MARCY'S TRAVEL BLOG- THE GLAMOROUS AND SOMETIMES TURBULENT LIFE OF A STEWARDESS!!

   As with most things in life- there's the appearance of a Career and the Reality.  Was the life of a Stewardess glamorous?  Yes! !  At the time I started flying we looked very professional!  We had a standard for our appearance.  Our weight, hair, makeup, and uniform were all very chic!

   We got to go wonderful places, meet all sorts of different people, stay at hotels, and sometimes have long layovers in places people only dream of seeing!  We would, from time to time eat at fantastic and exotic restaurants! That was the GLAMOUR!

   My fellow Stewardesses and I use to joke that picking up sick bags, going on little sleep, and putting up with angry, sick, or crazy passengers was all a little LESS than Glamorous! Ha!

   Then there was the "Real Life" situations!  

   There was the time my high heal broke as I was going up the stairs of my airplane.! For my first flight of the day!   I didn't have my boots to change into- it was Summer time!  I had a 12 hour day ahead of me and no way of repairing my shoe! I started out sort of tip toeing up and down the isle.  It looked more like a strange limp!  I finally gave up and spent my time in the air barefoot!  Needless to say, my nylons slowly but surely started to shred!! Damnation!! 

 I had an extra pair of nylons with me, but those too were a mess! The last couple of hours I was barelegged and shoeless!  NOT the Glamorous Stewardess I wanted to portray!  The crazy thing was, few people noticed!  At the end of my trip I limped off the airplane and out to my parked car, thankful that it was night time and few people saw me!

   Back then we wore girdles!  Yes- they were required!  Girdles!  No pantyhose!  We had the nylons tat were attached to the girdle at the top of the leg! 

We were required to change from a Summer Uniform to a Winter one on a specific date- one that had wool in it, even if the temperatures were around 90 degrees! That was the rule!

You couldn't be married- couldn't have children, and was expected to retire at the age of 33 years old!

For some, the weight restrictions were difficult.  I didn't have that problem, in fact I was on "Watch" because they thought I was too thin!  

In the Spring and Fall the air turbulence was a challenge! Not only would passengers get air sick (and sometimes crew members),  but we could actually get knocked about!  I hit the ceiling once!  And it was not uncommon for all of us to have bruises on our legs and even shoulders from the sudden jolts, swaying, and shimmies  that came with rough weather!

As my career progressed there were changes in the industry policies that kept us a bit safer.  Still, there were many Stewardesses? Flight Attendants who ended up with serious injuries.

Then there was the unwanted attention from a few male passengers!  If I was pressed to give my phone number and they wouldn't take no for an answer, I gave them the number to "Dial-A-Prayer"!

Once in a while we would get a pat on the rear to get our attention, or because the creep thought my back end was their play toy!!!  I handled this by loudly, with a shocked tone let out a "Did you just touch my bottom???"  All the airplane would know what they did- and that would embarrass them enough to stop! 

I was getting people settled for take-off on one flight when the familiar poke in the rear happened!  I did my usual loud "OH! Did you just ...?"  My voice trailed away. Because as I turned to the perpetrator- who was there but an elderly little lady with arthritic hands, trying to get my attention! All she wanted was a glass of water so she could take her medicine!  OOPS! Lol!

There are many other "not so glamorous" stories from my 39 years of flying.  But also many fantastic experiences that came with the Career!  Would I do it again if I could do it over?  YES!! IN A HEART BEAT!

Until Next Time-

Thank you for following along, Dear Readers while I look for adventures and occasionally  reminisce  about those fun years of FLYING!