Sitting standby at the airport can be so much fun! It seems unreal that I am paid basically $8.50 for five fun filled hours of good old airport appreciation time. I usually end up spending more than I make due to sheer boredom. Here are some of the things I will do on a "hot" shift to kill the time.
1. Search the internet for a couple hours. (Unless the wireless internet isn't working which happens often)
2. Watch a movie or two or three. We have a tv room and recently they added a dvd player. Now if they would only upgrade the 1970's couches to something a bit more comfortable or is that asking way too much?
3. Eat. Normally I'm really good at eating out of my lunchbox, but for some reason the food I brought is never as good as the temptations in the airport. I guess on a normal trip I don't have five hours to contemplate if it will be Chilli's or Paradise bakery. After all I deserve a hot meal every now and then.
4. Sleep. It would be nice if we had an actual sleep room, but we don't so if you can manage to tune the complaining fa's out or turn your ipod up to dangerous decibls you might be able to knock out an hour or two by sleeping.
5. Read a book. I've found that I can't concentrate in a room full of distractions so if I want to read, I have to find a quiet place which doesn't really exist in this airport.
6. Walk around the airport. I get a sheer joy out of walking around and then laughing at passengers. Sometimes I'm laughing as they run through the airport frantically trying to make connections or just their plain stupididty.....Why does it seem that people check their brains when they go through the metal detector? Sometimes I feel like I have this magnetic pull to passengers that seem to want to stop right in front of me.
7. Spend money: Many gift shops, tempting pastries and coffee at starbucks, books and cards in the book store, plus the $10 place always has some enticing jewlery calling my name.
8. Call people. I enjoy catching up with friends and family, but only if I can find a private place as to not disturb others. I get so annoyed with people who are so loud on their phones and show no respect for others who might be subjected to their phone conversations.
Well I'm two hours in and now I'm going to kill some time by eating. What temptation will call my name today? Only three hours to go....
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
UMM can I get a sheet?
Either I have been working way too much and my patience is thin or people are just jerks.
Lately I have getting the most cranky and crazy people on my flights. I must have this signal telling people to be nasty to me or ask me stupid questions. Last week I worked this flight to Vegas and all the passengers hated me for some unknown reason. One lady with her three kids had her lap child laying in a bassinet on the tray table. I kindly explain that she is not allowed to have the baby on the tray table and she looks at me and says "well what if I drop my baby while I am sleeping?" Like this is my problem and who the hell drops their baby? Then another passenger later in the flight asks me for a blanket. I explain to her that it will cost $7 and she says fine. When I got to the galley where we keep the nap sack, I forgot and started talking to my co-workers. A half hour later another passenger requests a nap sack and I realize I forgot to take the nap sack to the previous passenger. Rushing up I apologize for my mistake and she tells me that she no longer wants to purchase. "So you don't want the blanket?" "No I waited 2 hours and I can stick out the rest of the flight" Then twenty minutes later she begrudgingly asks my co-worker to purchase it if she promises it won't take her two hours to bring it back to her. Ok lady it wasn't two hours try thirty minutes and if you were that uncomfortable, get off your butt and come back and ask for one or ring your call button. I know I made a mistake but she had no right to be such a bitch about things. Later in the flight she asked for a beverage (even though we had just finished going through the cabin but she was sleeping) I refrained from telling her it might take me 2 hours to get back to her. Then my last conflict with a passenger on our flight to Vegas happened with a first class passenger. I happened to be in the front of the cabin when Mr 4a rings his call button. I ask him if I can get him something and he tells me no just tell Nick (the first class flight attendant) that I need him when he has a second. WTF why can't he just ask me for whatever it is that Mr 4a needs? Nick comes up and gets him his meal then decides he needs to kill some time hanging out in the flight deck. (Its a long ass flight and everyone is sleeping) I hang out up front while Nick is in the flight deck in case anyone needs anything. I decided to stop by and see if Mr 4a wants me to take his food tray away. He tells me no, then a minute later when Nick gets back he immediately takes his tray and is told "Can you tell your crew members to stop bothering me" WTF I was just trying to help am I not good enough to take your trash. Mind you all of this happened on the same flight and only to me...I was working with three other crew members and only I get the crazies?
Now today I just flew from Vegas to Orlando and had another batch of mean crazy passengers. The one that really takes the cake is when a passenger asks me for a blanket and I again explain that its not free and she just stares at me and asks well do you have sheets then? Ya absolutely we charge for the blankets but the sheets they are free. WTF who are these crazy people, I want summer to be over so all of those non frequent fliers will leave and my seasoned travelers will be occupying my aircraft. Thank goodness I have a whole 32 hours before I have to get back on a plane with these crazy people.
Lately I have getting the most cranky and crazy people on my flights. I must have this signal telling people to be nasty to me or ask me stupid questions. Last week I worked this flight to Vegas and all the passengers hated me for some unknown reason. One lady with her three kids had her lap child laying in a bassinet on the tray table. I kindly explain that she is not allowed to have the baby on the tray table and she looks at me and says "well what if I drop my baby while I am sleeping?" Like this is my problem and who the hell drops their baby? Then another passenger later in the flight asks me for a blanket. I explain to her that it will cost $7 and she says fine. When I got to the galley where we keep the nap sack, I forgot and started talking to my co-workers. A half hour later another passenger requests a nap sack and I realize I forgot to take the nap sack to the previous passenger. Rushing up I apologize for my mistake and she tells me that she no longer wants to purchase. "So you don't want the blanket?" "No I waited 2 hours and I can stick out the rest of the flight" Then twenty minutes later she begrudgingly asks my co-worker to purchase it if she promises it won't take her two hours to bring it back to her. Ok lady it wasn't two hours try thirty minutes and if you were that uncomfortable, get off your butt and come back and ask for one or ring your call button. I know I made a mistake but she had no right to be such a bitch about things. Later in the flight she asked for a beverage (even though we had just finished going through the cabin but she was sleeping) I refrained from telling her it might take me 2 hours to get back to her. Then my last conflict with a passenger on our flight to Vegas happened with a first class passenger. I happened to be in the front of the cabin when Mr 4a rings his call button. I ask him if I can get him something and he tells me no just tell Nick (the first class flight attendant) that I need him when he has a second. WTF why can't he just ask me for whatever it is that Mr 4a needs? Nick comes up and gets him his meal then decides he needs to kill some time hanging out in the flight deck. (Its a long ass flight and everyone is sleeping) I hang out up front while Nick is in the flight deck in case anyone needs anything. I decided to stop by and see if Mr 4a wants me to take his food tray away. He tells me no, then a minute later when Nick gets back he immediately takes his tray and is told "Can you tell your crew members to stop bothering me" WTF I was just trying to help am I not good enough to take your trash. Mind you all of this happened on the same flight and only to me...I was working with three other crew members and only I get the crazies?
Now today I just flew from Vegas to Orlando and had another batch of mean crazy passengers. The one that really takes the cake is when a passenger asks me for a blanket and I again explain that its not free and she just stares at me and asks well do you have sheets then? Ya absolutely we charge for the blankets but the sheets they are free. WTF who are these crazy people, I want summer to be over so all of those non frequent fliers will leave and my seasoned travelers will be occupying my aircraft. Thank goodness I have a whole 32 hours before I have to get back on a plane with these crazy people.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
I'm keeping my job for now atleast
After careful consideration I decided to not take the voluntary leave and let fate decide if I was going to be furloughed anyway. Luck will have it that I was saved and able to keep my job. Unfortunately about 180 of my co-workers were not as lucky and will loose their jobs at the end of July. I feel really bad for my co-workers and hope for some form of hail Mary from the Union.
So I guess for right now I will continue my working frenzy (between the two jobs) and hopefully I don't get too burnt out. Now the big question: do I go back to the possibility of buying a house or condo? Or will I be close to getting layed off in six months. I won't be so lucky if they do another round of furloughs considering I am about 18 people from the bottom.
So I guess for right now I will continue my working frenzy (between the two jobs) and hopefully I don't get too burnt out. Now the big question: do I go back to the possibility of buying a house or condo? Or will I be close to getting layed off in six months. I won't be so lucky if they do another round of furloughs considering I am about 18 people from the bottom.
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