FreightNazi
not an ACMI
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2004
- Posts
- 460
TonyC said:Albie,
I appreciate your good intentions, and your points are valid. However, you may have missed a point along the way.
I have my preferences, you have preferences, everyone has their preferences. That's not the issue. When I'm diggin' through the cooler for a bottle of water, I always grab 2, wrap one in a paper towel, and offer it to the Captain. I've never had a Captain that if he reached the cooler first didn't offer one to me. We're all in the same boat when it comes to extending common courtesy. I understand that offering to help straighten seat belts and pick up magazines is an extension of courtesy, it is appreciated by those whose responsibility it is to do those things, and pitching in helps build team morale. I have no problem with that. I carry the trash bag out of the cockpit to the back after a flight if the Captain doesn't get it first, and I don't think twice about it.
The subject, however, of Jetblue pilots cleaning the cabin has come up time and time again on this forum. The accusation has been made that the pilots are required to do it; the answer has always been, no, we're not required, we just do it because we're nice and . . . all that stuff above, that I happen to agree with. I believe I even mentioned somewhere along the way that if JetBlue expects to do those quick turns, they might invest in some cleaning crews rather than DEPEND on the goodwill of the pilots. Naturally, that didn't go over very well.
NOW, though, it appears that cleaning the cabins is a REQUIREMENT, codified, written, enforceable. If it's required, it's no longer a choice, and if it's not a choice, it's not a favor offered to other team members as a gesture of goodwill and cooperation.
I have no problem with pitching in and helping fellow employees. We have a history at FedEx of pitching in and helping during peak, and at other times as well. I never walk by a package that has fallen on the ramp without pciking it up and placing it back on the belt loader or in the baggage cart or whatever. I've pushed cans, I've secured nets, gone above and beyond to get a push on time. I'm not averse to it, even if it means messing up the white shirt. I AM averse to the Company EXPECTING, REQUIRING me to do that. I don't think I'm too good to pick up trash or run a vacuum, but I feel it belittles the profession to require it. I'm not too proud to help a handler, but I feel it would cheapen the profession to make it part of the job description.
A Squared - - if you're readin' this, don't get all excited, I'm not criticizing you - - I realize that's a completely different ball of wax, it's part of THAT job.
SOooooo... current employees still have the option, but future JetBlues are required to pick up trash. Could we call this the "T" (for trash) scale?!?!?
Tony C, I agree with you 100%