Top 5 Flight Attendant Pet Peeves
Does this title sound obnoxious and demanding?! I apologize! I blame the blog machine that urges me to write catchy titles. I promise you that this isn't one of those clickbait titles because... what is there to bait and switch it with?! Top 5 things flight attendants love seeing you do on the plane?! (Maybe I should write that one...) Ok enough rambling. Let's get this started.
Here are five easy things you can do to annoy your flight attendant:
Pet Peeve #1
Not acknowledging us when we are serving you.
I don't know how many times I've approached a passenger to ask them for their drink order and have to repeat myself three times. It's not that we expect you to keep an eye out for us, and we get that the movie you're watching is entertaining. But once you see us and we are speaking to you, please answer us.
I have had many passengers ignore me, kept their earphones in, give me their drink order all the while not peeling their eyes off their screens.
Don't even get me started on please and thank you. I have learned not to expect it and it is a nice surprise when someone does say thank you. (This doesn't even bother me anymore to be honest!)
Pet Peeve #2
Not listening to safety instructions.
When the seat belt signs are on, we are not permitted to "allow" you to use the lavatories. If we see you get up during turbulence for any reason, we are required to ask that you go back to your seat and buckle your seat belt.
We know that mother nature calls at inopportune times but we are bound by law to instruct you. This is for your safety and for the safety of other passengers around you.
I don't know how many times passengers have stood there during turbulence arguing with me about whether they can go to the washroom or not. Of course you can use the washroom! But it's at your own risk and I AM NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT! All I can say is that you SHOULD be in your seat with your seat belt fasten!
Please don't argue with us over safety instructions. We're only doing our job. I know your five-year-old is about to pee his pants and you really have to go. I just need to give you the spiel or else I get in trouble if your five year old hits the cabin ceiling during turbulence.
Pet Peeve #3
Borrowing our pens and not returning them.
We go through pens as fast as we can acquire them from our layovers at hotels. I know flight attendants who have collected free hotel pens for the sole purpose of "lending" them out and never seeing them back.
Please return the pen because we are required to keep one on our person at all times in case of emergencies. And please, for the love of God, do not put the pen in your mouth, chew it, scratch your head with it or even worse... your nose and ears.
I've seen it all. And this is another reason why we just let you keep the pens. Because once we lend them out, who knows where they end up.
You know what, better yet, please bring your own pens and don't borrow mine. Thanks. haha
Pet Peeve #4
Over packing your baggage and then expect us to help you carry it into the bins. If you must hand carry everything (which I understand because you don't want people to lose your stuff) at least make sure you are able to carry it yourself. And I don't mean rolling it to the gate. Make sure you can lift your bags into the overhead bin.
I don't know how many times I'm asked to help a passenger with their bags. I don't mind helping you roll your bags to your seat if your arms are full with a toddler. Or if you have difficulty down the aisle. I'm here to help. But I am not obligated or even covered to help you with your over-sized, overweight bags into the overhead bin! (That's a lot of usage for the word "over")
Did you know that if I get injured while helping you with your bag, I do not get covered by work or insurance? This is because our contracts don't state that this is part of our job. If I throw out my back, injure my shoulder or even break my foot trying to lift your bag, I am not protected by the company. This is literally not in the scope of my job description.
Please don't be offended that we decline to help you. We get injured easily on the job and you'll be surprised how heavy some of the bags are.
I had a bag FALL ON MY FACE because a passenger I was helping let go of their side of the bag and I had the burnt of it land on my glasses. Guess who had to pay to fix their own glasses? Yup, me.
Pet Peeve #5
When you check in your bags, don't check out your brain.
Please use common sense on the aircraft as you do on the ground! Manners and common courtesy are not reserved for humans on the ground. They work really well in the air too. And if you use them, I bet your flying experience will greatly improve.
As flight attendants, we know that air travel can be a very stressful time for you as passengers. I bet it was hectic getting to the airport, and your kids are cranky, you all woke up at the crack of dawn to get here on time, and maybe the reason for your travel isn't a pleasant one. I try to be professional at all times and I will deal with your cranky mood but please don't use me as a punching bag. It's not nice and it is not acceptable.
And we know that your connections can be tight, and that the food isn't the best, or the seat isn't very comfortable but we can't really alter those realities. Please don't take it out on us. We will apologize for the inconveniences and try our best to accommodate you. But complaining and harping on us really won't do much.
We're only flight attendants, small potatoes, a number in the system, and a cog in the machine. And it's more than likely that we weren't to blame for whatever happened before you got here.
We just want you to get to your destination safely. And I bet, if you smiled, look at your flight attendant in the eye and say please and thank you, you'll be their favourite passenger of the day. It's that easy.
It's kind of sad that this is all it takes but I guess it speaks volumes to how the life of a flight attendant.
Well! I'm signing off now. But as I'm writing all these down, there are many more in the back of my mind. These are only the top 5 that I have off the top of my head! Let me know if you want to read more. (But you're probably tired of me harping on this so I'll give it a break.)
Thanks for reading!