Why are passengers rude to pilots?

[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.....

 

[VABB]

You are in public. You are a representative of your company. The average traveller just wants some information so they can get to where they are going. If they ask, just tell them. How hard is that?

I can't believe how stupid some of these threads are. Some of you people need to contact Dr. Phil so he can treat you on his show. Maybe he can arrange for a couple of pilots and a couple of passengers to come on the show and for everyone to discuss their feelings with him about this topic.

 

[crashpad]

I found this topic enlightening. I tend to be polite to all customers, even helping those traveling on competing airlines. It's our industry and we, the Airline Pilots, are the only ones passengers look to for comfort.

Examples:
Years ago a rude pax demanded to know how to get to baggage claim. I politely sent him on the train in the opposite direction. Not Nice.

More recently, a pax who loudly exclaimed on his cell phone that 'some pesky pilot' was ushering him onboard. I stated "there goes your TV". He made another smart comment and I said;"There goes your drink".
He finally said "I think this pilots gonna kick my butt, I better go now."
I laughed; "I'm gonna wait until your at the plane, then I'm gonna kick you onboard so we can leave on schedule".
It was a playfull exchange, but I made my point and he shook my hand and thanked me for a great flight before deplaning.

I give all pax respect, but when encountering the occassional 'meanies', I must become the parent. In the end, my goal is to make their flying experience positive, comforting and, sometimes educational.

 

[Richard Gozinya]

They're jealous!!!

Not Jealousy, It's Penis Envy!

Dick

 

[chqflyer]

I hardly ever chime in with my 2 cents here, but, DA@M!! Slomo wins Avatar of the year award! What was this thread about again??:beer:

 

[ATTCS]

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.

Somebody's posting something? When scenery like that appears I've got better things to do than post something stupid like this.

 

[Sig]

Humor goes a very long way-- and you, as the Pilot, will always have an upper hand. I find myself laughing with them more than at them when they're rude. Of course, when the Philly Eagles clad doutch bag called me "F'in Ahole" because I admonished him for running under the wing to grab his checked bag off the Dash, I informed him of his gate swap.

"Sir! SIR! You're going to DFW and have the tight connection? Yes, that plane's now departing A17. Hurry- catch the C-Terminal bus and hoof it to the A-Terminal; it's faster because they run those busses more often."

"Hey! Uhh, thanks!"

Mean? Yeah, but fun as he!!.

 

[Hobit]

Very good Sig.

I may use that one if you don't mind.

 

[COOPERVANE]

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".

I laughed my A$$ off at that. Although if you haven't eaten at Wendy's on C Concourse you MIGHT not get it.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

I laughed my A$$ off at that. Although if you haven't eaten at Wendy's on C Concourse you MIGHT not get it.

Now I get it. :laugh:

 

[Kip Dynomite]

Crap, I've been walking around airports now for 3 years, not a single question. I either look dumb, or mean. I'll go with mean. I just walk around with a look on my face that spells to the adverage pax, 'ask me a question and I'll smack you one!' Question free now for 3 years.

 

[PCL_128]

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.

This post should be required reading for every new hire pilot in the industry. Bravo, sir!

 

[737 Pylt]

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.

Fins:

Outstanding post.....One of the best I've ever read from you!

737

 

[Papps]

You are the hired help, quit beioching on flightinfo and grow up you pus$
(edited to make fun of you less)

 

[Sir Innocenti]

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.

A Frickin' men!!!! That is exactly it! We have MTV, the Paris Hilton's, reticent parents and the media to thank for this!!!!!

 

[erj-145mech]

Crap, I've been walking around airports now for 3 years, not a single question. I either look dumb, or mean. I'll go with mean. I just walk around with a look on my face that spells to the adverage pax, 'ask me a question and I'll smack you one!' Question free now for 3 years.

Because you're IAH based, and don't make eye contact or acknowledge other crew memebers in the terminal? You hold your cell next to your head and pretend to carry a conversation, so that you don't have to interact with others?

 

[flyer172r]

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!

Did my post say anything about pay scales? Didn't think so. I have no problem with passengers asking intelligent questions about the industry or becoming a pilot, and have had nice conversations on the subject on several occasions. My big problem is asking questions about stuff they could easily find out for themselves just by looking up. Like the guy in IAD who told me where he came in from and where he could get his bag. First of all, telling me a flight number does absolutely nothing for me. Second of all, he was facing the sign that led to baggage claim!

My other big problem is people making cracks about my age. Yes, I realize that when I put on my hat I look like I'm 12 years old, but that doesn't give some stranger the right to say I don't look old enough to be a pilot. Why don't they just come out and say that they don't think I'm capable of doing my job. Rude is one thing, but being outright insulting is inexcusable.

Disclaimer: I don't have spiky hair, don't carry an Ipod, and I don't wear a backpack.

 

[PunchTheClown]

For what these people pay? ******************** them! I do what is outlined in my company manual. no more no less. The traveling public deserves to get treated like this. They pay peanuts and then want filet mignon, all the while wearing their cut off jeans and stinky flip flops. I say raise the prices so high that only decent people can afford to fly. Get the trailer trash out of here. No manners and even less common sense.

 

[FlySacto]

Fifty percent of people are below average. I recognize that most of these people are way stressed out and I think airports/airplanes knock 25 IQ points off even the average person. We have just become immune to the effect being there day-in, day-out. The only time I've experienced what I thought was rude was met with an embarrassed smile when I said "your welcome" as they walked away. My standard disclaimer when asked for directions is; "I can get you 1000 miles to the airport here but I'm trying to find where the bathroom is myself!" I remember one woman giving me a hug and calling me an angel when I walked her to her customer service. I also remember the smoking hot girl from Georgia who gave me her phone number after I walked her across the terminals after she asked for directions Relax and enjoy the job when you can. We're part of environment. Today in SFO we were walking through the terminal and some little kid said loudly to his mom "Look...Pilots". I waved, they smiled, and I had a good day.

BTW: SLOMO, please increase your post count!

 

[Captain X]

The other day in the terminal, a couple of other pilots and I were just talking during a break and were approached by three different people demanding to know where something was. Not one of them thought it important to say excuse me, or thank you. They just walk up interrupt your conversation, demand to know where to get their bags, then walk away shaking their heads and without even a thank you. One lady came up and grabbed the coat tale of the pilot to get his attention.

Anyone know why passengers treat pilots like this? From now on I will not even acknowledge a passenger if they speak to me this way.

It's not just passengers towards pilots -- it's human nature these days. We need to put up headstones for the words of our language which have died: PLEASE & THANK YOU.

 

[Captain X]

Because you're IAH based, BLAH, BLAH,BLAH, BLAH.....