Immaculately Smart! Striking Poise! High heeled shoes! Un-matched Confidence! and An amiable persona! Are but a few of the very enviable physiognomies of your everyday Flight attendant/safety officer, or cabin crew if you may!
Now here’s a few things you probably didn’t know about us!
- We are on-board, first and foremost for your “SAFETY”
Yes! Safety!
You see that brief, well practised (…….to you) and delivered performance we would unfailingly introduce at the beginning of each flight? yeah! now this IS and SHOULD be the most important 5 minutes of your stay on-board!
In those few and rather quickly passing minutes, we seek to arm you with what necessary information you might need in an emergency! Which could range from a decompression (loss of cabin pressure) to an actual need to evacuate the aircraft! ……..aha! things are beginning to get scientific I presume! But hey! We aint started so “FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS”……Erhhhhh…..allow some breathing space while at that!
- We are HUMAN
Security officers, yes, but no less human than the next person! By this, you get that we have a pulse, we breathe, we feel pain, we are also GRAVELY affected by flight delays (the only difference is…… well we gotta keep smiling to keep you happy even in that event, and it sometimes turns out like we may very well have just kept a straight face instead! However….. Thanks to fantastic work ethics! We cant! Or are not allowed to)
So no…… we are not happy keeping you longer than we should have as this only lengthens our work hours, and deprives us of the comfort of our own beds and the happy throw pillow moments awaiting at home! Which am afraid we cannot buy back when we eventually arrive home at 1.00am sometimes!
When you ask us if our planes are safe!!!!!!!!!………………..
Am sorry?????…….. with me looking like MEL B or JADA and possibly having tickets to the next five fashion shows in LONDON, PARIS and MILAN……. You don’t imagine I don’t want to attend those events do you?
- We WANT to help BUT can only do SO MUCH
its maybe your first or even second flight that day…….but it may very well be my 5th for the day…….!!!!
I really want to help you lift all your bags and give you that VVIP escort to your seat…. But as I am responsible for another (maybe) fifty other passengers, I may not be able to spend as much time with you as I, or even you would want ….. and it is only nice that you understand! (thank goodness cyber punches don’t hurt! As I feel a few already! Lol)
We seldom have “forever to board” and secure the cabin for take off….. so the shorter the conversations are at this point, THE BETTER. #Smiles
We did mention safety somewhere at the top! Yes we are trained and equipped to administer first aid should the need arise… so while you’re worried about not having enough leg room….. I may be needed to administer oxygen to a gasping passenger or CPR to another loosing a pulse, or even help deliver a baby! (as some of you ladies dont exactly tell us the entire truth on the indemnity forms *rolling eyes*)
http://cabincrewcenter.com/saudia-airline-airhostesses-help-saudi-woman-deliver-baby-on-plane-mid-flight/
………….(no need asking which should take priority I suppose?) Ouch! Just dodged another punch! Lol
- We’re not just BEAUTY…..There’s a whole lot of BRAINS going on inside!
I bet you imagine I got here by just a pretty face, long legs, good accent and maybe a good figure? Right? WRONG!
There were exams! Practical and written! And MANUALS that large to devour! Not to mention the ever ongoing re-current trainings and (yet again) EXAMINATIONS!!! Fire fighting practices and simulated ditchings!
Yes! I had to learn about the Fuselage…… Aircraft Electric Systems,…..Drag…..Lift……CG….WingSpans,
Galley models…….gust locks! Oh and I haven’t even mentioned the INSTRUMENTS (let’s not even start that)
- WE LOVE TO HAVE FUN
This you already know! Well with a Job that takes you into different cities daily, the explorer in you gets activated by default!
And here are some of the things we do with “our” space…..when you aren’t there……………sssssshhhhhhhhhhh
…………………..a whole lot of messing around literally!!!!!!!!! lol
- We actually do want to serve you better!
so when next you’re onboard…… make this process easier if you can! Your flight attendant is your best friend those few hours of flight while you’re onboard! We have the power to make that flight MEMORABLE……..( we would rather this was positive)
And we actually do LOVE our passengers (very much at that)…… as they give us even more reason to fly!
That said!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy your flights! And see the CREW as your CREW!
Welcome On-Board
……….from the diaries of a licensed Crew (*wink*)
(Author: Tola Jimoh)
