needs to quit and get a job selling "Precious Moments" and "Hummel" figurines at a strip mall.

[JA Yawd Bwoy]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Tease? Crap, they could play that on Nickelodeon and it'd be alright, but a few think it's the arrival of the four horsemen.

I think it just means that a 'loosening up' of the image was well overdue and someone needs to quit and get a job selling "Precious Moments" and "Hummel" figurines at a strip mall.

I coulda swore you just said Lane Bryant

[Cptnchia]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

I think it just means that a 'loosening up' of the image was well overdue and someone needs to quit and get a job selling "Precious Moments" and "Hummel" figurines at a strip mall.

While I agree completely with that setiment, it may also have to do with who that FA is. Without airing all of IFS's dirty laundry here, the wife could give you an earful of the politics that are involved. Suffice it to say that there is a new generation taking over and are looking to clean house.

On a separate note, do you know about the commuter room in JFK? If not, PM me and I'll fill you in, or better yet check out DALPA or your email. Looks like the renovations are gonna take place whether the company wants to or not.

[Doug Taylor]

I got a phone call from the CPSC about "Well, if you don't have a uniform, wear a coat and tie... and if you don't have a coat and tie at least wear something tasteful. We'll give you a note."

I'm almost thinking if I could somehow finagle a way to say that my HAT was destroyed when the roof collapsed, I don't have to ruin my smooth fade!

I'm in JFK now between trips. Well, Rockville Center.

[MQAAord]

There's like a 7 page thread on fa.org about the new DL safety video.

Personally, I don't think it's terrific, but I've seen a lot worse! I don't agree with what your F/A said about setting F/As back 50 years (?) but I gotta say the finger-wagging about no smoking is incredibly juvenile and insulting to adults. I guess I just think wagging a finger in someone's face is rude and how one talks to a 2-year old. The finger-wagging is my only real beef with it. What's up with that gal's lips? Botox, anyone!

Nah, I really don't think it's that bad. But I do think the finger-wagging has got to go.

[Doug Taylor]

Devil's advocate would ask, "if you're smoking on an airplane in 2008, are you no worthy than a two year old?"

[H46Bubba]

Originally Posted by MQAAord

There's like a 7 page thread on fa.org about the new DL safety video.

Personally, I don't think it's terrific, but I've seen a lot worse! I don't agree with what your F/A said about setting F/As back 50 years (?) but I gotta say the finger-wagging about no smoking is incredibly juvenile and insulting to adults. I guess I just think wagging a finger in someone's face is rude and how one talks to a 2-year old. The finger-wagging is my only real beef with it. What's up with that gal's lips? Botox, anyone!

Nah, I really don't think it's that bad. But I do think the finger-wagging has got to go.

LMAO! That's for those dirty minded bad boys who smoke!

[MQAAord]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Devil's advocate would ask, "if you're smoking on an airplane in 2008, are you no worthy than a two year old?"

Heck if you're smoking on a plane in 2008 you deserve to have said smoking material extinguished in your nasal cavity.

The finger-wagging is just a personal "thing". I really don't think the video is as bad as some of the folks on fa.org have said, I can think of some improvements for it, but all-in-all it's not bad.

A couple gals on fa.org know the red-headed gal and don't think very highly of her. Some think it's just dumb over-all and some have said they really like it. Opinions about it are pretty evenly mixed.

[BobDDuck]

Funny (sort of) smoking story.

We were flying DCA to Chattanooga about 6 months ago. It was the last flight of the day and we had already kicked off a deaf passenger for not listening to the FA, diverted for weather, and had a flaps failure. It was NOT a good day. Anyhow, somehow we are only running about 30 minutes behind and as we are descending through about 8000 feet both the captain and I smell smoke. But it's not electric smoke, it's more cigarette smoke. Just then the FA call light comes on and being the non flying pilot, I switch over to the interphone and answer. Our FA tells us a guy in row 4 just lit a cigarette. He's apparently very drunk (who knows how he got on the plane to begin with) and refuses to put it out. The FA has told him 3 times and had no success. We talk it over and the captain gets on the PA and makes a very stern announcement that there is no smoking on board and anybody who is must put it out right away. A minute later the FA calls up and says the guy didn't listen to the announcement, but his cigarette has burned all the way down and is now out.

I let ops know and they agree to have a LEO meet our airplane. We land, taxi in and park at a jetway. We decide to unload all our passengers first and then pull this guy off the plane so a cop sits next to him while everybody gets off (it wasn't a full flight). I was standing in the jetway explaining to a passenger why we didn't divert and kick this guy off (we were 10 minutes out when it happened) when the cops pull the smoker off in handcuffs.

There is this little old lady who is waiting for her gate check bag and gets right up in his face and starts wagging her finger at him. She says "I have asthma... you could have killed my you bastard!"

Everybody (even the two cops) start laughing and clapping for the old lady.

That video reminded me of that.

And let me tell you, taking two passengers off a plane in one day certainly will get you a call from your CP.

[Doug Taylor]

But for the average flying domestic Joe, is it not a little fun and a little sassy?

I've only seen it domestic. And not playing internationally yet...Anyway it'd be false advertising.

My question: What would you change?

[H46Bubba]

Originally Posted by BobDDuck

Funny (sort of) smoking story.

We were flying DCA to Chattanooga about 6 months ago. It was the last flight of the day and we had already kicked off a deaf passenger for not listening to the FA.

Of course he wasn't listening!

[MQAAord]

I would:

-Back up the camera just a bit on the close-ups of the gal. The close up is just a tad TOO close up
-Eliminate the finger-wagging
-Eliminate the "DING" when the guy smiles while modeling the lifevest (it's a little too much like the "fabulous" chewing gum commercials)

That's it. Again, I don't think it's awful! There's just those couple things I'd change. Especially the finger-wagging.

[Doug Taylor]

Thanks!

Now my big question is, am I an a-hole for saying "Hey! It was kind of entertaining!"?

[SkyCougar]

Then the barrage of "you're an evil man", how oversexualized the video is, how it set back flight attendants 50 years, where's the women's eye candy, skirt too short and how she waves her finger is straight out of some torrid saturday night porn movie (how does she know? )

I'm a woman and I didn't think it was oversexualized. I'm not sure where they got that impression, the bass beat perhaps? There was no cleavage or lots of leg. The black woman (I believe I've had her as a flight attendant before) was classy and conducted herself professionally. I agree with Amber though that the finger waving is a little much. Who knows? The order may have come down from the top to lighten up the flight safety video, and the director probably told her to wave her finger.

and "why did she have to be pretty? Why is she so pretty? OMG OMG!"

Sounds petty and like someone is jealous. She's pretty because she just is, and was probably born that way! And guess what, they usually put the good looking people in videos!

I turned to the captain and said, "Well, I guess I'm not going to win this one, geez..."

"Why's it about winning? Why's it always about winning! blah blah blah blah..."

Doug, this must be an example of what Amber was talking about when she mentioned F/A "drama" in another thread!

[Doug Taylor]

You know, the one that made a BIG stink about me approving of the video was also the one that make a big stink about her hair after a 11 hour flight.

I remember repacking my crap and some flight attendant in the aisleway complain about how her hair looked. As if anyone gave a crap. But perhaps no one giving a crap was part of the whole problem?

[the_dmn8tr]

Is it just me, or does anyone else get the botox or collagen vibe?

[kellwolf]

I too was looking for the short skirt. Nada. The one skirt was knee length and in the frame for about .75 seconds. Sounds like you got an FA with some serious self-esteem issues.

Personally, I thought the finger wagging was kinda funny.

But the whole video was unprofessional b/c the CA and FO weren't wearing their hats or blazers. The only thing that would have made it worse is if they were wearing leather jackets.

[MQAAord]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Thanks!

Now my big question is, am I an a-hole for saying "Hey! It was kind of entertaining!"?

Heck no!

Really, it's NOT that bad!

[SkyCougar]

Originally Posted by the_dmn8tr

Is it just me, or does anyone else get the botox or collagen vibe?

Honestly I wondered if her lips were naturally plump or if she had collagen injections. My lips are kind of on the plump side, not as plump as hers, but I've never had collagen. I just inherited my daddy's lips! I've had people ask me though if I ever had it.