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EDITORIAL: Fed up flight attendant heroic or foolish? We say heroic: Cheers for Steven Slater | Ryn Gargulinski: Rynski Life
by Ryn Gargulinski | Blogski Archives, columns and editorial, life, notable folks, heroes, writing | 10 comments
Fed up Jet Blue flight attendant Steven Slater fulfilled a major fantasy many people have. And he didn’t even have to take his clothes off to do it.
What he did instead was speak his mind, albeit over an airline intercom, and hightail it off the plane when his job became more trouble than it was worth.
Yes, Slater is a true American hero.
His Facebook fan page had some 200,000 “likers” as of last week. His name has already coined a new term, as in “pulled a Slater.”
The longtime airline employee was hit in the head with luggage when two passengers were fighting for overhead space. One later chewed him out.
So he skedaddled out of there upon landing, popping open and sliding down the airplane’s emergency chute – while grabbing some beer on his way out.
But quitting his job with such flair is not the only reason Slater is slated as a hero.
For starters, the only thing he hurt was his career, which could now either be defunct or include high-paying speaking and book tours.
He was classy enough to veer clear of the path too many other disgruntled employees take when they storm back into the office and shoot coworkers dead.
Heroes don’t kill in cold blood.
As the recession continues to suffocate the nation, Slater’s timing was also on the ball.
His profession is one of many that have become increasingly thankless. Airline travel has gone from dreamy to dreaded, with snail-paced security lines, overbooked flights, higher prices, random fees and, in some cases, no more free peanuts.
More grumpy and dissatisfied customers are born every minute. The Transportation Department logged in 5,757 passenger complaints this year through June, about 1,400 more than the 4,335 logged in for the same time period last year.
Slater is not the only flight attendant who has acted out. Former American Airline attendant Rodney Loreno was fired earlier this year for throwing a coffee pot at a coworker. He then allegedly vowed to get even by threatening to tell Islamic terrorist groups how to access the cockpit.
Heroes don’t throw coffee pots. Heroes don’t help terrorists.
American workers in many professions have become increasingly fed up. They are still facing furloughs, wage freezes or cuts, and that evil practice called “downsizing.”
The U.S. Department of Labor says unemployment as of July stands at 14.6 million. Those left in the workforce have thus picked up billions of extra duties – with no additional pay.
But those that do have a job – or three – try not to think about the extra workload and hovering downsizing threats, and instead focus on gratitude for having any work at all.
Workers are trapped, or at least feel that way. Bosses know it. “Rat in a cage” is an understatement. At least the rats get fed.
Slater had the courage to break out anyway, never mind the electricity bill or the rent.
He followed his soul, not his wallet. He listened to his heart, not his head. That is what makes him so revered. That is what makes him a hero.
This piece was written as the weekly TC.com editorial for the Monday, Aug. 16, issue of the Arizona Daily Star. We are betting the second line about being naked gets edited out.
Ryn Gargulinski is a poet, artist, performer and TucsonCitizen.com Ryngmaster who thinks more people should exit planes down airline slides upon landing. Her column appears every Friday on Rynski’s Blogski. Her art, writing and more is at RynRules.com and Rynski.Etsy.com. E-mail rynski@tucsoncitizen.com.
What do you think?
Have you ever quit a job in a huff?
Did you ever want to but not have the guts?
azmouse on 08/16/2010 at 10:44 am
Do what ya gotta do, right?!!?
When is it okay, although accidentally, to hit someone in the head with luggage?!? I would apologize profusely! I would have felt so bad I accidentally hit someone with anything.
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Rynski on 08/16/2010 at 10:57 am
those overhead luggage compartments are just injuries waiting to happen. i’ve also seen them cause quite a few arguments – like when one guy decided to move all the stuff out of one and into a compartment farther down the aisle so he could stash his own stuff.
that was not pretty…..
i wish slater well and am tickled by his actions.
….and yes, hitting someone in the head merits an apology, not a chew out session!
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azmouse on 08/16/2010 at 11:49 am
I saw his ex-wife on the news and she was saying he’s a really great guy and he would never just lose it for no reason.
How many exes will do that? He’s gotta be cool, right?!!? HA
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Rynski on 08/16/2010 at 1:00 pm
that is a def. vote for coolness!! hey, if it’s an EX wife, maybe you should see if he’s now single? hahahahhah.
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Alan in Kent WA on 08/16/2010 at 12:37 pm
I don’t call him a hero, but flying is the new “bus.”  In fact, the last real Greyhound trip I took (1982) was more fun than the last tine I flew (April).  My wife told me that Atlanta has better food than Minneapolis.
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Rynski on 08/16/2010 at 1:06 pm
hey alan in kent wa,
what a sad – yet wholly accurate – observation that flying is the new ‘bus.’ yuck!…but you’re right. the last time i took a greyhound was 1988 and it was riddled with some pretty hilarious moments – much more fun than my last flight (july).
thank your wife, too, on the food tips, next time i’m greyhounding in those areas i shall def keep it in mind!
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dr on 08/16/2010 at 4:19 pm
From news reports that I have read that quoted witnesses on board the flight, the guy started, or at least escalated, the whole mess with bad service behavior.  Not hero-like behavior. But I will grant that he went out with a flourish.
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Rynski on 08/16/2010 at 6:18 pm
thanks for add’l info you heard – i did not hear such reports but understand where you’re coming from if such was the case.
…but maybe the witnesses quoted were paid off to say such things by the overhead compartment women? maybe the women offered them extra compartment space to say nasty things about flight attendant? hahahah.
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radmax on 08/16/2010 at 6:03 pm
I have heard reports similar to dr and that some reported that the guy was intoxicated. If this is true he should be brought up on charges.
Heroic? Hardly. How many people could have been hurt by his recklessness?
Doesn’t take much to get a crowd panicky.
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Rynski on 08/16/2010 at 6:22 pm
does this mean you’re not joining his facebook fan page?
so sad you disagree – didn’t hear any reports like you heard, either – and if flight attendant were, in fact, drunk, it seems weird he would be allowed to work? and/or let out on bail after the whole shebang?
good point on panicky crowd – but i know when i’m on a plane and it’s taking 500 years for people to get up and MOVE off the plane, i would be overjoyed if someone popped open the slide – heck, i’d follow them out myself (hahahahaah).