17017 24 Hours in Hawaii
Being a flight attendant is weird. It’s the kind of occupation you hope doesn’t come up in conversation, unless you want to be attacked with questions from all sides.
Recently, I was shooting the breeze with strangers on a camping trip. I decided not to reveal my line of work. Unfortunately, I didn’t relay my plan to the friends I was with, and they volunteered my profession while I was out of earshot. When I returned, I was immediately pummeled with “So you’re a flight attendant. You charge for everything now! Have you ever had to throw
people off a flight? What’s your worst passenger story?” etc. etc. etc.
You get the picture.
Suddenly, the nice warm fuzzies I had for these strangers morphed into resentment. Oh great, just another group of people completely oblivious to concept of “flight attendant”, but of course with their own perceptions and stereotypes.
But can I blame them? I have my own ideas about what a sewer worker’s day looks like, or an IRS employee (I can assume both are pretty shitty). But I don’t assume to know the ins and outs of either.
Flight Crews have always been shrouded in mystery and wonder. People still hold on to the old fashioned notion that we have to pay for our own hotel rooms, sleep in the same beds, never see our families (this one might be true) and have wild crazy sex with each other all the time (this might also be true, but unfortunately not in my life!). A lot of these stereotypes and misconceptions are exactly that.
And this cartoon is an example of said misconceptions. A flight attendant emailed me this idea, which actually happened to him. The passenger couldn’t believe crews actually came back to work once let free from their pressurized, metal cells!
Honestly, some days, I would much rather stay on the beach.
Thanks to the FA who sent me this idea! I’m sorry I lost the email and your name to give you credit, so if you see this, comment below!
