August 11, 2010--Take This Job And . . .
These used to be coveted jobs. Exciting, adventurous, and sexy. Now, for seemingly most, they are routine, aggravating, and just, well, jobs.
So when Steven Slater the other day said, "I've had it" and quit, he spoke for all those who feel trapped and under-appreciated and just plain ground up by the system.
Slater is the now former Jet Blue flight attendant who everyone is talking about because he didn't just walk away but did it in such a dramatic and flamboyant fashion that he is the hero to and envy of all who've had it up to here.
In case you only saw the headlines and missed the details, courtesy of the New York Times here they are (full article linked below)--
Mr. Slater, a career flight attendant, was working a flight from Pittsburgh (not Paris) to New York's Kennedy Airport. After it landed he got on the PA system and, like a million times before, told passengers that they should remain in their seats with their seat belts fastened while the plane taxied on an active runway.
Not unlike many times before, an over-eager passenger got out of his seat and began to retrieve his luggage from the overhead compartment. Slater, having seen it all, still using the microphone, asked him to please take his seat.
The passenger, ignoring this, continued to pull on his carry-on bag. So Slater, like thousands of times before, went down the aisle to more directly tell him he needed to be seated. The customer told him to go to hell, and worse, and with that managed to free his bag, which promptly hit Slater in the head.
Slater, still relatively calm, asked for an apology which the passenger refused to offer. In fact, he continued to curse him.
With that, having experienced this kind of thing once too often, Slater marched back to the front of the plane; again got on the PA system; and this time, saying, "That's enough," cursed the passenger extensively and vividly, activated the plane's inflatable emergency evacuation chute, and with a broad smile on his face slid down it and, after 20 hears of service, walked away a free man.
I hope to a round of applause.
Of course, his actions were illegal (isn't everything exciting and cool?) and later in the day he was arrested in his apartment in Queens. I am happy to report that he is out on $2,500 bail and assume he will tonight appear on the Larry King Show.
Better, I look forward to his hosting a new TV reality show, "Take This Job And . . ."
So when Steven Slater the other day said, "I've had it" and quit, he spoke for all those who feel trapped and under-appreciated and just plain ground up by the system.
Slater is the now former Jet Blue flight attendant who everyone is talking about because he didn't just walk away but did it in such a dramatic and flamboyant fashion that he is the hero to and envy of all who've had it up to here.
In case you only saw the headlines and missed the details, courtesy of the New York Times here they are (full article linked below)--
Mr. Slater, a career flight attendant, was working a flight from Pittsburgh (not Paris) to New York's Kennedy Airport. After it landed he got on the PA system and, like a million times before, told passengers that they should remain in their seats with their seat belts fastened while the plane taxied on an active runway.
Not unlike many times before, an over-eager passenger got out of his seat and began to retrieve his luggage from the overhead compartment. Slater, having seen it all, still using the microphone, asked him to please take his seat.
The passenger, ignoring this, continued to pull on his carry-on bag. So Slater, like thousands of times before, went down the aisle to more directly tell him he needed to be seated. The customer told him to go to hell, and worse, and with that managed to free his bag, which promptly hit Slater in the head.
Slater, still relatively calm, asked for an apology which the passenger refused to offer. In fact, he continued to curse him.
With that, having experienced this kind of thing once too often, Slater marched back to the front of the plane; again got on the PA system; and this time, saying, "That's enough," cursed the passenger extensively and vividly, activated the plane's inflatable emergency evacuation chute, and with a broad smile on his face slid down it and, after 20 hears of service, walked away a free man.
I hope to a round of applause.
Of course, his actions were illegal (isn't everything exciting and cool?) and later in the day he was arrested in his apartment in Queens. I am happy to report that he is out on $2,500 bail and assume he will tonight appear on the Larry King Show.
Better, I look forward to his hosting a new TV reality show, "Take This Job And . . ."
posted by Steven Zwerling at
5:08 AM
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