When only 1% of the population actually sreves their country, you can’t expect the other 99% to understand the sacrifice.
It was a BS excuse “policy” for the flight attendant to exercise her personal feelings towards the military. What most anti-war/conflict supporters don’t understand is we don’t want shipped of to some other country for combat either, but world peace is far from happening anytime soon and we are simply following orders. It would never cross the flight attendants mind that if she happened to be in another country and disrespected a military official, she would be beaten, killed, or something worse…no she takes for granted that she is in a country where every right is protected and people are free to do/say almost anything they please.
Same goes for all the idiots supporting the idea that the kid arrested from Chicago who was on his way to join ISIS didn’t do anything WRONG! He was going to join an organization that is raping and killing groups of people who don’t believe in their extremist ideals. The same group that has declared it’s intentions towards the United States and it’s servicemembers.
Fuck Marcus, you have me steaming at 6 in the morning already, lol
Yeah, disrespecting a war hero (while representing your company in a customer service role) is about as dumb as it gets.
There is an inconsistency in the article and the news video. The article says another flight attendant hung us his jacket (which means US Airways got it right in the end), but the video has a phone interview where another passenger says he hung up the jacket behind his first class seat (which means US Airways did NOT get it right).
I don’t think she’s anti military. She’s anti-getting fired.
Maybe she just didn’t want to have 7 other people in coach ask for their shit to be hung up? Or have someone in first class complain.
She’s just a by-the-booker. It’s not disrespect.
Exactly what I was thinking.
Agreed. All she is doing is following the very simple and clear rules that are laid out for the different levels of service on the airplane.
First class ticket holders get their jackets hung in the first class closet, side by side with all the other rich folk garments.
All the rest of us poor folk have to jam the jacket behind our back during the flight, or up in the overhead. Is that really SO bad?
I dont mean any disrespect to the people who put their lives on the line for our country (or in this case, the USA). But, I don’t see the Flight Attendant’s actions as shocking or disrespectful. She was simply doing her job.
If this is a common problem (which it doesnt sound like it is since this is the first time we are hearing about it) then US Airways (actually all airlines), should update their policy to allow Military travelers outside of First Class to hang their clothing in the First Class closet.
Of course, that may mean now they have to create a closet that is big enough to hold not just 10% of the customers jackets, but now 100%.
Also, the next step is the better meals, nicer washroom, larger seats, dedicated hot Stewardess, silky-soft toilet paper, etc. Shouldnt anyone who has served our country be given the same ‘respect’ as the rich folk in regards to those things too?
And, what about Police, Firemen, Doctors, don’t they deserve ‘respect’ too?
But seriously, we all know that is not going to happen. If a rich person can’t buy respect in a capitalist country, then what do we have…? Anarchy !!!
I mean, how else are the rich dudes going to show that they are better than the rest of us, if their Gucci fur jacket is rubbing up against a Commoner’s duds for hours on end?
the slippery slope argument is interesting (where does it stop?)
Also funny was that this reminded me of Louis CK’s bit about flying first class, and seeing a soldier in coach. Anyone have a link to that?
I agree I’m jumping to conclusions about her feelings towards the military, but every company has policy that is in place that is not always followed. Think of her hanging his jacket up as an exception to their poilcy.
I highly doubt her job would have been at risk, maybe a slap on the wrist if it became a huge deal but 98% of the people on the plane wouldn’t have had a clue what was going on. They would have seen an attendant quietly take the Military man’s coat away. People wouldn’t have screamed…what about my coat!
Laslty, maybe if I add a little context to the situation it will shed some light on my perspective. Many of the US military branches have different uniform regulation, but most have strict guidelines. In the Marine Corps individuals are ONLY allowed to travel in a dress uniform, almost never ever can you travel in cammies (very special circumstances). This individual was in the Army, but he was in his dress uniform…not sure which one, maybe Marcus can help out, but it looks like a very formal dress uniform. If you sit on a plane for hours these jackets can become very wrinkled, just like any clothes, but the problem with that is your uniform becomes visually unsatisfactory and for a man of his rank it would be a horrible example to set.
When you fall under uniform regulations that require medals and rank insignia to be placed on jackets to exact measurements, of course you will obsess over a few wrinkles in your jacket and prefer it hung while sitting on a plane for hours. Someone traveling in a dress uniform never knows who they may run into, you may run into high ranked officials or junior enlisted that look to you as an example. He may also have been flying directly to a conference or reporting to a new command. All of these examples it would be completely inappropriate to have a wrinkled jacket.
I’ll also be the first to say service members don’t deserve any more respect than anyone else, we chose to do what we do. But on the same hand so do Police, Firemen, Doctors and it is a lot less likely that they either need to travel in a uniform under official capacity or (doctors) fall under any kind of strict uniform regulations. You could actually be charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for being out of any type of regulations and nearly anyone from any branch could ask you for your ID and report an incident to your chain of command.
I’m not trying say either party is right or wrong, just show how I see it.
/rant
Interesting information, Euroswagr.
So, if the Military demands that certain members travel in uniform, and also sets standards of how that uniform should be presented and handled, then shouldn’t the Military provide adequate travel arrangements for their members and uniform, in the form of paying for a first class ticket, or other suitable arrangements?
It’s not the airlines that set those rules, it is the Military. So, it only makes sense that the Military should pay for the service needed to uphold their set of rules, not the private organization.
Reading this again, I find it kind of ironic that there are strict rules in the Military that it’s members are expected to follow diligently, and yet when the Stewardess followed her organization’s set of rules, she is ready to be burned at the stake.
I agree with both sides to a degree.
I agree with Euro’s last comment about military personnel requiring crisp clothing. I was in the army and this was the rule/expectation when wearing dress uniforms.
I also agree that the poor flight attendant was simply following guidelines and you can’t expect everyone to be able to think on their feet and adjust accordingly to the situation at hand. Some can, some can’t. I won’t judge her for not being able to.
I would therefore like to see airline companies make a special amendment to their policy for special pre-defined circumstances. That amendment being that anyone who is in a function of requiring pristine clothing as part of their role, that they should be allowed to request that their coat be hung up.
It’s obvious the military is among those professions. There might be some others that I’m not aware of which is why I’m leaving it open (and it also shows military personnel aren’t getting preferential treatment, it would be any profession who has this requirement). However, those professions would need to be pre-defined and mentioned and leave no room for interpretation.
It may seem silly but it would go a long way to make everyone’s life better and more respectful.
I can’t provide you the logic, that isn’t very prevalent in the military or government and it’s actually comical how much congress or other officials fly back and forth from DC to their home offices…or vacation houses.
Maybe the respective branch should provide every person in the military traveling under official in uniform orders a first class ticket, but I’m afraid that will also be frowned upon as pointless spending…and will never ahppen. I can tell you that most airlines will automatically upgrade military personal in uniform to first class if there is room available. So by no means am I attack the industry as a whole.
This is really a story by the media to rustle up some attention, nothing more. Also, with the current threat against military personnel from groups like ISIS, it would be wise for the military to stop all uniformed travel. no sense in giving them easy targets. I never ever traveled in uniform…I always made plans to have a room to change and carried a garment bag so there are other options.
This is all very interesting to me, as I will admit that I have little to no knowledge of how the military functions as an organization.
I agree with you in everything you said, especially about the media using this to rustle up some attention. A story like this is sure to get a lot of people upset.
Axel, I agree 100% that a redefining of the policy is the solution to the problem.
This would be what I would propose…
- Garment closets are enlarged by 5% on the planes (or first class storage decreased to 95% of current size), reserved for Military only
- When purchasing a ticket, if you are Military and need jacket storage, then you mention that when booking your flight. If it is available, then your spot in the closet is reserved.
- If there is no spot in the Military section available, then it is provided from the first class section of the closet, ONLY IF AVAILABLE ON THE FLIGHT AFTER ALL FIRST CLASS PATRONS HAVE HAD THEIR GARMENTS STORED.
- If no Military spot in the closet is available when booking, then the ticket purchaser has the option to take another flight, travel out of uniform, or take a chance that there is space in the first class closet.
- It would be up to the airlines if they want to charge a premium for the Military jacket storage.
In the end, the airlines will make their decision on how to handle this by looking at the $$$. If they value all the business they get from the Military (which it sounds like it is considerable) then they will make an official change. They are a private organization with the ultimate goal to make as much money as possible. If providing jacket storage for the Military helps them achieve that goal, then I am sure they will make it happen.
that’s the thing…you assume people are normal. People are fucking jerkoffs scared of someone getting ahead of them.
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some loser would INDEED say ‘what about my coat’. Maybe not full volume, but he would ask her. Then he would say ‘well…he gets paid to ‘serve his country’…and I get paid to serve the country as a school teacher by teaching the next generation. Hang my coat up.’ You can change school teacher to surgeon, or firefighter or whatever you like.
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some loser in first class would INDEED raise a stink. Again, maybe not full volume, and maybe not every time, but it would happen. And it has happened. And htat’s why they have a policy.
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she would INDEED get in shit if she did it and someone from first class raised a stink with an email to whomever at head office.
Also, at what point is the military guy’s clothing eligible…only his dress uniform? How about the countless guys who fly wearing camo? How about his boots…are they ok for the closet? How about his leather 8 ball jacket. It’s just a jacket, but it’s a military guy’s jacket? There’s a reason they have a policy. It’s not to spit in the face of the military. It’s to stop situations from happening.
Truth? Guy shouldn’t have asked her twice or raised a stink. Or he should have flown first class.
oh…you mean you could get in trouble with your employer for not following a policy? Fuck the policy right? Who needs policies? It’s a stupid policy. It’s just a fucking jacket. Big fucking deal right? So it gets wrinkled. Just risk not following policy.
And if you take a jacket off, fold it twice and put it away, it’s not going to be wrinkled and awful. It’s going to be just fine. You don’t need to sit on the thing for the flight.
Yes, there are jerkoffs everywhere.
I also see what you’re doing with the “eligibility” factor, I am speaking only on a dress uniform jacket. I don’t feel any other items should have a special exclusion. I’ve said it numerous times, we don’t deserve anything more than the next guy, he asked for a simple favor and the flight attendant said, “No.”
He probably asked because he has done it dozens of times without being told no. He also probably didn’t make a huge deal about it himself, but just like the jerkoff that might be sitting close by ready to complain about “someone getting ahead of him”, there may have been a person who believes in supporting their service members and spoke up on the military guys behalf behalf…also blowing the incident out of proportion. Social media probably erupted and this story was jumped all over.
…or he should have flown in civilian attire.
Someone even offered him their seat in first class, but that wasn’t the point. He really just wanted his jacket hung up so it didn’t get fucked up…lol I guess you’d understand if you spent the time to make it look perfect and knew the consequences if it looked like shit.
In reality the story about this is stupid and doesn’t deserve a place in the media, but contreversy sells.
It was a request that ANY normal person would’ve acknowledged out of discretion. It’s not like the Soldier was handing over his kids Disney Cars jacket and demanding it be hung.
Like I said on AZ:
Discretion, like Common Sense, is severely lacking nowadays.
All policy is a joke and gets bent in the end.
The flight attendant probably was in a union anyways and her job wouldn’t have been touched, lol.
People are just too afraid to offend another person.
[quote=“euroswagr,post:18,topic:6260”]
F**k political correctness, it’s what’s wrong with America.
We’ve raised a generation of back-patters and 4th place winners! Again, discretion is going the way of common sense, out the door.
Sad world we live in.
I work with a 10yr marine veteran (among countless others) and he informed me (unless the army is different) that the rules have changed and that unless he is traveling under military orders he is NOT required to wear his dress blues or cami’s and can travel in whatever he likes. (I’m sure Marcus will shed some light on this) He also continued on to basically say he should have paid for a first class ticket if he wanted first class treatment. Plain and simple. No special treatment.
Also I agree whole heartedly with Slow’s last point.
Lastly, increasing the garment closets is not feasible. They are shooting to decrease weight of airplanes, not increase, even if it is only 5%. Every little bit adds up. For example, going to the all composite fuselage on the 787 has shed 1000s of pounds in just rivets alone. The planes are already pretty bare bones as it is. You’d be surprised what’s in between you and the outside…That “wall” you’re sitting next to is about a 1/16" thick, maybe less.
Source: I work for Boeing