Jet Blue flight attendent gets ignored, hit in head, yelled at and becomes folk hero for running from plane [Editorial]
Gotta love the turn of events. Perhaps we didn’t envision it as dramatically as Steven Slater’s getaway down the emergency slide, but with all the abuse that flight attendants take from strung-out passengers, it was just a matter of time before one of them snapped. What better way to follow a dramatic reaction than with another overly dramatic reaction — arresting the Jet Blue employee and charging him with crimes that could amount to seven years in prison. This, naturally, kicked off a viral online reaction with a dedicated Facebook page and many calling for his release.
EDITORIAL: What’s Jet Blue to do? Stand by their man, naturally. Drop the charges, let Steven keep the beer, give him some time off with pay, blacklist that asshole passenger from flying Jet Blue again, and give everyone else on that flight a free round trip ticket or two for their troubles. The cost? If they play this right, it will easily be worth the positive PR>
(13 votes, average: 9.23 out of 10)
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I think we need more folk heroes. This guy can be mine!
Let’s face it. Who amongst us hasn’t dreamt of grabbing a beer sliding down the emergency slide. I know I have.
FANTASTIC!! My brother is an attendant hero daily! I truly hope he is rewarded soon, perhaps without the same level of drama, but for similar heroic efforts handled with often comedic aplomb!
Aren’t flight attendants trained to deal with difficult passengers? Sure, this passenger was a complete ass, but to brand as a hero one who is trained to deal with such a situation as a professional but who utterly and pathetically failed, is absurd. What a sad commentary when a trained professional looses their cool, flips out, commits a crime, endagers others and is hailed as a hero for doing so. This flight attendant is every bit an asshole as the passenger who caused the ruckus in the first place. Every flight attendant who has any self respect should be ashamed to be associated with this deranged prick. What he did took no guts or courage at all. It was the act of a simple minded coward. If you hate your job, be an adult about it, not an asshole spoiled brat. No wonder flying is such a miserable experience nowdays if flight attendants are applauding what they should be ashamed of. I have no respect for any flight attendant who holds this loser in any sort of esteem. Shame on all flight attendants who admire this cowardly act. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” and stop making the rest of us miserable because you don’t have the mentality to act like an adult or a professional.
I was puzzled to see that Rome, Italy was not included in the top 100 worst cities to drive! Who put THAT list together? Seriously, Rome is the worst…followed by the rest of Italy. I’ve never seen maniacal driving like that.
Also, Dakar, Senegal was hands down the most frightening landing experience (South African Airways); holy air currents Batman! I thought Providence was bad.
Lastly, the least appreciated national cuisine is that of Belgium; you just have to know where to find the good stuff.
Completely agree! Lack of civility by passengers or flight attendants should not be cause for hero worship. This bad behavior by a professional is particularly egregious. @Leo
To encourage (or worse, applaud) the actions of this flight attendant speaks volumes about the declining civility in our society. Flight attendants are hired to provide safety for passengers, it is a blessing that Slater’s personality was “outed” before he was called upon to actually take charge and save lives, in an emergency.
As long as there has been public transport, there have been obnoxious travelers AND obnoxious transportation employees. This latest episode, however, simply marks a new low in air travel, especially in the U.S., which is often an already negative experience. Now, to have to deal with more “Slateresque” dramas just makes the experience even more enticing to avoid.
Hollywood should hire Robin Williams and make a movie of him as a flight attendant putting a plane load of abnoxious passengers in their place…in a hilarious way as only he can.