Air Rage (Part 1)
November 3rd 2006 04:48
There are many angry travellers on planes. Their rage typically begins to brew at the check-in counter where staff refuse to let them check in a bag the size of a small car. Add a confined space and alcohol to the equation, and any normally civilised individual is in danger of becoming batty.
Throughout my years of hosting, I have helped to prevent perhaps hundreds of minor to major onboard international incidents. My friends think I should consider a career in diplomatic affairs…
Infringement on personal space often provokes air rage. One time, a passenger reclined his seat as far back as possible, making the person sitting behind, whose knees were now practically level with his own chest, lose his temper. In response, this angry passenger gave the seat a violent push. And so started World War 3. The wives of the feuding passengers started yelling at one another. Surrounding passengers jumped on the bandwagon and half the cabin (cattle class of course) joined in on the shouting- “shut up, I’m trying to sleep” was one popular contribution from the audience.
Other common events which may trigger an attack of air rage include; having a neighbouring passenger’s elbow take up too much space on a shared armrest, being asked to fasten a seatbelt during turbulence, having an annoying kid kick the back of one’s seat, being told one’s handbag or laptop has to be stowed in the overhead compartment during take-off and landing for safety reasons, being told to move one’s long legs out of the aisle and back into the tiny seat area, being seated near screaming babies and experiencing any kind of delay- whether it be in the delivery of dinner, or in arrival time to a destination.
Passengers also have no shame in showing rage in the form of domestic disputes onboard. One such incident involved a couple in business class. They appeared to have been in the middle of a lovers’ tiff when they boarded the plane, as they were giving each other the silent treatment. Not long after take-off, passive resistance turned into full-on aggression as the feisty lady dug her nails into the guy’s neck and attempted to strangle him, while screaming in a foreign language. We literally had to peel the lady off him and then attend to the guy’s wounds- the lady was the owner of some very sharp talons! They were seated separately for the remainder of the flight. The guy fell into a deep sleep and the hosties, with their wild imaginations, thought the lady had poisoned him. We were slightly disappointed when he woke up. Hosties love a bit of scandal!
Have you ever witnessed an act of air rage?
Throughout my years of hosting, I have helped to prevent perhaps hundreds of minor to major onboard international incidents. My friends think I should consider a career in diplomatic affairs…
Infringement on personal space often provokes air rage. One time, a passenger reclined his seat as far back as possible, making the person sitting behind, whose knees were now practically level with his own chest, lose his temper. In response, this angry passenger gave the seat a violent push. And so started World War 3. The wives of the feuding passengers started yelling at one another. Surrounding passengers jumped on the bandwagon and half the cabin (cattle class of course) joined in on the shouting- “shut up, I’m trying to sleep” was one popular contribution from the audience.
Other common events which may trigger an attack of air rage include; having a neighbouring passenger’s elbow take up too much space on a shared armrest, being asked to fasten a seatbelt during turbulence, having an annoying kid kick the back of one’s seat, being told one’s handbag or laptop has to be stowed in the overhead compartment during take-off and landing for safety reasons, being told to move one’s long legs out of the aisle and back into the tiny seat area, being seated near screaming babies and experiencing any kind of delay- whether it be in the delivery of dinner, or in arrival time to a destination.
Passengers also have no shame in showing rage in the form of domestic disputes onboard. One such incident involved a couple in business class. They appeared to have been in the middle of a lovers’ tiff when they boarded the plane, as they were giving each other the silent treatment. Not long after take-off, passive resistance turned into full-on aggression as the feisty lady dug her nails into the guy’s neck and attempted to strangle him, while screaming in a foreign language. We literally had to peel the lady off him and then attend to the guy’s wounds- the lady was the owner of some very sharp talons! They were seated separately for the remainder of the flight. The guy fell into a deep sleep and the hosties, with their wild imaginations, thought the lady had poisoned him. We were slightly disappointed when he woke up. Hosties love a bit of scandal!
Have you ever witnessed an act of air rage?
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