Trailer park passengers

[Palerider957]

Is it my imagination, or have the trailer parks cast all of their people onto the airlines???

Doing trips between Daytona and MLB during bike week, I would have sworn we were flying a $30 million double-wide.......I have never seen so many obese people with # "8" shirts and blue-jean cuttoffs. Whatever happened to the glamour of travel?

Thoughts anyone???

 

[boeingav8r]

Deregulation. I can remember hearing that people back in the 60's and 70's "dressed up" for air travel even. (I myself was just a kid back then). Going somewhere on an airliner (dc8's, 707's, 727's, dc10's etc was an adventure!!!

Now I've seen passengers, even celebrity passengers, show up wearing trashy outfits such as socks with soccer sandals, cutoffs, dirty tshirts carrying a pillow to sleep with. Some people call it comfortable, I call it sloppy. It's just not the way it used to be.

 

[Palerider957]

Boeing

Ahmen brother.....If I ran an airline, the first thing I'd do is impose a dress code!!! (yeah right). Yeah, people call it comfort, but they travel looking totally unkempt, sometimes unbathed, and generally nasty! I did dress up as a kid (and still do when I non-rev). These same people wouldn't dream of going to a restaraunt looking like crap, but it's OK on a plane.....go figure.

The LCC's are partly responsible. With crazy-low fares the Greyhound crowd has crept into the Delta ques...that sucks. I hear these people who paid $100 to fly half-way across the country give my FA's a bunch of sh1t in their ghetto/trailer lingo...sometimes it's really disheartening.

 

[WhiteCloud]

Is it my imagination, or have the trailer parks cast all of their people onto the airlines???

Doing trips between Daytona and MLB during bike week, I would have sworn we were flying a $30 million double-wide.......I have never seen so many obese people with # "8" shirts and blue-jean cuttoffs. Whatever happened to the glamour of travel?

Thoughts anyone???

Hey dude! I know you're just joking around but we're not all "trailer trash". I grew up in a trailer and it was a good way of life. Good cheap living for a time. As a matter of fact, if this industry keeps on they way it is that's exactly where the future pilots of America can expect to live IF they can afford it. Regards, Ziggy1

 

[Palerider957]

Roger that ziggy,

You're right, I should have been more specific. My bone is with trashy people who make our planes smell like a$$ on a summer day. I spent years as an inner-city cop, now I see some of the same types crap getting on my plane.....sucks.

 

[boeingav8r]

Re: Re: Trailer park passengers

Hey dude! I know you're just joking around but we're not all "trailer trash". I grew up in a trailer and it was a good way of life. Good cheap living for a time. As a matter of fact, if this industry keeps on they way it is that's exactly where the future pilots of America can expect to live IF they can afford it. Regards, Ziggy1

I myself (and several pilots I know) once considered buying our own motorhomes to live in at our base instead of the crashpad because it can be so much cheaper...then, you have a motorhome you can sell later in the event you live at your base.

I think the term "trailer trash" does not necessarily mean that you are trash no matter what just because you reside in a trailor. It's a stereotype because for the most part, people who live in trailors are the "jerry springer" type people. I know there are exceptions and there are nice, cleancut, upstanding people who happen to be victoms of the times and have to live in a trailor. I think what Palerider957 is saying is that "jerry springer" type people seem to be riding on the airlines as opposed to the greyhound bus because the airline tickets have gotten so low.

I personally don't have a problem with the jerry springer croud as long as they can behave themselves on board, don't drink, clean themselves up and go to walmart and buy a nice pair of slacks and shirt to look nice for the flight.

 

[jetexas]

What gets me is the lack of courtesy...
..Kids kicking the back of my seat, adults kicking the back of my seat, people talking so darned loud you can hear them 3 aisles up. Walking up and down the aisles when the seat belt light is on an we're in moderate chop. Dressing like Britney Spears when you look like the "Nutty Professor". Listening to rap music and singing along. People wearing T-shirts and blue jeans in first (usually 'demanding' service).
I can usually tell where some kids sat in the back after a flight. It looks like a literal "pretzel or paper explosion" in the aisle near them. Seems like more and more people can't/don't control their kids
I always think its kinda funny when folks immediately get up back in row 30 as soon as the plane is parked.

 

[Palerider957]

Jetexas

You hit it on the head, the lack or courtesy is enormous. I've seen our poor FA's run ragged by trashy/ghetto passengers. You know you're in for a show when the pax start demanding drinks before the cabin door is closed (in an RJ with no 1st class) People talking loudly--singing with the rap, you're RIGHT on the money. The kids who are out of control, screaming and throwing things--what is it about an airplane that brings this out of people.

I guess it shouldn't suprise me, when I was a cop I used to see people show up to court wearing sweat pants and FUBU shirts, yeah that will impress the judge.

 

[BoredToDeath]

Is it my imagination, or have the trailer parks cast all of their people onto the airlines???

Doing trips between Daytona and MLB during bike week, I would have sworn we were flying a $30 million double-wide.......I have never seen so many obese people with # "8" shirts and blue-jean cuttoffs. Whatever happened to the glamour of travel?

Thoughts anyone???

I was just curious what airline flies between DAB and MLB? Both cities do poorly pax wise on their own. I can't imagine someone flying a CRJ between the two of them when its an hour drive on 95.

 

[Palerider957]

No man, it's ATL--MLB--ATL--DAB--ATL

 

[BoredToDeath]

No man, it's ATL--MLB--ATL--DAB--ATL

Ahhhh,

That makes more sense. Sorry to interupt your thread.

Take Care

 

[Brother Francis]

Indicators of class (or lack thereof)

My personal favorite is chewing gum stuck in the sidewall seat tracks.

 

[AutoTransfer]

I saw the ultimate in poor travel attire today. Whilst at the Airport conducting some personal business, I saw a young lady fly in wearing, I kid you not, A sports bra and tiny, and I mean TINY spandex shorts. I could not believe my eyes. Fortunately for all bystanders, she was quite pleasing on the eyes. A friend that was with me was also shocked and asked if I would let someone dressed like that on my aircraft. But of course...she can sit up front with me.

In Support of All UNITED STATES Troops in Harms Way,
AT

P.S. For any TSA employees who are monitoring this board, the above statement about allowing an unauthorized person in the cockpit during flight operations was made solely in jest and is not intended to be a statement of true fact or intent.

I guess I'm off the hook now.

 

[Heavy Set]

Hey Palerider,

Perhaps you should shoot for Netjets - sure, you will still fly a lot of FAT people, but at least they will be adorned in diamonds (and not fake ones). Flying a Citation X around at mach .92 wouldn't be too bad...

Your story reminds me of a conversation I had with a ValuJet pilot a few years back. I asked him if he enjoyed his job and his immediate response was, "I fly scum..." Not the most respectful answer, but at least he was being honest about his feelings....

Go fly for Netjets! I hear it is a great place (and the contract will improve soon).

 

[phishn@daves]

No personal attacks here, but you guy's are so shallow.

Let me assume the ones who posted pro a dress code, either come from money, or "better class" familes.

Well guess what, people whoever there are, who are flying are allowing us to keep our jobs.

Yeah it's cheaper to fly now so people who could not afford it before are starting to do so.......so let them.

Why should there be a dress code, it used to be that pilots were highly regarded.....now we are not. It used to be that air travel was highly regarded, it's not. We are not getting paid what the "old timers" used to get paid, nothing is the same, it won't ever be.

I cannot believe you could think about dress code at a time like this, still having a job, country going to war, and this industry the way it is..................and all of you who agree.

Let me tell you this, I'm am so happy to have anyone on my plane who will still fly and pays to keep my job............I don't care who they are or what they are wearing or how loud their kids are crying as long as they can get to where they are going safely and happily.

 

[B1900DFO]

Trailer Trash In the Back Of The Plane?
Lets get real here guys. Most regional pilots make a lot less than the "trailer trash" that we carry around. I guess the jokes on us because we work our ass off and invest 20-70k for the privelage of making 15-25k to start at any number of regionals. I would imagine regional pilots are the lowest paid white-collar employees in the world. It's freeking sad.... Of course our Mesa bro's are going to raise the bar...right?

 

[pilotyip]

Trash people

trash people make it easier to pick out other guys looking for a jump seat, they will normally be wearing a tie, and from what I have seen in the past few years, they are the only people on the airplane wearing a tie besides the pilot.

 

[CaptainBrazilia]

Even the rich folks can act like trailer trash.

Back when I commuted between LAX and DTW, I once jumpseated on a NWA DC-10 and ended up in a first class seat. Just prior to the door closing, in walked Kathy Ireland (yeah...the SI swimsuit model) with her two kids.

Let me tell you...first of all, kids younger than 10 should NOT be allowed in first class! Second, K.I. proceeded to allow her children to rip the in-flight magazines into the tiniest of pieces and scatter them throughout first class, laughing as they did so. I guess she thought they were being cute. When a FA asked her to control her children (as they were getting on many of the paying-passenger's nerves) she was scolded quite harshly by K.I. and was told in a rather mean way to "mind her own business." After they deplaned, I was absolutely astonished at the mess she had allowed her children to make.

What a nightmare!

 

[Palerider957]

B1900

Yeah, the pay is a laugh. At least it's starting to come up a bit. We're in contract negotiations, although I don't expect too much of a increase (although our company is having a RECORD year of profits) they are already crying the blues for the current economic climate.

Phishndave:

yeah, it's good to have pax, it's not good to constantly have to decide if someone is too drunk to let on the plane. Some of our gangster passengers are downright frighenting to the FA's, who only have each other once the door is closed...revenue passengers or not, there is more tension in the cabin and not just 9/11 concerns. We have done away with liquor kits in our planes, partly becaue the new breed of passenger was getting trashed and making a scene (didn't help that we always run late and have to comp drinks)

The company is supportive if you have to make a decision to put someone off, but that's not done lightly. Sometimes I think I should change our call sign from "Candler" to "Justice."


As for a dress code, I said that jokingly as obviously the current economy woudln't allow that.

 

[captainv]

pax

Although i can understand the sentiments behind this thread, i'm a little surprised to see it on the Regionals side. The Majors, ok, but the regionals? I'm sure the verteran pilots in the majors can remember an era of dinner served on china, and even coach passengers dressed in their best.

However, that was in an era where air travel for generally confined to the upper class. Today, we are mass transit, like it or not. personally i think that's okay, more people get to travel and see the world, even those of limited means. that's fantastic - democracy in action.

as for drawing the lowest common demoninator in terms of behavior, well, aside from the dress code, look at it from the pax point of view. everything about airline travel is a pain in the ass. parking at the airport, checking in (although the kiosks rock!), SECURITY, late flights, oversold flights, tiny seats, missed connections, having to go through newark to get from your home in the midwest to florida, waiting an hour for your bags, etc., etc., etc.

compare that to corporate/fractional aviation. the airplane starts when you get there, outstanding personal service, a luxurious, high-performance airplane, your own catering, no security, minimal delays in your travel time. you are in control of virtually everything...

if you really miss those days in the airlines, don't hold your breath waiting for them to come back. if a high-brow airline could support itself catering to the upper crust, someone would've doe it by now. but you could always send in a resume to NetJets....

Captainv