Marcy's Travel Blog- A Stewardess Remembers A True Triumph!

We all have perhaps one moment in our lives when something takes over our heads, and we do something "risky" that turns out great!

Mine was a relatively small thing, but causes me to smile when I think of it- so I'll share it with you.






I was on a DC-9/50- heading for Chicago's Ohare field from Detroit.  It was an early morning flight, filled with business men up front, and a full load of passengers in the back.

Since that flight is fairly short, we served coffee and juice, with little time for anything else.  At least, that's the way it normally was!

As we got closer to Chicago, we encountered thick fog and cloud coverage.  I could tell we were beginning to circle.  The Captain called me up to the cockpit and told me that Chicago was "socked in"- in other words, it was too foggy to land! We were going to be circling for a while!

I could tell that tensions were mounting, as the business people in First Class were beginning to check their watches every few minutes. Something sort of clicked in my head.  I grabbed a coffee pot and tray with cream and sugar on it and made an announcement at the beginning of First Class.

I said something to the affect that I could tell we were all getting tense, and nothing was better in a tense moment then a joke!  I told a "Pilot" joke. Lo and behold, they all burst out laughing! I poured coffee!

Everyone in Couch was looking, wondering what was so funny! So- I grabbed a full pot of coffee.  Every 5 rows or so- "Tell the joke, pour the coffee"!  When I got to the back of the aircraft I grabbed a fresh pot and went forward. Next was a "Blond Stewardess" joke. Tell the joke, pour the coffee all the way to the back.

Then the Captain made the announcement over the P.A.-- we were heading back to Detroit! Oh My!

I pulled out all the stops and told a "Brunette Stewardess" joke. I believe I followed it with any other joke I could think of until I needed to make the "Landing in Detroit" announcement.

As I sat on my jump seat for landing, I was a bit puzzled.  Usually my jokes are a bit too long and my timing a bit off- so the fact that everyone seemed to enjoy my dialog was a bit surprising!

After parking at the gate the Captain got out of the cockpit to "face the music", as he put it. I remember him saying "Oh God!  This is NOT going to be pretty!"

The First Class passengers deplaned, thanking me for a wonderful flight!  The Captain looked very confused!  All he could say to me was "WHAT?! But…but they didn't go anywhere!"

As the rest of the passengers deplaned, many people expressed their appreciation for the "show". After the last passenger deplanes, the Captain asked me what the heck did I do?

When I told him I simply told jokes and poured coffee, he shook his head and said-  "I guess humor indeed can get you through most anything!  I can't believe there was not one complaint!"

Why I decided to do that, I'll never know.  But that was one time that my instincts were correct.  As my career progressed, I saw many wonderful Stewards and Stewardesses have those instinctual moments- some that required acts of courage or great compassion.  In comparison, my triumph was very small, but one that stays in my memory of a difficult situation that turned out well!

Life is indeed an adventure!  And a bit of Humor can make the foggiest situation more tolerable!

Until next time, find something to make you belly laugh each day!