10 Things Your Flight Attendant Won't Tell You

By Amanda Greene

When JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater lashed out at a passenger and made a dramatic exit down the aircraft's emergency slide, people were left to wonder what put him over the edge. Sure, every job is stressful, but does being a flight attendant come with a unique share of annoyances? We talked to flight attendants around the world to learn what goes on behind the scenes, what pushes their buttons and what passengers can do to make their jobs easier.

10 Things Your Flight Attendant Won't Tell You

1. We don't give orders just to hear our own voice.
Getting you to your destination safely is the number-one priority of flight attendants. "People find rules annoying but they don't understand that there's a reason behind every rule-which is to keep you safe," says Sara Keagle, who's been a flight attendant for 18 years and blogs about it at TheFlyingPinto.com. Ellen,* a former flight attendant for United Airlines, wishes "that passengers would understand that we're required by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to ensure safety at all times. We've seen what can happen when a flight hits unexpected turbulence, so we need you to sit down so that you don't hurt yourself."

2. We don't enjoy delayed flights any more than you do.
Sitting on the tarmac is stressful for passengers and flight attendants alike. "We're usually on the plane an hour before the passengers to prepare for the flight, plus we've been at the airport for a few hours before that," says Fanny Delaunay, a former flight attendant for Air France. And if you're tired, multiply that by three to understand how tired your flight attendant is. "It's likely that we're on the third or fourth day of a multiday trip. We're tired and want to see our families too," says Ellen.

3. Give each other a hand during boarding.
According to Teresa,* a former flight attendant with Delta Air Lines, the hardest part of a flight is boarding, because properly stowing baggage can be tricky. "If passengers worked together and stopped only thinking about themselves it would make our job a lot easier, as well as help the flight get out on time." So be considerate of other passengers by leaving them some space when you place your suitcase in the overhead bin, and assist someone who's struggling to stow their suitcase.

4. An airplane is a mode of transportation, not a flying restaurant.
Keep in mind that the main function of flying is not to provide you with a fine dining experience. According to Ellen, "we usually don't board 100 percent of any one food option, so passengers should be prepared not to get their first choice." As Gary, a flight attendant with United Airlines, puts it, "You're on board a 747, not a 7-Eleven. We will do everything we can to make your flight enjoyable, but sometimes we just don't have everything that you want."

Learn about 10 things your waiter wishes he could tell you.

5. A simple "please" and "thank you" goes a long way.
As do good manners. "It meant the most to me when people would say 'good morning' in return as I greeted them when they got on the plane," says flight attendant Lisa Lent. According to Teresa, sometimes passengers would bring the crew little gifts, like candy. "We also loved it when someone would offer us their magazine after they were through with it. It's always those little things that made a big difference."

6. Many passengers don't realize how much more drunk they get at 35,000 feet.
"Due to the high altitude, alcohol is more powerful when you're on a flight," says Fanny. If you're noticeably drunk or getting unruly, it's the flight attendant's responsibility to control the situation. "Sometimes if we think you've had too much to drink we'll serve you, but not serve the whole mini-bottle of booze," confesses Ellen. "We may just dip the rim of the glass in enough vodka or gin and fill the rest with mixer."

7. And serving you those drinks is not the primary reason we're on board.
Flight attendants are there to ensure your safety, not cater to your every need. They go through rigorous training, including medical emergency training, CPR and training to evacuate an aircraft. "Because-fortunately-most flights do not encounter safety problems, some people believe that we're just luggage handlers and beverage servers, and don't recognize that flight attendants are highly trained for the safety and comfort of the passengers," says Agnes Huff, PhD, a former flight attendant for US Airways and Pacific Southwest Airlines. Sara explains that because the pilots can't see the back of the aircraft, flight attendants are depended upon to be the eyes and ears at the back of the plane. It's up to them to be aware of what's going on with the aircraft and alert the pilot to any emergency situations.

8. We're a very tight bunch.
Despite sometimes having met only minutes earlier, "once the crew is on board for a flight, something miraculous happens," says Gary. "We suddenly become one another's best friends, as if we've known one another for years. I guess the trust comes from knowing that we really do have one another's back in an emergency." According to him, the most intimate conversations take place during taxi, takeoff and landing. Those bonding moments are referred to as "jump seat news."

9. We wish you'd time your bathroom trips better.
Disregarding the "fasten seatbelt" sign and jumping up to visit the lavatory whenever you need to can add to delays. "There's a sequence to taxiing and getting in line for takeoff," says Sara. "If somebody gets up to use the restroom, we have to tell the cockpit, and they have to stop the plane and wait until the person is back in his or her seat and buckled up. During that time we could lose our spot in line." Plus, says Ellen: "Moving the 300-pound drink cart back to the galley against gravity after you've pulled it all the way to the front because one passenger needs to use the restroom is the most annoying thing ever."

10. Meeting passengers can be the best part about being a flight attendant.
"One of my favorite parts of the job was having meaningful conversations with interesting people," says Fanny. "Maybe it's an underlying fear of flying, or just the magic of being in the air, but people tend to open up and talk about themselves a lot. You can learn so much."

*Names have been changed.

Original article appeared on WomansDay.com. 

Joke: how some entities handle their problems

Am sharing this not becos i am anti-gov't or pro any political party but because, it's simply a joke by someone. laugh or don't read on!

I hear a comedy yesterday.

They made a challenge and asked which police force is the most efficient in the world. Malaysia, China or US to catch the rabbit in the jungle. So they throw the rabbit into the jungle.

US took a swat team, satellite tracking and took 3 days to find the rabbit. It cost them 60 million.

China send in 1 million soldiers, line up together and walk across the jungle. Found the rabbit after 3 months. Cost nothing.

Malaysia send it two fat police inspector only. 45 minutes later they come out with a BEAR in handcuffs. The BEAR is so badly beaten and kept saying "I am a rabbit, I am a rabbit".

Patience is a Virtue, a Golden Gift & always rewards

Having to admit that I'm not a very, very, very patient person is something which is hard to come out of my mouth. I may try to be patient, I may try to keep my cool and I've done lots of methods to control my patience or even used anger management methods like meditation, taking deep breaths and so on.

What I've learnt today is that, expectations sometimes may differ and come in very odd places/times. An article that I'm sharing today reminds me (yeah, often I need reminding...) is about holding your patience and it will in turn, reward you. ALWAYS. Trust me, patience is really a virtue, a golden gift and it definitely rewards you either now or the near future.

A sweet lesson on patience. 

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.