In the not-so-distant past, airline passengers will recall looking forward to the pleasure of airline travel. When flight stewardesses or flight attendants were looked up to in awe, their jobs considered glamorous and ideal. That was when air travel was still a novelty. People travelling dressed up. Women had their hair done even, men wore suits, and decent trousers, no matter in what class one travelled. Simply put, the travelling population took care of looking presentable, respectable, even dignified. As for children, you almost didn’t notice they were there; with the exception of course of the fretful infant whose ears hurt upon departure and landing. Given those circumstances, it was indeed a pleasure to travel. Something one looks forward to with anticipation and excitement.
Indeed, as we fast forward to today’s travel experiences, it is now something we approach with trepidation. We even dread air travel and avoid it as far as possible. Left without a choice, we pray nothing unpleasant happens. To begin with, the dress code has turned haywire, along with the corresponding behavior. Some travel in flip flops, barefoot at times, with their shoes hanging around their necks, in tattered shirts and shorts, believe it or not. Along with the deplorable look, decent behaviors have gone away too. Some nonchalantly decide to do their personal grooming while on board the plane, such as cutting their fingernails, and yes, toenails as well! Men have interestingly been shaving at their seats! It is not unusual to see women doing their nails on the plane, oblivious that the smell of nail polish is offensive to other passengers.
Oblivious of other passengers, feet are sometimes perched on the front seat’s arm rest or back rest. Rudeness is commonplace among passengers as well as abusing the flight crew without compunction. IF you happen to travel on first class, you will get naturally better treatment from the flight attendants and fellow passengers, although interestingly enough, they size you up and look at you with unveiled interest! As if saying, how can you afford to fly first class! Or investigate with a casual chat to whet their curiosity.
Indeed, to get a decent travel experience nowadays, you have to pay a hefty sum for it; travel business or first class. If you travel in the mode most of the population travel, better call the angels and saints for an uneventful experience. So, why have we become unhinged?
During the first half of 2023 alone, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported 857 cases of unruly passengers necessitating delayed departures, unscheduled landings at different airports, and law enforcement officers being called upon to arrest these unruly and disruptive passengers.
Last month, a Delta airline passenger held a shard glass to the throat of a flight stewardess threatening to cut her if he doesn’t get what he wanted! Fortunately, a few fellow passengers were able to subdue the perpetrator. Both flight attendant and unruly passenger were hurt in the process requiring medical attention. The pilot had to plan for quick landing at another airport to quickly resolve the worrisome issue, resulting in other passengers’ inconvenience.
Passengers have been known to open the airplane door because it’s too stuffy inside the plane! Children are left to do as they please, running along the aisles, stomping their feet at the back of the passenger seat in front of them, shouting, and crying if the parents do not give in to what they want. I recall a flight when I had to call the attention of two unruly girls, about 7 and 8 years old and the mother protectively intervened and told me they are kids, and that’s what they do! I have kids too, I said, and they were told how to behave when there are other people involved. Anyway, because of this repartee, the two imps dialed down their disruptive noises and stopped the feet stomping on my backrest albeit, grudgingly.
Another interesting but disturbing passenger behavior is economy class passengers start dumping their carry-on luggage in the first-class overhead bins, as they board, as if that those were specifically for their use. In an attempt to save on check-in luggage fee, they carry on two luggage and use the first-class overhead luggage hold them.
Ergo, airline travel for everybody, not just for passengers, but also for the flight crew has become a dreaded experience. We all hope for a quiet, if not a pleasant flight, but we have to cross our fingers for that.
Did you know that the boring safety presentation is actually an FAA regulation which has helped many flights in dire situations? Every plane is configured differently and it is best to pay attention to this safety precaution. Along with the brace position which, we will have to pay attention to as it has been proven to save lives as it protects the vital organs in the event of a life-threatening situation.
With our impressive technological advancement, have we become less civilized? Caring only for our ourselves while being oblivious of other peoples’ feelings and comforts? What went wrong that we now consider all these disruptive, even dangerous behavior, normal?
Then there is the perennial problem of not wanting the seat assigned to us. So, we devise a plan to exchange our seats to whoever looks weak, docile, or gullible. We overwhelm them with intimidation. Did you know that people now have to pay extra to get aisle seats? So, why can we just say ask for their seats because we want it? Interestingly, the family who constantly fight suddenly wish to sit together on the plane! They insist on being accommodated even if it’s just a few hours’ flight of being separated! Their demands are of course, always “reasonable” and have to be catered to.
When we coddle, spoil, and allow our children to do as they please, we are raising inconsiderate, insensitive, and entitled future adults. We have to take the time to guide our children to be more aware and considerate of the needs of others who just like us, are equally paying passengers.
Next time we travel, ask: Are we part of the problem, or part of the solution? Is it very difficult to not “act up” even just for a few hours?
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