'Blue cleaning crew

[ATR-DRIVR]

You know, the more I read of Mr "Dip-Wick" it is plain to me that he is probably not working at all in the flying business. Or he WAS but due to his 'outstanding social skills' was given the size 12 in the A$$! A more bitter, anti-social individual does not exist. Whew!! Good thing for the flying public, putz 'o rama boy is not a "pilot"!!

 

[Blue Dude]

It is mighty strange for such a seasoned aviation professional to name himself after his college, then show in his profile "if it has wings, I flew it", his flying time as "a lot" and his position as "CAPTAIN". He seems to be trying awfully hard to impress somebody with those "authentic" qualifications and hard-nosed attitude. You think maybe he's "compensating" for something?

You're trying a little too hard there, DW, and I smell a rat. I do hope you mature a little before you graduate. If not, the very small aviation community will have some surprises for you. Of course, maybe you're just an a$$hole, and there's no help for it. I hope for your sake that you're just young and full of yourself.

 

[JayDub]

Do you work for Delta, JayDub? I used to ramp for Delta in 3 different stations. In my time there, I ramped Delta, Delta Shuttle, and Commair. I can tell you that not once did a Delta mainline pilot ever help clean (We didn't clean Delta Shuttle, so I don't know who cleaned), nor did 90% of the DL mainline FA's.

The FA's would nap in coach, using the blankets and pillows. Then they would complain to my supervisor that we didn't fold all the blankets and put away all the pillows. Of couse we didn't, you were using them! The pilots were actually better. They would sit in first and read the paper while we cleaned around them. They would always say "hi" and smile at us (you'd be surprised how easy it is to make someone's day a bit better). Then they'd always make sure to throw away their paper (or maybe they just took it into the cockpit). I wished the pilots would occasionally clean (it would result in a 15-20% reduction in turn times), but it was the FA's that were the problem. They acted like us rampers weren't even human beings, and were just as worthy as the trash we picked up. The more junior the FA, the worse we were treated.

So, for all you Delta guys, if you insist on not cleaning, fine, that's between you and your company. But if you could kindly explain to your FA's that rampers are humans, that'd be great. The 10% of FA's who would clean were awesome. These were the same girls who would offer us a water or something. Little things, yeah. But these make a big difference in moral. And I can assure you that if two planes want to be pushed at the same time, the one with the crew on it that cleans or offers us water will be pushed first EVERY time.



You're DL, right, 'DL'? I guess I just didn't ever work your plane in PVD. I can't ever think of a time we weren't unloading w/in 5 minutes, nor a time I saw DL pilots work the bin! I guess there's an exception to every rule.


-Boo!

No, I am not. My point is this: Do you clean the airplane before the passengers get off the plane? Neither do I, I do things in the proper order. When I am done with my duties, then I go help out.

The whole purpose of cleaning the aircraft is to make the turn times shorter. It's hard to make-up time when there is a write-up that isn't in the book, or ifno one even knows about it.



JayDub

 

[canyonblue]

3) That should be "you're" not "your"

"you're" is the contraction for "you are". .Enjoy you are furlough would not be correct therefore "your" is correct.

 

[Skank]

Canyonblue, thanks for catching old Danny Boy on that one. I should have looked, but I assumed (incorrectly) that Danny Boy was at least, functionally literate. I guess he's not. (Danny, "he's" is the contraction for he is).

 

[FlyDeltasJets]

Guys, without taking sides here, I think he was referring to the use of "your" in the "your a moron" (sic) sentence.

For the record, I like to help the f/a's if I have the time. I would not, however, consider it good for the profession if cleaning the cabin was written in to my job duties. In this case, it is not.

 

[jetblue320]

Guys, without taking sides here, I think he was referring to the use of "your" in the "your a moron" (sic) sentence.

For the record, I like to help the f/a's if I have the time. I would not, however, consider it good for the profession if cleaning the cabin was written in to my job duties. In this case, it is not.

FDJ,

Yes, he was correct in correcting my typo. Too bad for him though because it was a typo, not a mistake with my grammar. What I meant, and still mean is "you are a moron". I just got to typing to fast and forgot the ' and the e.

And one more blip about the cleaning. We don't "clean" by definition. We pick or straighten up and help when we can. You get it, he doesn't.

C Ya

 

[sleepy]

I don't see what the big deal is with JB pilots helping out in the back. We do it all of the time at ASA. At JB they do it because they work for a great company that seems to really care about their employees, and provides an outstanding product to the customer. At ASA we work for a bunch of scumbags that don't give a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** about the employee or the customer, but we still go the extra mile because we are professionals.

 

[aroundtheblock]

I'm all for helping as long as management plans and staffs for the cleaning of the plane which in no way involves "well, the pilots are there to help so we don't need any cleaners at that out station". I'm all for going the extra mile. Would a JB exec be willing to clean planes between turns?

 

[Eagleflip]

Would a JB exec be willing to clean planes between turns?

Of course--every time one of our managers flies they help clean the jet. Not just Neeleman, but Barger, Spain, all the way down to inflight supervisors and maintenance types. Just like any job, the more folks you have the faster it gets done.

Actually, I've even seen an American and Delta Captain (on the same flight, coincidentally) help clean our jet after catching a ride down to Ft Lauderdale. We appreciated their help, even though we never ask a jumpseater to do so.

 

[FlyDeltasJets]

Jetblue,

Very few of us don't make errors on this board. I know that I type, then hit post. I proofread when I need to, not for all you clowns!

 

[Skygod]

I've not flown on JB, but commuting in and out of Milwaukee I have been lucky enough to fly on Midwest every week for the last couple of years. "Best care in the air." Until 9/11 (and JB) one of the most happy, professional little airlines in the US.

And guess what.

The pilots helped out cleaning the cabin on outstation turns. Guess DW would turn his nose up at Midwest as well.

As a 'regional' airline captain I don't just fly the plane, I fly people. I make goofy PA's, I make serious PA's, I coordinate a special bus at JFK for three tight Paris connections, get dispatch to call a special needs passenger's sister to let her know he is running late, I let the FO use my raincoat for the walkaround in the pouring rain ($10) and on and on. I love it. It's being a ships captain. It's connecting with your crew and your passengers. It's helping out and making a difference.

Reading this thread, and doing a little pondering, I'd much rather work for a company that lets you clean a little trash, than one that treats you like trash.

 

[metrodriver]

I'm glad to see some teamwork at JB. I have however seen the negative effects of 'just' helping also.
UPS has figured out that if the pilot loads 4000lb cargo they can save the $20.-/hr for one of their own drivers. So now you have a pilot load the 4000lbs of cargo in 100+degress weather, climb in a 150 degree cockpit and try to make it out of the blocks in a hurry otherwise the flight is late (which is one minute after schedule). How about catching a heatstroke right after take-off? And lets not even talk about getting hurt. The flight is not going, and nobody is going to pick up your loss of income (UPS doesn't care). Fedex and DHL have it figured out a lot better, including the salary for the contract pilot (about double of the UPS contractors).
Same thing at some tech companies like Nortel. They have cut so many people (figuring the ones left will pick up the work from the ones deemed redundant) that the ones still there can't make deadlines anymore, unless they work 14 hr days / 7 days a week. Oh yes, you still got a job, company is losing a lot less money (good for the stocks), but life is none-existent.

I'm all for helping a hand when the situation warrants and I did it flying for a commuter, with a smile (fo is the FA, baggage loader, cust. service rep......). Same working at cargo companies. I have helped mechanics (you even learn something), rampworkers, you name it. However before you know it it's accepted as one of your duties and someone else will lose his/her job. This will go till one day there is an incident. The next question will be what were you doing? Well, I was so busy loading bags, cleaning the cabin that I didn't have time to.... or: I hurt myself with this 100lb bag and we had to take this 5 hour delay so a replacement pilot could show up.

BTW I would be very happy to work for JB. Also looking forward to the flying experience on JB. Keep up the good work JB guys!

 

[colorado418]

I'm all for helping as long as management plans and staffs for the cleaning of the plane which in no way involves "well, the pilots are there to help so we don't need any cleaners at that out station". I'm all for going the extra mile. Would a JB exec be willing to clean planes between turns?

Not only will they clean. I brought a flight back from LGB to JFK one afternoon. David Neeleman was on the flight. He gave up his seat in row 27 for some standby passengers to make the flight. He rode in the jumpseat in the cockpit for about 2 hours. We shot the bull with him for that time. He then went to the back and made an announcement introducing himself to the customers. For the next 2 hours or so he walked through the cabin and talked with everyone.

When we landed, after midnight, he was right there to help when we could not find a straight back to help someone off the airplane. David and I went out to the terminal to find one. He then proceeded to lift the customer out of his seat and help him into the straigtback. Once in the jetway, he helped the person to his wheelchair.

After all that, he offered to give folks a ride back to Kew Gardens to their crashpads.

That is a CEO I will clean planes for any day!!

Like others have said. We don't do it because we are required. We do it because we all have a vested interest in a great product that we want to see succeed.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

to Daniel Webster (& other pilots who agree with him)

You sound like my classes of 1st and 2nd graders (not to mention some older ones) when I subsitute teach.

When the end of the day approaches, I tell them that none of the students will be released until the room is picked up. About 5" before the bell, I stand by the door and tell them it's time to pick-up.

Invariably, I have some kids say "It's not MY trash..." or "I already picked up ____, I shouldn't have to do any more.."
or, what pisses me off the most!
"That's what the janitor's are for, to clean up our room!"

So, this kid expects that he can be a slob, and some low-wage worker (who is below him in social class) should have to do extra work to clean up a mess he made, that he can easily take care of? I don't think so.

Yes, I'm a pilot, and I'm trained to fly a plane. However, I'm also an employee of a for-profit business, and if I can help our my company I will do so. Even as a public citizen, if I see some trash lying about, I'll pick it up and throw it away, as long as there's a trash can nearby.

I was VERY impressed to find a NWA captain helping out a SWAMPED gate agent who was by herself. He was doing whatever he could to process the passengers/jump-seaters to get the flight off on time.

If a paying passenger's flight takes off late, do you think they'll blame the weather, or blame the airplane cleaners? No, they'll blame the AIRLINE, and if it happens enough, they'll fly on another airline that leaves and arrives on time, and the old AIRLINE will lose revenue, which means there's less $ to pay the pilots.

I think one thing that a lot of pilots forget, is that we are BLUE COLLAR, SERVICE employees. There is, essentially, no difference between me, an airline pilot, and the golf-cart drink girl who drives around the golf course delivering drinks to people.

We both perform a service, and we both move things/people by operating a transportation vehicle.

Pilots are not white-collar, management employees. We (typically) don't provide ideas to improve our company, our do any planning or anticipation of our company's strategic position in the economy, we just perform a technical service.

We serve the customer, and if helping to clean a plane, or load bags will get a late flight moving again, we should do it. That's what customer service is.

If you object to customer service, switch to a non-customer service occupation like a scientist or manager.

Cliff
DTW

PS-I don't understand why so many pilots especially like the Republican party. They HATE labor and the commom working man, which means they hate us pilots, and they'll take the side of wealthy directors and upper management every time.

PPS-I don't like the Democrats either.

PPPS-The JB CEO also CLEANS the planes between stops, in addition to listening to his customers and employees complaints/ideas as he works on at least one trip per WEEK!

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

I wanted to add a few things.

I usually JS on NWA, and I've helped out in various ways, as long as I have the time, even though I don't work for them.

In DTW, I've helped out a bunch of PAX, even though I don't work there. I once saw a lady carrying a bunch of stuff and walking with her 2-yr. old. I offered to carry some of her bags and did so, all the way to the spot where she got her transportation.

I had the time, I had an extra arm, and I saw she was struggling, so why not?

On my last JS trip, I was walking to a different terminal at LAX, and I saw a smaller lady who's bags were falling off of her cart, so I stopped and helped her out.

A helping hand can go a long way.

If you havent' help someone lately, try it tommorrow! It can make your day.

Cliff
DTW

 

[AJWick]

hey atpcliff

the AA guys may disagree with your political remarks regarding the republicans. Remember Clinton ordered the pilot group to return to work minutes after they went on strike.

Maybe he wore his republican hat that morning at 1201 am.

aj

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

Your comment on Clinton is understandable, and is the reason I don't like the Democrats either.

Clinton could easily have run as a Republican, as he views are almost the same as a typical Republican. I'll admit that he's not as conservative as Bush, but he's pretty close.

Cliff
DTW

 

[klhoard]

Clinton

You'd think that as president, he could get better looking chicks. . . .

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

You would think that the Prez could get better chicks.

I hope that Bush Jr., Bush Sr., LBJ, Eisenhower, and FDR had hotter women. We know JFK did.

Interesting history fact.
While FDR was having a typical affair, his 1st lady was having an affair with a female White House staffer. I hope she was cute.

Cliff
DTW