Knee defender $21.95. Diverted and kicked off for acting like 5 year olds...priceless

[Flopgut]

Shouldn't they have at least been arrested?

 

[acaTerry]

It's always easy for me. I just turn around, look them in the eye (Egad! Eye contact in the digital age?!) and let them know I'm coming back. I then let it back slooooowly. If it looks tight, I just leave the seat upright. A little courtesy, instead of letting it flop all at once into their knees without warning, is the key.
Anyone would get pissed at the the guy who slams it full back the second you leave the runway on takeoff.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Yeah that urban legend really put a hurting on ole Gaylon's career. Pull up the swapa financials for the last umpteen years and see how bad things are for him. Pay particular attention to the trip pull/comp time and the payout per committee.

You just keep patting the boys at swapa on the fanny for the bang up job they're doing.

Urban legend? I sat there in new-hire class wondering what I had got myself into when he told us that.

Bubba

 

[Roomwithaview]

Kernal

Urban legend? I sat there in new-hire class wondering what I had got myself into when he told us that.

Bubba

Please repeat it word for word.

No fan of Stamps but I asked him point blank what he said at it was nowhere near to the myth.

BTW Did you pull up those financials?

 

[SWA Bubba]

Please repeat it word for word.

No fan of Stamps but I asked him point blank what he said at it was nowhere near to the myth.

BTW Did you pull up those financials?

Like I said, this was prior to 9/11 when we were paid a lot less than the other carriers. And it's not a myth--I was there for one of the classes he talked to. He came in for the SWAPA meet-and-greet portion and basically bad-mouthed the company for a few minutes, then complained about what it would be like if he had gone to a different company. He then whined about, "hating the idea of having to start over as a 35-year old F/O again." That's an exact quote, Room; I remember because we all looked at each other, and I thought that he really ought to know his audience--the average age of our class was about 39, and we were damn happy to be brand spanking new F/Os. And here he was, a relatively senior captain at 35 years old, complaining. And then he said that "we all would have been much better off if we had gone to American or United instead." You're right, he didn't actually call us "morons," but that was the implication in his speech, as quoted verbatim above in my quotes.

If he's denying it now, then it's only because it's politically expedient for him to do so.

And no, I didn't pull the financials--but I know a lot of union guys rake in the bucks. I don't need to raise my blood pressure. I'm assuming it's the same at APA, ALPA, and every other union--there's always people there to line their pockets as much or more than they are to serve. You know, kinda' like in any government or governing body. BTW, that's probably why Stamps denies saying any of that stuff now. If he admitted it, he probably wouldn't be able to stay on the union dole.

Bubba

 

[waveflyer]

I've flown with many who had the same first person experience.
Enough to know that it isn't urban legend.
I didn't know he was so young at the time though!
That's crazy

 

[FR8mastr]

I also wish they would do away with the recline... I'm 6"5' and having the seat in front slammed into my knees is way worse than just a "comfort" issue. It freakin hurts.

 

[Hikoushi]

My personal favorite (only used if the passenger ahead slams his seat back into my laptop suddenly) is to lean forward so my breath goes over the seat onto the back of their head, and then start sneezing and coughing, while talking about my last "trip to Shanghai" or wherever the current Bird Flu outbreak is occurring. Immediate results.

Yes, we must have deference for the people who pay our bills BUT, that does not excuse a guy if he is acting like a dick and being totally inconsiderate of the people around and behind him. No need to put up with that.

 

[Roomwithaview]

Bubs

Like I said, this was prior to 9/11 when we were paid a lot less than the other carriers

And much like now, we were in the middle of a contentious Section Six battle with a management team that refused to acknowledge that woeful pay disparity while SWA was once again making record profits and every one in the useless overhead department(s) were reaping the benefits while they expected the pilots to continue to take it in the shorts.

And it's not a myth--I was there for one of the classes he talked to. He came in for the SWAPA meet-and-greet portion and basically bad-mouthed the company for a few minutes, then complained about what it would be like if he had gone to a different company.

And, as Wayne told it to me, after he had given the pitch about where we were in regards to compensation and section six a member of the audience asked, "So, would I have been better off if I had gone to United?" Wayne replied, "Based on those numbers and current pay, benefits and career expectations at other carriers, Yes."

Sounded like Asked and Answered to me.

He then whined about, "hating the idea of having to start over as a 35-year old F/O again." That's an exact quote, Room; I remember because we all looked at each other, and I thought that he really ought to know his audience--the average age of our class was about 39, and we were damn happy to be brand spanking new F/Os. And here he was, a relatively senior captain at 35 years old, complaining. And then he said that "we all would have been much better off if we had gone to American or United instead." You're right, he didn't actually call us "morons," but that was the implication in his speech, as quoted verbatim above in my quotes.

I was not there, so I have to go on your first person account. In my new hire class, Kramer came in an laid out the Stock Option distribution after being questioned by a very sharp member of our audience. I could have given two $hit$ about options at that point, was just glad to finally have been hired by the company I wanted to be with and thought my classmate a tool for being a d*ck to the union rep while they were having us over for beer and snacks. He specifically pointed out the disparate financial differences in those that received the now equivalent of 40K options at a strike price of $3.95 and the measly amount we were getting that had a strike price of somewhere upwards of $20.

Kramer's exact words were, "Well, when you get into office you can negotiate yourselves a better deal." That's when I realized swapa was all about the most senior and the junior guys be damned. The above distribution was ultimately worth (to them) around upwards of a million bucks a pilot. In those days they put the stock price at the top of the WX pack and many captains I flew with took great pleasure in showing you (on paper) how many tens of thousands they made from one leg to the next because the stock had gone up a couple of points. I sloughed this off too because:
1. I don't normally spool myself up over what someone says regarding their lot in life vs mine.

2. Realized that these guys got here first and benefited from the pyramid scheme that was the Stock Options.

If he's denying it now, then it's only because it's politically expedient for him to do so.

This just makes me laugh because this issue has been following Wayne around for years and based on the amount of swapa work he's managed to procure since then it certainly hasn't hurt him politically. Case in point he's easily pulling down around a million every three years for doing what I consider to be an abysmal job.

And no, I didn't pull the financials--but I know a lot of union guys rake in the bucks. I don't need to raise my blood pressure. I'm assuming it's the same at APA, ALPA, and every other union--there's always people there to line their pockets as much or more than they are to serve. You know, kinda' like in any government or governing body. BTW, that's probably why Stamps denies saying any of that stuff now. If he admitted it, he probably wouldn't be able to stay on the union dole.

Which astounds me because these guys are controlling you future in a big way and is a helluva lot more important than getting your panties in a wad over what someone said to you as a new hire. Telling, since it seems to me your priorities are quite skewed.

That having been said, thanks for sharing. It wouldn't surprise me if Wayne fudged the facts. My respect level for him has gone severely downhill since he was VP under Jon Weaks.

Eye on the ball is what I think you've been alluding to and I can't stress that enough as we continue to struggle to reap the benefits of SLs 1 thru 18 with an even stingier mgt group.

To others, sorry for the ginormous thread creep.

 

[LJ45]

Get over yourself.

The FAA is on it...just watch what happens and then you'll see ...Buddy.