Rude and inconsiderate

[Keith T 2]

In my circle we call such pax PITAs (ie Pain In The A***). Can happen on the ground too. I remember once a friend of mine who was working at check in for a certain airline colluded with his colleague and deliberately put a PITA in a middle seat beside this other fat dude. Said PITA obviously didn't know cabin configs too well and accepted the seat, believing that it was the 'best seat in the house.' Not too clear about details onboard but I think the PITA in question was outraged at the seat he's been given and couldn't settle down - the CSD had to get one of the cockpit crew out to threaten him. Such pax are prime candidates for a variety of tricks cabin crew employ to punish those who make their lives hell.

 

But I believe the example supplied by Imran K can be more accurately described as 'air rage', beyond merely PITA.

 

Can't read Malaysian so a translation of the article is appreciated.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Keith T

[H Azmal 0]

Ashamed our people are rude

 

On the 27th of May, my family and I came back to Malaysia from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH 0758.

 

The service along the way was very satisfactory. The crew was generous with smiles.

 

However, one incident marred the flight experience.

 

When the Head Stewardess announced that meals were about to be served, I saw a foreign woman griping about something to her partner next to her.

 

It turned out that the passenger in front if her had 'reclined' his/her seat at such an angle that made it impossible for her to move.

 

Even though the passenger was asked to readjust the position of his/her seat, he/she would not budge.

 

The woman then sought the help of a steward who was then serving the meals to passengers.

 

 

With full courtesy the steward woke the front passenger and asked him/her to readjust his/her seat so that the woman behind her could have her meal in a more comfortable position.

 

What surprised other passengers was that this passenger yelled at and scolded the steward.

 

What embarassed us was the rude and inconsiderate passenger is a Malaysian.

 

His/her foul words were: ‘‘Can’t you see that I am trying to sleepd10t! Go to hell with you... stupid crew! (tak nampak ke saya hendak tidur bahlul! Pergi jahanam... bodoh!).”

 

As a fellow Malaysian I am highly embarassed and disappointed with the behaviour of that passenger. Half the passengers were international travellers.

 

I admire the professionalism of the steward, who proceeded to carry out his duty with a smile even though I am sure he himself is embarassed by the event.

 

To add salt to injury the snobbish passenger summoned the head stewardess and told her that the steward was rude towards him/her.

 

I believe by the time this is published the steward would have been called for a disciplinary investigation over something he didn't do.

 

I relate this story so that we Malaysians would not do anything which will humiliate and mar our national image, the more so in presence of foreigners.

 

 

- PENUMPANG SETIA MAS,

 

Damansara Utama,

 

Kuala Lumpur.

 

Sorry, on-the-fly translation from me so pretty bad choice of words here and there.

[Keith T 2]

Sorry, on-the-fly translation from me so pretty bad choice of words here and there.

 

Cheers.

[Bing Chu 0]

Sorry, on-the-fly translation from me so pretty bad choice of words here and there.

Hey, that is good !

No point in sugar coating or add spice to the the story

[Denny Yen 0]

Keith made a good point distinguishing between "air rage" (violent) and "rude" (non-violent). Most countries already have laws against air rage, which treat these incidents as criminal act - most carry imprisonment terms.

 

Sometimes "air rage" can turn into a mob behaviour resulting in death. An actual incident occured onboard a Southwest 737 - where a teenager went berserk inflight and managed to kicked a hole on the cockpit door. He became so uncontrollable and was subsequently beaten to death by fellow passengers.

 

This incident was subsequently made into an episode in the "CSI:Miami" series. The police report and indictment considerations are here:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/southwest1.html

Edited June 1, 2006 by Denny Yen

[Tamizi Hj Tamby 1]

Keith made a good point distinguishing between "air rage" (violent) and "rude" (non-violent). Most countries already have laws against air rage, which treat these incidents as criminal act - most carry imprisonment terms.

 

Sometimes "air rage" can turn into a mob behaviour resulting in death. An actual incident occured onboard a Southwest 737 - where a teenager went berserk inflight and managed to kicked a hole on the cockpit door. He became so uncontrollable and was subsequently beaten to death by fellow passengers.

 

This incident was subsequently made into an episode in the "CSI:Miami" series. The police report and indictment considerations are here:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/southwest1.html

 

Hmm....yup,i've watched that episode on CSI:Miami.

[Azman MN 1]

Maybe it is my bad luck but I only experience PITAs in the US, and once I experienced a PITA on a flight in Africa and turns out that the PITA was of an american origin. Nothing serious, but just annoying things like reclining when I am trying to eat, replying rudely when I asked them to straighten the seat, then being rude to the air crew, ground crew, check-in staff, etc. Then again, the majority of Americans are quite polite.

 

Yeah air rage is a bit different, seems to involve drunk passengers most of the time.

 

 

Christian Arabs - to generalize them as muslims is just like generalizing their attires as muslim attires. A lot of Malaysian muslims like to look more like arabs as they thing they would look more "muslim". The reality is that, they would only look more arab, and not more muslim. I have seen christian arabs in their traditional "jubah" having alcohol, going to casinos in London.... We should not mix ethnicity with religion.

 

 

[H Azmal 0]

Hmm....yup,i've watched that episode on CSI:Miami.

 

Cheers guys

 

 

It was also featured in CSI Las Vegas; First Season Episode 9, Unfriendly Skies

Edited June 1, 2006 by H Azmal