Mean Girls

Have you ever heard the expression..."Don"t bite the hand that feeds you?"


This little past experience of mine might make you think twice the next time you eat out or happen to be on a flight that actually serves food...




I was on a work flight (meaning--I was still in F/A training and had to work several practice trips before I graduated). On this particular day, I was assigned a JFK to LAX flight working with a very senior LAX crew. These were some very seasoned senior mamas, I'm telling you.


Everything went fine with the introductions. I was a bit intimidated by them, but was determined to just go with the flow.


In most cases, on the months that you have a set schedule and are not on reserve (on call), you work with the same crew including the cockpit.


This LAX crew had been working together all month and apparently was irritated by the Captain. He had been and rude throughout the entire month--demanding when his meal was to be brought up to the cockpit, not giving them a briefing at the beginning of the flight, micromanaging the exact order in which the insert was to be set up (insert is the container that holds their drinks), and other things along those lines. He even insisted on garnishes (which in my opinion has always been a bugaboo to me when a man insists on a lemon. SERIOUSLY! Be a man!


So anyway, you get the point...tensions were high...and they quickly brought me up to speed with their gripes.


When it came time for the cockpit's meal to be brought up, the F/A who was working in the galley started to plate the Captain's food. (He had requested the filet). She called me over (I was assisting in the galley) and told me to open the door to the lavatory. Now this was on a DC 10 aircraft, so the configuration was such that the lavatory was situated right in front of the business class section but when the lav door was opened, it blocked the view to the side of the galley, so none of the passengers could see what was taking place.

AND THEN...

She picked up his tiny little airplane sized filet and lifted up the toilet seat. She proceeded to rub the meat over the entire underside of the toilet, and then placed it face down back on his plate.

I wish I were exaggerating!

What could I do?! She was mean! I was just a trainee! By me telling her to stop, what would she have done or said about me?! Does this mean I have no integrity?


When we went up to get the empty trays from the cockpit later on, it was apparent that he had eaten the entire thing! Not a morsal was left!


Needless to say, we made it safely to our destination, but I never heard how many hours he spent in the toilet after that trip...


So for all you people out there, let this be a lesson learned...ALWAYS be nice to the people who have stewardship over your food!




**What would you have done if you had been me?

**Do you think that guys that ask for a lemon garnish are wee wees?