Why are passengers rude to pilots?

[Turtlesfly]

Nobody has mentioned the obvious solution: we go back to being way overpaid and underworked so their stereotype impression is at justified.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Pay $100 for a ticket and expect to be treated like a passenger on the Queen Mary.

And therein lies the problem.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

John Pennekamp:
can you reference those polls that say we are no longer respected by the public...

 

[suupah]

man, one time i was in the middle of my post flight and I hear someone yelling "HEY!" so I look up and he yells "Wheres my bag!!?"

I am like dude, i don't even speak to people i don't like in that tone. wtf?

 

[Q400 Gear Bitch]

I don't think this is limited to just the airport. Look around in your everyday life. People are just rude and demanding in general. Custumer service, bad day, traffic commute, I have know idea why or how. It is just what I see.

Tru dat. Also it's not just pilots who get the stupid question. Having worked customer service for a few airlines before I can tell you first hand that they get bombarded in the terminal grabbing grub, throwing a wizz, or trying to get the hookup from the dollar rent a car girl. I think the pilot uniform even with the earbuds and backpack is a more noticeable uniform than your gate agents, or bag smashers, or even the chick at the duty free. my 2 cents eh?

 

[NTS ALL 4]

Slomo' s Avtar!

Over 2 hours go by and only one person comments on Slomo's avtar, fellas, you need to take a break and research what is really important on this thread.

Slomo niiiiiice avtar. If I didn't tell you before. Nice avtar.

NTS

 

[VABB]

I say just fcuk em. Treat em like the self-loading freight they are. Pay $100 for a ticket and expect to be treated like a passenger on the Queen Mary.

What is all this bad attitude going on?? Isn't this all part of the glamour most of you signed up for?

 

[Flyingdutchman]

IMHO - Be a Professional Pilot, when interrupted by a rude passenger, do the best you can to help them with a smile and a kind word. We might not know where their flight leaves from, but we probably know where the information can be found.

Often passengers are running late due to no fault of their own and their stress is a normal reaction - after all we will leave them at the gate if they don't connect in time. If I can help someone with my ALPA pin and bag tags in plain view, I hope that passenger goes away with a better impression of airline pilots and of our association.

I once heard a senior US Attorney (two levels from the President of the US) relate a story how as a child she got lost at CVG and a Delta Pilot helped her find her way back to her father. This made enough of an impression on her that she still talks about it 28 years later and candidly, she holds Delta pilots on a pedestal as a result to this day.

After all, take a deep breath, forget all the Reguest for Proposal garbage for a second and enjoy smiling back at the kids that smile at you. They go back and draw pictures that they want to be airline pilots some day. Our percentages against Firemen have fallen in recent years and darned it, this is a better job that going into a burning meth lab, or an apartment complex engulfed in flames at 02:30 in the morning.

Even the backpacker pilots with the ear buds have the newest Ipod'o'Treo with WiFi. Show off that internet connection. Starbucs has free wireless and every airline (except for AirTran ) has a site where you can get current flight & gate info. These are our customers who pay for those jets we get to scoot around in. Go ahead and hate airline management for the stupid schedules and lousy service that get these people so jacked up to begin with, but don't hate the customer.

You sir are 100% correct.

 

[OldManPilot]

Anyone know the address of the guy that invented the Cockpit Door?

I would love to send him a Christmas card every year for the rest of my life.

 

[mwmav8r01]

Dont be an ass, remember they are the ones that pay your paychecks. How long does it take to give them the answer they want? Not like they want an essay. They just want to know where baggage claim is etc. They found someone in uniform thats about all they look for.

 

[siucavflight]

Wow, so much hostility to the people that are allowing you to get paychecks. Any industry where you have day to day contact with the public you are going to be treated like this. Be friendly help out, and if that dosent work just ignore them.

 

[MarineGrunt]

Slomo's avatar = BEST EVER.

 

[lowlycfi]

Some of the posts on this thread are part of the problem with this industry. You seem to not understand that this is a customer service business that happens to provide air transportation. When I was a F/A for Southwest, our paychecks had the statement "Deposits made possible by your Southwest Customers." I always kept that in mind when I put on my uniform (and I still do, even though I don't work for SWA anymore). Stop whining about and drop the hostility to the people who pay your salary.

 

[olympus593]

The Passenger? F**K THEM!!!
Slamo: Best Avatar, Congrat!!!

 

[Ganja60Heavy]

When a passenger approaches me, my response is to pretend I don't hear them for about 12 seconds, then slowly turn my gaze toward them but before actually making eye contact, I yell "Neggs guess n' lion".

 

[PlanetK]

well said lowlycfi! at first when i saw this thread i thought it was a bunch of f/a's b**ching again.

yes, folks, the part where you interact with the passengers is indeed called 'customer service'. and yes, some of these people are rude. but they're rude whether they're at the airport or on the freeway or in the mall. (in an ideal world, these people would just stay at home, and give the travel industry a break) but pax (the good ones and the bad ones) do pay your check, so it is in your interest to suck it up and be professional.

fly safe everyone,
PK

 

[eddie]

Yikes Suupa - With 500 hours I would think just wearing your uniform would jazz you. You'll find both kinds of pax, just help them out it won't hurt you not to get a thank you.

If you want to take a break and not be bothered, do it in the pilot lounge.

 

[wolfpackpilot]

Someone needs to make a flight case sticker that says: "I am not a walking information sign, I don't know where your bag is, I don't know where your flight leaves from."

And as a United Premier Exec/Delta Gold Skymiler; my sticker is gonna say:


I dont care how much or little you make, shut up and fly the plane!

 

[wms]

It's not just airline passengers, but in society in general there is no sense of decorum, courtesy or common decency. Take your family to a nice restaurant and some idiot will be sitting nearby letting the expletives fly because they think they're the coolest in the place and have a right to say and act how they want. We blew off our parents and grand parents when they wanted us to learn a few manners, and now we're paying the price for it. No one even thinks of saying please, excuse me, or thank you anymore. Just FU because I think I'm better than you. This is a trait that crosses all lines of gender, age race, and social background. Learn to live with it because that's just the way life has become.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

It's not just airline passengers, but in society in general there is no sense of decorum, courtesy or common decency. Take your family to a nice restaurant and some idiot will be sitting nearby letting the expletives fly because they think they're the coolest in the place and have a right to say and act how they want. We blew off our parents and grand parents when they wanted us to learn a few manners, and now we're paying the price for it. No one even thinks of saying please, excuse me, or thank you anymore. Just FU because I think I'm better than you. This is a trait that crosses all lines of gender, age race, and social background. Learn to live with it because that's just the way life has become.

It is a personaility trait and not a character trait. We have increased our identity via personality and not character.

Personality based people are controlled by thier environement and are simply mirrors of it. If the weather is bad, then they are in a bad mood. If someone is mean to them then they are mean. If thier employer treats them bad they are mad.

So much of their energy is comsumed by responding to factors they cannot control. If a person is spending time and energy being angry cause its raining and cold or another yelled at them then they cannot focus on positive change.


Back to this thread.. do you need to people to not be rude for you to be nice? Or positive. Effective people don't let even allow events like this to be an obstacle..they simple dismiss it and continue to be productive...

Also consider empathy. When we are at the airport we are in our work element. Many passengers travel not so often and they feel they are giving up alot of control over to the airlines and flight crews. They are stressed out and they just want to arrive on time, safe and with thier luggage. Airports are big, congested, intimidating and confusing.....