Passengers never ceased to entertain me. The strange ones, beautiful, funny, even the grouchy. I enjoyed so many of them!
However, from time to time I would be asked for advice - sometimes it was a bit shocking!
I had a couple in First class that obviously were at odds. The body language alone said this was not a happy couple! This was a flight from California to Michigan, so was a four hour flight! After my service the wife came up to me to complain about her spouse! I felt like a marriage counselor!
Then she asked- should she leave her husband. (In situations like this I found it best to answer a question with a question. )
Later her husband came into the galley and complained about his wife! He asked if I thought marriage counseling was a good idea! Oh my! (I said it couldn't hurt! Ha!)
Coming from Honolulu to Detroit I had a passenger ask the best way to sneak plants into the main land! I asked what she was bringing in. She showed me clippings from three different plants. Of course this is a big no-no- and I could not-would not advise her on how to smuggle plants in! Now comes the moral dilemma! To report her or to let the agents catch her. (In the end I strongly advised her to throw them out. She reluctantly did.)
I had a First Class passenger ask for my wine opener- he wanted to open his own bottle! I had to say "No"- since it wasn't allowed. He then gave me the bottle as a gift- later asking if I would mind sharing my "gift" with him! (I opened the bottle and poured for him! Little bugger got me! Ha!)
I was asked by a woman traveling to Pellston, Michigan to change her baby's diaper. Basically she shoved the poor baby at me and simply said "Change him!" When I asked for a diaper, she said she didn't have any. She thought we provided them!
White knuckled passengers often asked "Why is the airplane doing that!!??" (I would offer my limited knowledge about flight. Sometimes it worked!)
Once a passenger asked me to tell the pilot he was flying too high! With a few questions I found out this poor soul was Acrophobic! (extreme fear of heights) After closing his window shade and reassuring him he asked for as many bottles of vodka that I could spare!
An elderly lady sweetly asked if I could show her to the cockpit. She wanted to present the pilots with some home made cookies!
Of course there were always the personal questions!
Was that a wig I was wearing? (No- thick hair, no wig)
What color do I use for my hair? (Don't color. The older I got the more this question came up. I didn't grey early, so women were convinced I colored!)
How did I get that flat stomach!? (Keep moving, don't eat sugar, and exercise! For some reason that seemed to be a disappointing answer!)
You are so fair! Are you ill? (No, I have fair skin and dark hair- I don't suffer from Anemia!)
The one I always laughed at-- What is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this!? (I think that was a standard pick-up line back then!)
That was just a few of the many questions we Stewardesses/ Flight Attendants would get. I can think of dozens more, but that's for another time!
So- Until Next Time, Dear Readers!
Life Is Indeed An Adventure! And Being Entertained By Passengers Makes The Adventure Interesting!
2 comments:
Saw your post on Stewardesses of the 1960's and 70's. I flew almost 24 years including baseball charters, On-the- Job Training for newbies and Line Check before becoming an Operational Supervisor, then Field Service Manager. Flew trips pretty much every month to stay with F/A reality. Took an early out in my 31 st year. What a career!! Miss the pay, my friends and the fun layovers all over the world, but I wouldn't consider returning. My observation flight during training --- DC 9 out of DTW to ATL late at night. Everyone in F/C sound asleep so the "A" went to pick up trash. A huge man went into the F/C lav and was in there quite a while. He finally came out and another F/C passenger went in and immediately came out. "That man Shit all over!" she said. She was right -- on sink, floor, wall!! I got "A" after blocking lav. She rolled her eyes enroute thinking I needed something stupid, then looked in. "He shit all over!!" she yelled. Welcome to flying to me!! LOL
Dear Lotta SportsCS- Thank you for your story! Oh My!! I had a few problems with passengers goin to and from Korea, but never poo all over the place! It was usually children thinking they were suppose to stand/squat on the toilet seat. But it was always a bit frustrating when a crew member rolled their eyes!
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