Dealing with annoying people (passengers and one FA)

[Fly2Scuba]

In all of my commuting over the years, I've lucked out until recently. Here and there I'd been in the vicinity of a screaming baby or some loud obnoxious type, but that was an every once in awhile event. Not sure what's going on, but every commuting flight I've been on for the last 5 flights where I've sat in the back has involved a major disturbance by passengers and in one case the flight attendant. Not sure how to counterattack this in the future, so looking for recommendations. To note up front, I was not in uniform in any of the cases as I try to avoid wearing penguin suit as a matter of comfort and to avoid the tedious pilot questions.

Flight Number 1: 2 guys behind me (late teens?) are poking each other like children and then playing a game of trying to reach and grab the sports section from my newspaper (WTF??). I was in an extremely groggy state as I had minimum rest and 5 legs/7 hours that day, so I made no effort to deal with the situation. I'm sleeping most of the flight and I feel kicking behind me on final approach and actually something brush up against my head.

Flight number 2: I'm on a red eye and one guy in front of me is loudly drunk and he is loudly talking with the guy next to him who is totally sober. Another thing I should mention is that in all these cases nobody else speaks up about the problem. This guy is dropping F bombs and what have you. As a jumpseater on another airline, how is it perceived if I confront a similar issue in the future?

Flight number 3: Again, I'm looking for some rest, but the guy (early 20s) next to me keeps on trying to talk to me even though I'm in a groggy state. Making stupid comments like dude man, look at the snow. Now I have all the respect for military personnel and sacrifices they make, but this guy loudly announces that he's on military leave and this is the last chance he'll see snow for a long time before being shipped again. This isn't said in a somewhat depressing fashion, it's said in a stoned like look-at-me fashion. With this guys intelligence, good luck to his fellow soilders.

Flight number 4: 3 girls probably in early 20s loudly talking and giggling about stupid immature s**t most of the flight. Coming into Houston, girl goes on and on loudly about how she needs a cigarette in her pathetic worst than Demi Moore scratchy voice. This is in the last row and there's a flight attendant in a jumpseat immediately behind them. Again, no one else complains and the FA says nothing.

Flight number 5: Flight Attendant won't shut up over the PA on a 9PM to midnight flight. WTF! Nice person, but the announcements were very lengthy, extremely detailed, and very annoying. Also, he taps me on approach to wake me up in my groggy state (from being awaken multiple times from these annoucements) to let me know were going to land in 15 minutes. My seatback was already in the upright position and what the heck do I need to be awake for during the landing? People were softy saying to themselves "jeez, shut up" after the FA made his last announcement.

Inconclusion, I am looking for strategies (changing seats was not an option as almost all the flights were full). I wear custom earbuds that block out quite a bit of noise, but they can only do so much without me cranking the volume to hearing damaging levels. Is it just the rules of society that we accept that some people are annoying? Once again, nobody else in anyone of these cases to my knowledge said anything to these people or the FA. As a jumpseater or nonrev on my airline or other airline, is it worth me confronting the situation? Does anyone else have similar experiences where they did in fact confront the situation and successfully deal with it? As someone getting a free ride, I just don't know if it's a good idea to get involved. Or maybe since it's a free ride especially as a jumpseater, one stipulation is to assist the cabin with problems. Lastly, WTF is wrong with annoying people? Seems to be on the increase as time goes on.

 

[taters]

I would start farting as much as I could, loud horrific ones,,,then keep your face straight like you are a deaf guy and you dont realize that farts have the capacity to make a noise

 

[spacecadet1]

Try schmoozing with the #1 FA, and see if you can get a seat in First. If the Captain is a Captain, then maybe they will get you a seat in First.

 

[Av8rPHX]

Lastly, WTF is wrong with annoying people? Seems to be on the increase as time goes on.

Its the cheap fares probably. I've seen the same thing during my commute as well, and I agree it keeps getting worse every flight I take.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

What you're experiencing is the "Greyhound Crowd". Thanks to your friendly LCC's driving down wages and ticket prices, you're going to get more low class citizens and all the attitude that comes with 'em. Enjoy!!

 

[ss278]

What you're experiencing is the "Greyhound Crowd". Thanks to your friendly LCC's driving down wages and ticket prices, you're going to get more low class citizens and all the attitude that comes with 'em. Enjoy!!

Actually, I think its called "free enterprise." Something to do with capitalism.

 

[FL350]

As a corporate pilot and a long time non-rev who has bought several airline tickets in the last few months, let me just tell you that this is the state of the airlines. It sounds to me like you had a pretty average flight. This is what happens when you herd a bunch of people through 30 minutes of BS security, cram them into tube full of "seats" barely large enough for a child, make them sit on a ramp/gate house for hours waiting for departure, a gate, a crew, a mechanical etc, etc. I love to hear stories like this because as long as they keep up, my boss and all his rich buddies won't touch the airlines. Ahhhh job security. I will sleep well tonight.

 

[FL350]

In answer to your question...you say nothing, you are a non-rev. The paying passengers shouldn't even know you are there.

 

[threegreen]

You can walk.

 

[greyhound]

So that's where my passengers went!!!!!

Seriously, it sounds like the kind of people I deal with everyday.

 

[atrdriver]

Get yourself a pair of Shure e2c earbuds. With no music playing they block out almost all noise, and with any music playing at all you can't hear anything. They cost about $99, and they look like earplugs when they are in, so no one tells you to take them out and turn off your iPod. Put them in, turn on the music, close your eyes, and ignore everyone.

 

[semperfido]

i feel your pain---learn trancendental meditation and have an out of body experience. that is the only way you can escape.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

As a corporate pilot and a long time non-rev who has bought several airline tickets in the last few months, let me just tell you that this is the state of the airlines. It sounds to me like you had a pretty average flight. This is what happens when you herd a bunch of people through 30 minutes of BS security, cram them into tube full of "seats" barely large enough for a child, make them sit on a ramp/gate house for hours waiting for departure, a gate, a crew, a mechanical etc, etc. I love to hear stories like this because as long as they keep up, my boss and all his rich buddies won't touch the airlines. Ahhhh job security. I will sleep well tonight.

Yeah, but commuting to an airline job still beats flying around a bunch of drunken rich passengers with no flight attendant to keep them in line then cleaning up their huge mess afterwards.

 

[737 Pylt]

Flight Number 1: 2 guys behind me (late teens?) are poking each other like children and then playing a game of trying to reach and grab the sports section from my newspaper (WTF??).

In uniform or not...Anyone f's with my newspaper, especially the sports section, they're going DOWN!!!!! After all, I took that free paper from the hotel fair and square!!
737

 

[Steveair]

Personally, I'll take a screaming child any day over a snorer! I had one of those on my last trip back to work. It was around 7:30 AM and EVERYONE was trying to sleep but couldn't. If you have a snoring problem, you shouldn't sleep in public!

 

[EDUC8-or]

You can always see people who aren't used to flying, and the larger amount of them during the holidays. I always try to commute in my civvies so people don't ask silly questions.

Yesterday as I jumped off in KnoxVegas to do my walkaround a lady got in my face and screamed at me asking where her bag was. She left it sitting in the middle of the terminal in Philly and thought we would carry it on for her since it was a carry-on. I almost felt a little sorry for her until the FA said the lady hassled her during the entire flight.

I had a buddy in college who always took Greyhound and he would drool, make weird noises, and talk to himself during boarding. He always had a seat alone and everyone in his general vicinity would be really quiet and watch him. Maybe a little over the top for the airlines.

 

[BLing]

When I was nonreving on a PCL flight about 3 months ago, there was this gehttofabluous FA that freaked out on 3 passengers and myself. I was sitting in the back row right accross from the lav with my girlfriend. All of the sudden three women start to form a line by the lav. The door was locked, so assuming that the rampers that cleaned it the night before accidently locked it, I unlocked it. Man what a mistake! According to this FA she had locked it and had the right to keep pax out of the lav because this was "HER AIRPLANE." I never saw such a display of lack of professionalsim in my life. She freaked out on all the passgeners for being out of their seats. Then she freaked out on me for being a nonrev and disrespecting her on "HER AIRPLANE." That sista sure had quite the attitude with all of her fancy hand and neck movements along with her eye rolling. What a biatch! She even called the Captian and tried to turn the plane around to get me kicked off. Atleast all the passengers on board agreed to report this woman and to stick up for me. Because I have a life, I wont get into all of the details due to my lack of time I can give to this post, but it was one of the most horrific flights I had ever been on. I'll take the screaming babies over this physco!

 

[jbDC9]

Try schmoozing with the #1 FA, and see if you can get a seat in First. If the Captain is a Captain, then maybe they will get you a seat in First.

That's a good idea in theory, but really, when was the last time you saw empty seats in First Class? Not in a loooong time...

 

[a&p cfiguy]

I'd say go get a pair of those bose noise cancelling headsets. Not the one's for GA airplanes, but the ones they sell for passengers on airlines. They'll do two things - help cancel out all that noise everyone else is making, and let others know not to bug you! Just put those big headsets on, close your eyes and tune everyone out. Never tried them, but just a thought.