Could it BE any merrier?!

Ok, so I asked for it! I mean, I work in the transportation and service industry, so I suppose that gives the general public the right to pretty much do and say whatever they want to the "hired help!"

This year, as it has been most years since I started with the airlines, I had to work on Christmas day. Not that I mind at all, on the contrary, I try to make it a fun experience -- I wear my festive tie, I don my lighted red and white elf hat, I hand out candy canes to the passengers and use holiday themed cocktail napkins (all at my own personal expense -- heaven forbid the airlines actually come up with something so cheery!).

But what exactly is in the air this year? Certainly, the airlines took a hit a few days before the holiday as Denver was shut down for two days due to the blizzard. But by Christmas day, most of those problems had past and everyone flying on the actual holiday had booked their travel as planned. But it has puzzled me that travellers, it seems, have the lowest regard for airline personnel, especially around the holidays.

How sad. I felt badly for many of my co-workers whom I witnessed being verbally accosted by people for reasons that were conpletely out of their control. I even had a man tell me that he felt he was being screwed out of his seat simply because I asked him to move over one seat to accomdate a honeymooning couple that had been separated when they had missed their earlier flight! I never demanded that he move, I didn't guilt him into moving -- he could have simply said "no thanks" and that would have been that. When I presented him with the dilemma, he and his wife acted happy to help, at the moment. But not 10 minutes later, he's in my face, telling me that I'm screwing him out of his preferred seating! Forget your medication, sir?

I lament the fact that people just don't display simple acts of human kindness to each other -- isn't it sad when people actually do, that it seems to make the evening news! Children are not taught manners, they are taught to get what they can get, when they can get it, by whatever means necessary -- even if it means lying to get it. And people tend to "get away with it" rather than own up to it.

On the last flight of the night for us, we were setting out from Los Angeles to Dallas. As the passengers boarded the plane, a young girl, maybe 25 or 26, came aboard with her little white dog in hand. While I'm a sucker for dogs and cats, being the animal lover I am, unfortunately, the FAA is not so understanding and the rule is, the animal must be caged while on board the aircraft (with very few exceptions). We remarked on the cute dog, but also informed its owner that she needed to put the pup in its kennel to come aboard. She readily dismissed us and ignored the request.

Unbeknownst to her, another passenger boarded with her little dog, properly placed in it's carrier, and she was followed by a couple, each with dog in kennel -- 4 dogs onboard -- FAA red-flag -- limit of 3 pets on board a single flight with a limit of 2 in economy and 1 in first class. So now, who do we tell -- of the 4 owners -- that one must get off the flight and be rebooked?

As it turns out, our first passenger -- the one who ignored our request -- had not informed the airline that she was carrying the dog onboard (which requires a fee along with her ticket) while the other 3 passengers had properly identified their pets and paid their fees. As we came through the cabin looking for this woman, when we found her, she was hiding the dog under a blanket in her lap, refusing to identify herself when we asked over the PA for all the pet owners to ring their call buttons. As the supervisor was removing her from the flight, there she was, making demands of everyone, and threatening to sue if she wasn't accomodated on a flight to Dallas that very evening! (We were the LAST flight of the night to DFW and no other airline had a flight out). What comes around goes around?

Honestly, can anyone explain this madness to me? I feel so grateful that I had parents who felt it necessary to teach me public ettiquette and civility -- the old saying that one can get further in life with honey than with vinegar seems appropriate here. But somewhere along the road, people have gotten the idea that he who yells the loudest, makes the biggest scene, or threatens legal action is the one who gets accomodated. Has it really come down to that?

I cannot claim to be perfect either. While I have prided myself on being patient, I have had an occassion or two when I just snapped and believe me, I know I ended up paying for it in the end. I feel guilty, I actually lose sleep over my reactions on the rare instance that I lost control. But some of these people are "professionals" at it and I often muse how they live with thmeselves -- how do they sleep at night?

After arriving in Dallas, after everyone left the aircraft, the crew gathered their belongings and headed for the escalator that would lead us to our hotel van and the awaiting Sleep Number beds. As we decended, I heard a voice from behind us -- it was an African American guy, maybe no more than 25 or 26 years old, dressed as though he was headed for a Rapper's Convention with all the "bling" he was adorned in and a black nylon skull cap covering his head. He shouted to us as we went down "Hey guys -- thanks for working on Christmas Day -- I really appreciate it!" It reminded me of a story in the Bible about Jesus cleansing a group of people and only one returned to offer thanks. Not that we did anything miraculous, but where were the other 474 people that we transported that day? This man's spontaneous gesture made the whole day worth the effort.

So Merry Christmas, you crazy, cruel world! While I am saddened by your inconsiderate berating, I'll still greet you at my aircraft door, a smile on my face and a truly sincere "Welcome Aboard!"