Flightster
The O.C.: The Onboard Conflict
- by Bobby Laurie
- on July 22nd, 2010
- 13 Comments
Not many “civilians,” or non-flight attendants, realize how tough initial flight attendant training really is. Throughout the 4-8 week training course we’re taught everything from CPR to surviving a water landing and even how to assist in delivering a baby. But, the one thing we’re not taught is how to predict how your passengers will act when flying between two particular cities. This, unfortunately, is a skill which is learned through trial and error.
I made the mistake of bidding a trip which had me working a flight from New York City to Orange County, California. I say it’s a “mistake” because in one metal tube we combined the “I want it now” of New York with the “I want it my way” of The O.C. When these different cultures combine, it creates a flight attendant’s worst nightmare.
The second we started boarding I knew we were in for it. A woman about 4-5 inches taller then myself walks on and immediately tells me “You need to put my bag up for me.” Oh! Hi! Good Morning to you too! I asked her where she was sitting, because if she was in coach I was just going to pass her off to one of the flight attendants in the back. I was annoyed to find out she was sitting right in front of me in first class. She points down to her bag and says “that one” and takes her seat. So I explained to her that once she makes the initial lift, I can then help her place it into the bin. That’s our company procedure to help us avoid injury. Sure, if it was an elderly or disabled passenger I would do it for them, but because she’s being rude about it and doesn’t appear to actually need the help.. I decided to stand firm on procedure. She then said “well, that’s the whole point.. My bag is heavy and I don’t want to lift it and hurt myself.” So I said “well if its that heavy and you‘re worried about hurting yourself, I don’t want to lift it either.” Lifting your bag is not worth being out of work for months on end on disability. She stands up in a fury and says “but its your job!” No it’s not. First its my job to ensure your safety, then it’s my job to provide great customer service. But, that doesn’t mean possibly injuring myself to lift a bag that you over packed. I politely explained to her “unfortunately lifting your bag is not my job. If you would like I will happily gate check your bag and have it waiting in the jet bridge in the O.C.” She was too annoyed to even respond.. So she lifted her bag, put it in the bin and sat down.
Bags are always a problem when going to the O.C. Everyone has a bag for everything. There’s their purse, laptop bag, roller board, the dog carrier, the dogs clothing bag, the food bag, the garment bag, their mother’s wedding dress and the kitchen sink. Telling someone during boarding that the FAA only permits them to have two carry-ons is like telling them that their credit card was declined. The horror that overcomes their face is priceless.
You also discover when flying from New York to the OC that everyone is important. Everyone is making a business deal, sending emails, and talking on the phone. We are supposed to work around them, not the other way around. When boarding was finally completed and we were getting ready to push back from the gate I walked through the cabin to perform my final cabin check. I noticed a woman in the middle seat in the last row still talking on her phone. I leaned over and politely said “excuse me, but I really need you to turn that off now.” No response. Not even a look in my direction. So, I leaned over again, tapped her on her shoulder and said “ma’am.. Your phone needs to be turned off now please.” She kept looking straight ahead without acknowledging me. Finally, with a louder voice I said “ma’am this airplane is not going anywhere until you turn off the phone. It’s all on you now.” She turned to me and said “I’m working on a business deal and it’s very important.” So I said, “well getting to the OC is very important to everyone on board.. But I guess it’s not very important to you.” She looked at me, very confused so I added.. “because if you don’t get off the phone right now.. You’re not going.” Then the passengers seated around her started yelling: “turn it off!” “he asked you 2 times.. Turn it off now!” Finally she said “I’ve got to go” to whoever was on the other end of the phone.. And just as she hit power down, as if the pilots knew, we pushed back from the gate. It was perfect timing.
Unfortunately for flights like this you have to set the tone from the beginning that though we’re on board for your comfort we’re primarily there for your safety and we aren’t your hired help. For the duration of the flight you do have to listen to our instructions and obey as well as abide our airline and FAA regulations. No matter who you are or where you’re from.
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The Dirty Truth
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Trip Report: New York to LA
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Clearing the Air: Why FAs Do What They Do
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please don’t use the term “The O.C.” to anyone actually from Orange County! it’s just not said, except in jest. but i worked in both SNA and LGA, and i can attest that you’re spot-on in your assessment of these people. they expect you to treat them like royalty. i am at the ticket counter and gate, yet they still think Service=SerVANT. New Yorkers aren’t that much different, except they won’t threaten to write a letter and get you fired (yeah, like your little diatribe will cause me to lose my job. the company knows me, they don’t know you.). NYers just go off right then & there with the language of a sailor.
don’t even get me started on the tourists between these two cities….
I had to laugh when I read your comment; the first thing when I saw this was how nobody ever called it “the OC” until that horrible program came on. As a 43-year resident of Southern California–it has never been anything but Orange County. Period.
However, the description is dead-on for an Orange County resident (especially Newport Beach!). That’s why my last 8 years have been in Virginia
It always amazes me how people act towards those there who are working with someone to make their trip better. I understand some individuals (cough cough TSA cough) can stir the pot most are their simply to help.
When I volunteered to get bumped off my flight from Houston to Lima I was awarded the opportunity to sit first class. One mother couldn’t fit her child’s diaper bag in the overhead because someone had filled it up already, the flight attendant looked at me like I was speaking foreign language when I told them she could use my overhead space and I would just put my bag and coat in front of me in my super spacious leg room.
I also wrote a post about an outstanding worker who helped me out when I was in Houston. who I felt deserved some credit for doing, like yourself, what he was supposed to in order to help the flight go smoothly.
Doesn’t the gate agent have a responsibility to restrict carry ons? It would save a lot of grief once on board. Am I missing something?
The gate attendant has foremost a responsibility to get the passengers out of the boarding lounge and into that jetway as quickly as possible.
If the door closes too late because she didn’t get the passengers past her checkpoint quickly enough, she gets to take the heat.
And on top of that, she can easily prevent having to deal with angry passengers and the added workload of gatechecking items by just turning a blind eye.
So she has every incentive to offload the problem on those on board the aircraft (to add insult to injury, at least outside the US and maybe in the US as well, these people will often work for the airport or a 3rd party contractor and just don the jacket and cap of the airline they’re boarding for the short time the process takes, before moving on to another gate and doing the same there for another airline.
Another flight attendant complaining,so what else is new. Are there ever any passengers that you don,t have a problem with. Airport,s and airplanes are very safe due to all the security such as TSA try working at Burger King where armed loser,s can rob the place at any time, ” hint no airport police around got it’ on the plane passengers are not armed,their ID is in computer,they can,t escape, plane load of people to help out,police waiting for them at airport,very safe place to work, even without police on the plane, once in a while passenger will get a little out of line and F/A,s make a huge deal out of it, once in a while a passenger will get physical and other passengers help F/A,s take care of problem,get a grip on reality, very small percentage of passengers are any problem at all,people work double shift drive home eat dinner shower sleep and get up in time to get dressed and drive to work,”very little sleep”, F/A,s work a double shift to take a day off with pay like everyone else and complain about that,wake up and move on,life,s to short for pretend problems real life and airline life both to make mountains out of mole hills, hope what I wrote was up to par,ten more comma,s and i,ll shoot my self, my english teacher was the coach,ha ha,better day,s flying and I really mean that. PS On comma,s hope my math is up to par I want to live to be an old man. Take, care, man.
everyone is entitled to complain about their job. its their job.. it helps relieve stress. its those of you who complain about others complaining that really make me wonder.
Hahahaha…that William guy wrote like a flight attendant blogging after a JFK/LAX transcon without any sleep. Must be hypoxia! As someone who has worked for the TSA, and as a flight attendant, I have to tell you it was easier working with the public at the TSA than it was working for the public with the airlines. (And the TSA paid better,too.) I was lucky enough to work and fly with the author of this blog before and after I was hired by the same great airline, and still try to keep in touch even though I’ve since left. I can assure you that it would take someone with a grand mal personality disorder (William the Comma-er) to disrupt the comportment of this doggedly professional flight attendant. I have seen unhappy passengers come away laughing and smiling just by the way he handle a situation. It’s not what you tell them, it’s how you tell them. That’s the sign of a great fright attendant. I only had about ten people I truly enjoyed flying with…and Bobby was one of them. Love and Aloha Bobby! #880
PS: Only five commas William…does you apostrophe key not work?
First off, I enjoy your blog. I just wanted to add that not everyone from Orange County is like that. Also, unbeknownst to some outsiders only a fairly small of portion of OC is truly upscale. Like all counties, it’s a collection of cities, some far wealthier than others (e.g., Corona Del Mar is a wealthy area while parts of Santa Ana are ghetto); and even in the upscale areas, many of the residents don’t feel the “world revolves around them”. It’s the “wannabes” that are trying so hard to look like they belong living way beyond their means that tend to be the biggest jerks. They‘re the ones that give the area a bad name….Just wanted to add my two cents.
P.S. Like Fultiefan said, we don’t say “the” OC, just OC or Orange County
I am laughing. Oh poor William. Give him a break because after all he is trying to relate by comparing working at Burger King. While that doesn’t make him less of a person, it does make him clueless as to what is being said. Just like passengers (or consumers in general) who claim that they are going to send in a good letter but only actually do when someone doesn’t do it “their” way, writing about the idiots is more fun.
I just wrote my own post about passengers out of NYC that wouldn’t sit down (willflyforfoodblog.com) and although this is not always the case, it is pretty normal with this certain “type” of passenger. The story itself was just a funny story about a day in my life that hopefully someone would read and possibly get the message so that they do not make the same mistake.
It is the job of the flight attendant to set the correct tone to let the passengers know that we would love to do anything for them, however, there are rules and they are not exempt! And, if they are a good flight attendant, the passenger would happy by the time they were getting off the aircraft unless they are just that big of a jerk!
BTW, it’s only the wannabe’s that act like that. I LOVE my New Yorkers and get a kick out of it when they live up to the stereotype because most of them are very sweet and so willing to help with anything you need. Just take a trip into the Manhattan.
It’s all about the power! Whether it’s the one pax on the whole aircraft who refuses to put their window blind down coming into daylight on a night flight when every one else is sleeping, or the person who refuses to switch their phone off.
Some people just aren’t comfortable with the lack of control they have on board so it manifests it in other ways….usually stubbornness and rudeness!
It’s the LA passengers i used to always dread….it would never be more than five minutes before someone asked for water to take their valium!
ahikila, we miss you so much! Hell, I miss you so much! I really need to come visit! hjt, they always need water for their “pills.” LOL!
Enjoy reading your blog! Just wanted to add my 2 cents regarding “the OC.” As a Southern California resident for over 40 years, i can affirm that no one here actually uses that phrase, nor do we use the word, “Cali.” I think you would find that most CA / Orange County natives are fun, friendly and respectful. Too bad a few bad apples (PAX) and a rotten tv show have cast an image.