I can understand it when customers become rude or unreasonable, it can put an employee in a bad mood. Some customers are pretty nasty. I just saw a video of a woman who punched out two fast-food employees and broke a window because she couldn't get her Chicken McNuggets. It's insane out there. I don't know what it is.
Personally, though, I don't go looking for trouble, and as I said, nothing really horrible happened to me. It's just that my impression is, all other things being equal, mediocre and unfriendly service seems to be the rule with airlines these days. Most of the time, I try to be nice. I smile and say, "How are you today?" But more often than not, I get a sour expression where they're just going through the motions.
At least speaking in the passengers' defense, the thing is, when we get to the airport, we don't know what the heck we're doing. Apart from the old pros at air travel who fly weekly or monthly, many of us do this maybe once every couple of years, so right off the bat, there's feelings of confusion and a wee bit of anxiety (perhaps more, depending on how nervous someone might be about air travel). Carrying all this luggage around, trying to figure out which line to go to check in. Long lines. Waiting. Pushing your bags a few feet forward every minute or so. Only 2 or 3 people working to check-in passengers, while most of the other workstations are closed and unstaffed.
In situations like this, it never fails. You see several people checked in rather quickly, and then, there's invariably one couple or group which seems to take a long time. You're standing in line, waiting patiently for your turn, while somebody is holding things up with what appears to be some sort of irregular procedure. Sometimes, they have to consult with their coworker who is taken away from his job of checking in passengers, holding things up even more. Then, they make a phone call and then somebody else who looks like a supervisor comes out, and they talk some more. I just don't understand it. Most people are checking in in 1-2 minutes, while someone has to take 10-15 minutes. I used the self-service terminals they have there, but you still have to hand off your luggage to somebody. It doesn't seem like it should be that complicated.
So, after you get through the check-in, you're a bit relieved after lightening your load, but a little more worn down due to the lines and aggravation. Then, comes the security checkpoint, which can produce even more confusion, anxiety, and aggravation. I agree that they're necessary and they're here to stay, but they can still raise one's level of aggravation and stress. And again, the lines are long. You have to take off your shoes, empty your pockets, go through the body scan. Then everyone is huddled in some corner putting their shoes back on and gathering their belongings. (Some airports provide benches for people to sit on while they put back on their shoes.)
Then, you walk quite some distance to your gate while you sit and wait for the boarding call. Hopefully, it'll be on time. But even before you get on the plane, your aggravation level might be a bit higher than it would be in most routine situations.
When it comes to carry-on bags, I only carry one bag which fits nicely under the seat in front of me, but I see people bringing in these rather large bags which they're having trouble getting into the overhead compartments, and taking an inordinate amount of time in doing so.
And then...there is...the seat. I'm 6'4", so I have to crouch down, squeeze into the seat, and then try to find my seatbelt which is invariably stuffed in between the cushions. I can't get comfortable at all, because there's no room. So, I decide to grin and bear it, since there's nothing I can do about it. Still, even before the plane takes off, I'm thinking to myself, "I can't wait until this is over." On the last flight I was on, the guy next to me kept taking his shoes off, and his stinky feet kept drifting over to my side. But I still kept my cool. I couldn't get too mad at the guy, since he was just as cramped as I was. Still, it was pretty unpleasant overall.
I can understand that with the economy and other business-related factors, they have to start charging for the extras that we used to get for free. I truly understand that and can even sympathize. I'm perfectly willing to pay, but all they had was some kind of snack package which wasn't very appealing. The flight attendants weren't mean or unprofessional, but again, they just didn't seem too happy. I don't think any of them smiled once.
So, from the passenger's standpoint, we have to deal with confusion, anxiety, aggravation, minor irritation upon minor irritation. Most mature adults can still contend with it and get on with their lives, but it's still not a happy experience. People who might be less stable or a bit intoxicated might not be able to contend with it so easily and end up blowing a fuse.
Maybe there's a certain psychology that comes with this. I often feel, when riding on an airplane, as if I'm in some kind of temporary "alternate reality." Just the constant high-pitched hum from the engines can make it hard to hear what the flight attendant is saying or the captain's announcements over the intercom.
Then, the flight finally lands, but you can't get out until everyone unloads their carry-on bags from the overhead compartments. So you have to wait some more. You have to navigate through a strange airport to either try to find your connecting flight or the baggage claim. They're not always that clear about which baggage claim you're supposed to go to, so that can be a bit confusing and aggravating. Then you have to wait for your bags, which can sometimes take a while. By this time, you're just totally drained.
I think for some people, particularly if they're used to being in control of situations, it's hard to not be in control and essentially at somebody else's mercy. The airline employees have the upper hand, since they generally know what's going on, while we don't.
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