9/11 Jitters

[QueenLatifly]

Just came back from a trip....and there were these 3 middle eastern men in cattle car......I dont know why I still get so uptight when i see middle eastern people board the plane. anyway they were Israelis who were at some Jewish seminar or something here in LA.
Do any of you still have this reaction, or is it just me?????

 

[LittleChickadee]

i think we all still feel that way. who can blame you, especially since you fly for AA, which lost crews and planes that day. we get middle easterns from time to time, and believe me i get nervous to! its only natural. i dont think any of us who fly will ever feel comfortable when they are on the plane.

 

[blkav8tor2003]

Hey Queen,

People are going to have feelings about this for years to come, don't beat yourself up about....instead be proactive at least to put your own nerves at ease. Try looking up Islamic/Muslim culture events in a city your going to. This will give you an idea if its a big event or just a local community event so that you can be expecting to see more people from that ethnicity/religion on your flights and it makes you more aware of things going on. I think that could help, I would do that during Ramadan depending where I was flying so that in case it became a question from a customer or crew member they would have a little info regarding the holiday for Muslims. I hope this helps a little and at least your staying on your toes and being aware of your surroundings. Happy Flying!

Ciao,

Virg

 

[lowlycfi]

No, I don't.

 

[AmeliaAirhead]

good advice blkav8tor!! im gonna take it myself.
i get nervous , sure i do. who can blame us. it was
a traumatic event that is embedded in us for ever.

dont be embarrassed about your fears. we all have them.

 

[lowlycfi]

You know what, I do get nervous. And IT IS because of the color of some passenger's skin and their appearance. But it's not the dark skinned Middle Eastern pax that I worry about. It's your average white male who was able to get on the plane already drunk and then takes a swing at me because I won't serve him another Jack and Coke.

The radical Islamics who carried out 9-11 are the among the foulest creatures on Earth. But honestly, I don't see them in every person with dark skin who boards the airplane now. I don't think they would be able to carry out the same type of attack in the post 9-11 world (and if you read the news, they haven't been). They knew our procedures for dealing with hijackings before 9-11 and used that to carry out their mission. They know now that we and the other pax will never allow that to happen. We as flight attendants are the human shield in the back. I think often about the brave F/As at UA and AA who gave their lives trying to protect the aircraft and it makes me proud to have been a member of this profession.

Thankfully, I've never had any problems with a Middle Eastern pax in 11 years as a F/A. So when I see one board the flight I usually don't give it a second thought. But I've lost count of the number of physical threats, assaults, verbal assaults and confrontations I've had with white males. So when some loud mouthed guy gets on in BUR on a Friday night going to LAS, I get a little uptight as well, and get ready for the fight that may or may not occur.

Fly safe.

 

[blkav8tor2003]

Hey Lowlycfi,
Just take a halon fire extinguisher with you when you have a knucklehead on board and if he looks like he needs his jets cooled a shot of halon should put him in check but thats a last resort item. After 11 years of flying I'm sure your skills are some of the best around when its necessary to diffuse a situation but keeping your guard up is smart I think because you can never predict the actions of others. FYI...United just had a flight make an emergency landing due to a drunk passenger onboard, smoking and urinated in the aisle while in flight. He was arrested once they arrived....I hope to find the actual story. They come in all types...Be safe out there and keep smiling while it's still free!

Virg

 

[EMB170Pilot]

If a middle eastern or any other skin type gets up and tries to rush the cockpit, everyone on board will tackle that person or persons.

I Promies You That!

That sh!t wont happen again

What I can't stand are the idiot gate agents that let drunk people on the plane and the FA have to put up with them

 

[FlyUnited]

Want to stop the drunks? Simple. Don't cut them off because it pisses them off and makes them go looney. Simply rub whatever alcohol they are drinking around the rim of the glass.....then just fill the glass with the mix. They are alreay drunk, so they'll never notice the difference.

 

[LittleChickadee]

oh yes, drunken pax , and pax with attitude are bad news. and believe it or not spoiled children. kids that wont shut-up, have temper tantrums, kids that run amok all over the place, and the passive parents who dont do a damn thing about it. yes middle east people are scary, but everybodys right, we wont let them get away with anything. but spoiled brat kids and their a**h**e parents are the ones who really test my patience.

 

[lowlycfi]

Want to stop the drunks? Simple. Don't cut them off because it pisses them off and makes them go looney. Simply rub whatever alcohol they are drinking around the rim of the glass.....then just fill the glass with the mix. They are alreay drunk, so they'll never notice the difference.

Not always that simple. Besides that practice being prohibited per our F/A manual, the denial of the drink is usually not the main source of the problem. Its the loud, lewd, profane language, threats to myself, other crew and pax and the other behavior that goes along with the intoxication. See blkav8tor2003's thread about the guy taking a leak in the aisle and smoking (of which I've had a similar incident, by the way). I've seen your "technique" tried before, and believe me, it doesn't work. Even a drunk knows when a drink is weak (plus, you can't do this with a can of beer).

Why don't we try this? Let's agree to try to keep them off the airplane in the first place. And if we happen to miss one sometimes, don't argue with me on the interphone about returning to the gate. Let's back each other up on this. If all this fails, let's see the FAA get serious about prosecuting disruptive pax and not leaving it in my hands to "press charges for assault with the local authorities on your own time and dollar."

Fly Safe

 

[QueenLatifly]

lowlycfi, well said! you hit the nails on the head.

as for my 9/11 jitters, dont misunderstand me people. I dont get all discombobulated when they appear on board...its more like butterflys in my stomach. ya know the feeling. it passes. like i said, jitters. mild little feelings of forboding.

they pass though. but i keep my antennae up all thru the flight !! hahaaa

 

[PooTheStew]

i get a little nervous when i see muslims and arabs on the plane. but then i remember that these were muslim radicals who caused sept11th.

not all muslims are radical. so i get on with my work and forget about it.

 

[BellaLuce]

i think that these crazies know they wont get away with it again. we arent going to be like lambs led to slaughter like before. so dont worry.