So you know when you get asked the same thing over and over again?? It gets pretty tedious right?? Recently I've been getting tedious a lot recently... With passengers who ask the same questions over and over and expect a different response, who argue over every little thing you tell them to do for THEIR safety, who ask stupid questions, who treat me as if I'm stupid, who act like children when they can't get their own way, and who moan at the price of a sandwich despite having the price on the menu card which is in their hand and it being their choice to purchase said sandwich.
Here are a few examples:
1) "Ladies and Gentlemen, please ensure all mobile phones are switched completely off prior to take off" Me to passenger who is playing angry birds on his phone: "Sorry sir, can you please turn your phone off"
Passenger: "It is off"
Me: "I'm sorry sir, but it needs to be switched completely off"
Passenger: "It is off ... I turned it onto flight mode"
Me: "I'm sorry sir, but turning it onto flight mode is not the same as turning it off. All electronic devices must be off for take off. Once we are in the cruise you may have your phone on in flight mode"
Passenger: This phone does not turn off"
Me (Now at the end off all patience I had): "Would you like me to teach you how to turn your phone off??"
2) After trying to open a locked toilet door for the past couple of minutes a passenger turns to me. "Is the toilet open?" You would of thought that he would of figured out by then that the toilet was not open.
3) Another thing that baffles me .... Grown men/women who don't flush the toilet. Would you flush the toilet at home?? Yes you would. I had 4 people in a row use the same toilet and not one of them flushed it. How did all of them not think that was disgusting?? If we are stood in the galley, we can hear what goes on in the toilet. Which means that we hear if you do not flush or not wash your hands ...
4) Passenger: "How much is a coffee?"
Me: "€3.00 or £2.80"
Passenger: "How much is a coffee?"
Me: "€3.00 or £2.80"
Passenger: "Do you accept sterling?"
Me: "Yes sir ... A coffee is 2.80 in sterling"
5) So when we have under a certain amount of passengers, we have to block off some rows. These rows must remain empty for the duration of the flight for weight and balance.
A passenger boards the aircraft and asks where he can sit.
Me: "You can sit anywhere except for rows 3 and 4 sir.
Passenger reaches row 3: "Can I sit here?"
Me: "No sir, it is blocked off today"
Passenger: "Who is going to be sitting there?"
Me: "Nobody sir, it has to remain empty for the whole flight"
Later on during the flight said passenger was sat in row 3.
Me: "Sorry sir, but these rows need to remain empty for the whole flight. I did explain this during the boarding. Can you please return to your original seat."
Passenger: "I'm not sat here, I'm just sat enjoying the view"
Me: "I'm sorry sir, but you can not even be sat here enjoying the view, please return to your original seat"
Passenger: "No, and you haven't even told me why I can't sit here"
Me (Now getting tedious): "Sir, it is for weight and balance. Please return to your original seat"
Passenger: "Are you calling me heavy?"
Passenger returns to seat.
Passenger on disembarking.
Me: "Thank-you, have a good night!"
Passenger: "In future do not tell me off, I will sit where I want to sit"
Captain: "In future do what the cabin crew tell you to do, and stop acting like a child. She is in charge of the cabin and in future if you do not do as your told she can get you arrested"
Things would be so much nicer if passengers didn't argue. We honestly don't say these things because we want to play a prank. It doesn't benefit us to have the rows blocked off because it slows down boarding and means we have to answer the same question over and over.
6) Seat belt sign turns on for turbulence. PA made telling passengers to remain seated and that using the toilet is not allowed
Passenger gets up to use the toilet.
Me: "Sorry sir, you need to remain seated, the seat belt sign is currently on"
Passenger: "I need to use the toilet"
Me: "Yes sir, but the seat belt sign is on. We are going through turbulence and you can not use the toilet at this time"
Passenger: "I'll just wait here until the turbulence is over then"
Me: "No sir, You need to remain seated with your seat belt on"
These are English passengers who clearly understand what you're saying.
Sometimes you just can't resist to play a prank on them .... After all, even we get tired of saying the same response. Here are some of my favourites.
7) Passenger: "How much is it to use the toilet?"
Me: "€1 for a number 1, €2 for a number 2, and 5 cents for each piece of toiler roll you use"
8) Passenger after looking for the toilet by trying to open the flight deck door, looking all over the galley, trying to open the toilet door, and even opening up a really small compartment which is near the ceiling.
Passenger: "Where is the toilet?"
Me (pointing to the exit door which they came in through): "Go out that door, down the stairs, take a right, and it's right in front of you"
9) Passenger: "Which toilet is the ladies?"
Me: "The one your husband just went into, I'd be worried if I were you. Especially because there was another women in there too .... They are unisex toilets mam."
10) Handing over a credit card slip for a passenger to sign.
Passenger: "Do I not have to enter my pin number?"
Me: "Oh yes sorry, if you can just put your pin number on the dotted line as well"
Would you believe there are passengers who fall for these???
I also saw a great article online. It was a letter written by a cabin crew to the public. I thought it was great. How many times a day do I apologize for things that I can't control?? Letter to the public
Enjoy!!
