Pax says the darndest things...

[HeffsRah]

Rachel and I started a convo in another thread that I thought was a pretty good topic about the crazy things you hear pax say when you're non reving, or things your man tells you he's heard from them---

I started with this one...last night when I non reved on Jeff's flight, we were delayed about two hours because of a big line of storms moving through the area. When we got on the plane, two women behind me were talking and saying "They TELL us it's because of BAD weather--I dont see and bad weather, do you? Where's the bad weather mr.pilot?! I wonder what REALLY happened..." I wanted to turn around and sock her right in the nose! the nerve.

Another good one - Jeff flies the dash 8, and he hears people ALL the time saying things like "Where's the REAL plane? This one has propellers! I dont know if I want to get on that, it doesn't look very safe..."

What crazy things have you heard?

[ccbegay]

Coming back from Chicago on American to Dallas, as we were boarding there was a leak coming from the top of the plane right by the bathroom...well we all were seated they had maintenance come in to take a look at the leak (by this time, it was dripping pretty good!) but everyone was getting riled up..."Oh come on, it's just a little leak!" "What is a little water??" "I am writing a letter this is ridiculous!" "I am NEVER flying American again!" Seriously, these people were lit up! I am glad that they delayed us, because airworthiness is a must in my book, I like to feel safe, apparently, these people would rather be in a leaky plane than think of safety!

[ASA_wife]

I have not flown in a while, but Jason got this yesterday. He was waiting for the crew to deboard the plane he and his crew were taking to Little Rock. Well to be nice Jason is helping the ramp agents take out the pinked tagged bags. The flight he was helping came from ROC which had bad T-Storms and was raining. Well he takes out a stroller and the lady comes over and is like "why is my stroller wet"? Jason said because it was raining in ROC, she then asked "why did they get it wet"? He replied again it was raining when the ramp agents in ROC put it in the plane. As she was arguing with him pax were saying the same thing, like dont you remember we boarded the plane while it was raining, basically making fun of her.

[Mistress Trista]

This one came from my dh. A passenger saw him walk up to the gate with a newspaper. The passenger looked at the paper then at him. "YOu don't read that while you fly do you?"

My dh responded. "Of course not. I use it to cover my eyes while I'm taking a nap. You'd be amazed how bright that sun is at 30,000 feet."

The poor guy went pale.

[spotty4]

Originally Posted by Mistress Trista

This one came from my dh. A passenger saw him walk up to the gate with a newspaper. The passenger looked at the paper then at him. "YOu don't read that while you fly do you?"

My dh responded. "Of course not. I use it to cover my eyes while I'm taking a nap. You'd be amazed how bright that sun is at 30,000 feet."

The poor guy went pale.

hahah, that one is awesome!!!

[CLErocks]

Originally Posted by ASA_wife

I have not flown in a while, but Jason got this yesterday. He was waiting for the crew to deboard the plane he and his crew were taking to Little Rock. Well to be nice Jason is helping the ramp agents take out the pinked tagged bags. The flight he was helping came from ROC which had bad T-Storms and was raining. Well he takes out a stroller and the lady comes over and is like "why is my stroller wet"? Jason said because it was raining in ROC, she then asked "why did they get it wet"? He replied again it was raining when the ramp agents in ROC put it in the plane. As she was arguing with him pax were saying the same thing, like dont you remember we boarded the plane while it was raining, basically making fun of her.

Last time we flew, when I went to get our stroller, the ground guy opens the door and says wait wait, and handed me the wheel to my stroller!! He said it came to them like that! Sure, but what can you do. Absolutely nothing. Except I did go down to baggage services and they gave me a 10% discount on our next ticket purchase(they didn't know I was a NR) and I gave it to my mom and dad cause i knew they were going to be buying tickets soon. It saved them the tax!

I love these stories. Mrs. T's story was absolutely hilarious. I wish I could have seen that convo! Like I said in the other thread, when I was on a B1900 this girl got on the plane talking on her cell and she says, " Oh my gosh, I just got on the smallest plane, it doesn't even have overhead bins."
My dad was flying expressjet a while back and a man looks over at him and points to the cockpit and says, "what, is it take your son to work day?" In reference to how young the pilots look!

[katbuad]

My hubby had to use the restroom on one of his flight a couple months ago. Heading to the bathroom, one of the passengers tugged on his sleeve and asked him "who was flying the plane?" Hubby replied "hum, I'n not sure. I think the captian."

On another flight my very southern sounding hubby was making the announcements. When the plane arrived and the passengers were getting off a lady asked hubby where he was from. He said with a straight face "New York."

Speaking of rain ASA_Wife, hubby has had more than one passenger ask if airplanes have windshield wipers. . .as well as brakes and cruise control.

I love these stories. We must have a million of them. Hubby likes to talk to almost anyone (even passengers) and I love to hear the stories.

[UKcats06]

Its funny you started this thread today, I had a pax on the phone last night complaining about connection carriers. We have to quote that its a connection carrier and which one. This lady was flying from atl-mem and didn't want a connection carrier. She said over and over and OVER again, "i want a real plane. Where are the REAL planes with the REAL people?" I finally said "my husband flys them and they really aren't that bad" I thought that would shut her up but nope! She said "well they are just little puddle jumpers" Now I was quoting her ASA flights on CRJ I think even 70 seaters! They are NOT puddle jumpers!! People usually don't complain about conx carriers, but she just wouldn't shut up about them!

[BStory]

HMMMM.... where to start

I have dozens of stories and have contemplated writing a book.

I am sure most of you have been through the ATL airport and know how how it can get. I was the supervisor assigned to the ticket counter on C-concourse with a line about 3 hours long during a thunderstorm. I had rebooked a woman for the next available flight (the following morning) and placed her on standby for the two remaining flights that evening. Needless to say she cut in line after missing the first flight demanding a seat on the next. The flight was oversold and it was impossible for me to confirm her at that time. I gave her updated information on the last flight as well as, the information for the following morning (so she would not have to come back). She began shouting that she needed to go home because her 3 year old daughter was at the airport waiting. Like everyone else in the line their lives are more important that the next. I apologized and suggested that her daughter be taken home because she was not likely to get on the flight.

"Well, she is there by herself and no one is there to take her home." WHAT???? I thought she had to be joking and trying to see if the guilt trip would help......

After going back and forth she informed me that her parents were babysitting and had a departure out of the same airport an hour after she was originally scheduled to arrive. Instead of her parents delaying their flight they paid a random security guard to watch the child until her mother arrived........

[amelia]

I heard so many as a flight attendant and I can't even remember them all. But, a lot of times people would comment on the size of the plane (either the CRJ or the 29 seater, prop plane we had...the J-41).

But, a lot of times, on our J-41 the pilots would do a one engine taxi either going to or from the runway. My CA or I would tell the pax that we were doing this and not to worry...bla, bla, bla. 99.9% of the time, I would get comments (or really scared looks) from the pax that only one engine is on and do the pilots know? When I told them yes, they know and they are doing it on purpose. Sometimes people wouldn't believe me and begged me to call up front to tell the pilots about it. Other times, I'd get snide comments back like "Oh yea, I'm sure they know." I swear people think the pilot are idiots. If people only knew that most other planes do a one engine taxi too. I know my DH does them all the time in the CRJ (esp. now with trying to save fuel) and I'd bet that all of our SO's do it as well in their planes.

but, once I was boarding up my J-41 flight and a woman gets on looking all scared. She asked me if this was the plane that she was just on that lost and engine? I said No. I think she thought the plane had lost an engine while doing a one engine taxi to the gate b/c we didn't hear of a J-41 losing an engine around that time.

With weather and maint. delays, most of the time peope didn't believe us either about it. A few times, I had pax ask me the real reason for the delay. Once, someone ask if we were delayed b/c me and the rest of the crew was having a "Party" on the plane. Another, ask if we were delayed just b/c we didnt' feel like taking the flight out at that time. People are CLUELESS about flight delays and the reason behind them. Once, we were stuck on the taxi way b/c the airport had been closed down due to a really bad storm right on top of us (you could see it was pretty bad as you looked out the plane window). When you looked out the window, you could see a dozen or more planes just sitting there...no one was moving anywhere. Of course, the pax were pissed that we were not taking off and didn't care that no one else was either and didn't care that the airport was closed.

As a FA, we have to talk to the pax in the exit row to tell them how to work the door. I walked up to the exit row...told and asked them if they wanted to sit there. I don't remember what else I said, but I do remember having a woman in the exit row (sitting right next to the door) ask me if telling her how to use exit door really was important for her to know. Um......what do you think????

Another funny one. In the winter of '03, we had a bad blizzard on the east coast. DC got nailed for a few days. I got stuck in Ohio (forget where) for 3 days b/c we had a good bit of snow there, but mainly, we couldn't get into IAD yet. The morning of the 4th day, scheduling calls me to tell me we had to work a flight out that leaves in 30min. I was dead asleep when they called. I called me CA and they had not called at all....so we were all clueless about this flight. Well, we all get ready and get to the airport and get the plane ready to leave. As the 5 pax we had on that flight start coming on board, one asks why we were delayed one hour. Now, was I said, the flights to IAD had been cancelled for 3 days and we just found out this one was going out. I look at him and said "Just be happy this flight is getting out today." We get to IAD and the gate areas were still deep in snow. There was a small cleared area for the J-41 to pull up to the gate and a small one lane shoveled area for the pax to walk from the plane to the gate.