There’s no question that, from their earliest days, flight attendants have faced sexual harassment. It’s probably somewhat less common, at least in the U.S., than it used to be — which isn’t to say it’s uncommon.
- Social norms have shifted away from “coffee, tea, or me?”
- Unionization and shrinking airlines through bankruptcies and mergers meant fewer flight attendants hired and gradually increasing average age.
- Air travel itself is, for the most part, no longer ‘sexy’.
- Hooters Air is out of business.
- Southwest no longer dresses their flight attendants in hot pants and there’s no longer Braniff promoting “the air strip.”
Drunk passengers still behave badly, of course, and especially towards flight attendants. Last month an Alaska Airlines passenger demanded hugs from a flight attendant who wouldn’t serve him beer.
Outside the U.S. we see quite a bit. Last year on a flight departing Dublin was kicked off a flight for photographing a flight attendant’s buttocks.
And a couple of months ago a passenger on a domestic Indian flight was arrested for taking cell phone video of flight attendants charged with “assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty.”
Now comes word that back in April, on an Emirates flight from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Dubai, a passenger requested a selfie with a flight attendant as cover for getting his jollies.
On the flight that’s the distance between New York and Los Angeles, a passenger
…requested 25-year-old air hostess for a picture together as a souvenir.
She agreed and stood next to him for the photograph.
“While taking the picture he put his arm around my shoulder, my senior saw this and rebuked him. He then requested for a selfie with me. I stood next to him and shockingly, he hugged and kissed me on the neck. I pushed him away and moved,” testified the victim.
Emirates Operates a Boeing 777 from Dar es Salaam to Dubai
The passenger was arrested on arrival, and will appear in criminal court next month.
Because apparently it does need to be said, look (but keep your glances furtive). Don’t film. Definitely do not touch.
(HT: Paul H.)
Just wanted to verify that this constitutes “thought leadership?”
Just wanted to verify that @mark is a real person and not a sarcasm bot programmed to leave little nasty remarks on a majority of Gary’s posts? Can we get mark to take a Turing Test?
Verified
It’s thought leadership and the enquirer of the skies, you should know that by now, and you are still reading it.
i am always asked “coffee, tea or me” still. whats the problem?
Why don’t you post how many times Flight Attendants harass passengers for no reason and they never get arrested.
First of, I have been on Emirates and this situation is out of control that they arrested the man.
Emirates Flight Attendants are very slutty and I have met them on few occasions on layovers.
What is a freaking big deal about a kiss, that someone should be arrested and their entire destiny be destroyed. He did not pull out his penis in public? God for sakes!
Why don’t you report when I saw a very girly feminine United Puerto Rican Fat Flight Attendant size of a peanut butter got a Jewish woman arrested with his female bitchy Flight Attendant coworker from Iceland?
Why don’t you report when I was kicked out of First Class on American for allegedly just looking at the Female Flight attendants name bar, She lied and said that I grabbed it. I have to wear glasses and I put my glasses on to see it to report her to the company. But she went to the Captain and told him that I touched her name badge.
They kicked me out of the plane, my luggage went to Miami. It was never found. I had lots of expensive things in there. I never got refunded from American Airlines.
Report that please!
Flight Attendants harass passengers all the time.
I just witnessed a horrible Tiger Air Flight Attendant harass an older man and would not let him switch seats from an economy to another seat, as they had the very few passengers all next to each other on an empty flight from Phuket to Singapore.
Flight Attendants are on powertrip.
You keep saying how wonderful Etihad is. I just flew the Residence and the Butler was a total asshole. My partner and I moved to the bar to have a sandwich and he insulted my partner to say, hey where do you want to eat? You are confusing me?
Then the Hungarian asshole Flight Attendant (Butler) said, oh, I am not sure what you guys want?
Then gave him a cold salmon instead of his special meal. Then he said it was too late to serve. We were 45 minutes away from London. The gears came down about 30 minutes later. He could have served my partner his Salmon. The English Chef was an asshole also. He never brought my Arabic Meze. The table was not set up correctly. I did not say anything. Do you know how much these tickets cost? It was my 50th birthday and it was suppose to be a trip of a lifetime.
We did not get our Limo on arrival in Lodnon. Finally my cousins picked us up.
They kept staring at us in the First Class lounge in Abu Dhabi. They are the biggest gossip assholes with Etihad. Why don’t you report Shitty asshole Flight attendants?
There are so many of them roaming around. Regardless of a cheap airline such as Tiger Air, or a legacy airline such as United with terrible fat cows, or horrible bitchy gay guys, or old nasty fat women or lazy rude straight guys. Or report about Nasty American Flight Attendants who harass passengers all the time!
Please report Flight Attendant drama!
I have had enough of your reports about flight attendants take a picture or a selfie with a freaking zit face Flight Attendant. Plus. those Emirates Flight attendants think they are hot shit. Someone needs to put them in their place. My partner and I got treated like shit from the Butler on Etihad (the Hungarian asshole name Tom) and the British god awful Chef (basically they are flight attendants with better titles)….
Report these please…
@ Claudio, wow I have seen some b itchy comments on here but u take the cake. Did u ever thing that maybe u are an asshole and that is why u get treated so bad by everyone. Think about it ur the common denominator in all this. Also you come out as being racist, sexist and homophobic in ur ranted comments. What did the ethnicity, gender, and sexual preference of these people have to do with anything? Let me ask you this would it be OK for this creep to kiss ur mother, daughter, or loved one on the knock? Where I’m from this constitutes assault. Also love how u attack people’s personal appearance. I’m sure u look like a supermodel at 50 years old right. Like I said you come off like a lil bitch.