Current mood: adventurous
I was twittering most of what happened yesterday but I thought I
might connect the dots for you. It was quite eventful. So I was flying
in from Panama. The flight itself was pretty uneventful. When we landed
I had this super strong feeling that I was going to be chosen for the
random drug testing. I don't know why. I just had this feeling.
So we land and as soon as the plane door opens there were customs
people and apparently fbi guys waiting on the jetway to check
everyone's passports. That never happens.... or at least I've never
seen it happen. So I was at the back of the plane just chilling and
waiting for the longest deplaning in history and missed most of the
action. Apparently they were searching for a specific gender and race
and letting everyone else pass. The girls picked the next "passport
suspect" in line and he didn't look nervous because he couldn't see
what was going on. Once they found him they threw him against the
jetway wall took his coat off him and handcuffed him and took him away.
Everyone was so confused. Even us. We had no idea what was going on. So
we all go to clear customs and immigration ourselves but the one flight
attendant stayed behind to help a passenger get her cellphone back that
she had left on the plane.
After I clear customs and immigration there is a Delta person waiting
for me to be random alcohol tested. So crazy. I think I have ESPN. :)
So I head to the A concourse to go blow in a machine to prove I hadn't
been drinking before 10am. haha As I'm waiting for the elevator I see
Colonel Sanders... I am not joking. He was wearing the suit, the tie,
the glasses, the cane, and the KFC pin. His wife was in a wheelchair
and he was walking slow with her down the concourse. Everyone was
shouting, "Colonel Sanders!" And he was waving. Now my mouth was
dropped open and I just stared. I had thought he died. I wiki-ed it on
my phone and he did die. So who is this old man walking around the
airport impersonating the KFC guy? It was like seeing the ghost of
Elvis. :)
I get into the elevator with one flight attendant and I was telling her
how this had been the weirdest day of my life and it was just starting.
She laughed. Now when we get into the elevator to take us to our Flight
Attendant lounge, we have to swipe our badges and punch in a code to
take us there. Well I thought there were only 3 levels to the
airport... um no. The elevator this time opened to some part of the
airport abyss with pipes and a worker singing "Welcome to the jungle"
to us. So crazy.
I finally make it to the drug testing area and I blow in the machine
and told the lady of all my events of the day. She was laughing so
hard. Obviously I passed the test. I went to grab some food but the
flight attendant who had stayed behind to help the cellphone lady found
me in the lounge and told me she has asked the customs guys what had
happened and why that guy was arrested. He told her that the man was
wanted for murder. woah.
Anyways... my day was pretty much uneventful after that. I was going to
try and go to TX before my flight the next day but all the planes were
back up due to weather so I stayed the night in Atlanta at the Delta
dorms. Not bad because now they have wi-fi. I wish they had that when I
was in training, would have saved me a lot of money. Tonight I'm
heading to Detroit then to San Diego. Nice long layover... enough to
work out and sleep a lot. Hopefully they won't be as action packed.
Ps. the day before yesterday I had Ricky Schroder on my flight from San
Antonio to Atlanta. The one flight attendant went crazy over him. Guess
she grew up watching Silver Spoons. :)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Scam company of the year goes to: T-MOBILE!
Current mood: aggravated
So I work as a flight attendant for the very few of you that
didn't know... and as a side gig I run myspaces for people. I design
them and keep them up so I need constant internet connection. While I
am in Atlanta I can work by picking up an internet hotspot. So this
story goes back to May of 2008. I was based in New York at the time and
we fly out of 3 airports. Each airport has a different hotspot. So I
signed up for Boingo which was 9.99 I believe a month with NO CONTRACTS
and I signed up (reluctantly, I might add) to T-Mobile for 19.99 a
month. Now I have to admit that I have not always had the tightest
reign on my money and I can be a little absent minded about signing up
for contracts such as this T-Mobile incident.
In June I got transferred to Atlanta and the Hartsfield Intl Airport
supports both Boingo and T-Mobile. So I called and tried to cancel the
more expensive service... that being of T-Mobile. This is where I
discovered I was on a contract for a year. If I canceled this service I
would be charged $200. So I kept T-Mobile and being that I preferred
Boingo I kept Boingo until about November.
In November I thought well I need to start taking better care of the
money that I barely have so I canceled Boingo and started using my
T-Mobile account. Little knowing that it would have been cheaper to
keep paying full price for both services. In my head it made sense to
pay one account for $19.99 and use it rather than pay for both. Simple
math, right? Wrong.
In December I notice a withdraw from my account of $44.95 for a
T-Mobile hotspot. I thought that was peculiar and made note that it was
probably some scammy fee that was hidden in the contract for the new
year or something stupid like that. I made a mental note to call them
and ask them about it but I forgot as I usually do.
Today, In February I notice another $44.95 withdraw from my account for
a T-Mobile hotspot. This time it affects the rest of my bills being
that I alloted (like any normal person) a certain amount to each bill
and just like the rest of America and the world right now I am on a
tight budget. So the $300 that was set aside for my car payment has now
been tampered with because someone took more than was budgeted. Yay for
overdraft fees!
So I call up T-Mobile. If you have a customer service number you
probably want it to be a very clear number to prove you have good
service. Well I could barely hear them through the static so we were
off to a good start. I got transferred 3 times until I got connected to
the right guy. I tell him the situation and he tries to figure out what
was going on. He seemed completely baffled at first just as I was. He
tells me that I acquired roaming fees.
"Roaming fees?!", I said.
"Yes."
"Sir, I go to work at the Atlanta Airport every time and log into my
account in the same way every time on the same Airport web page every
time. Sometimes I get a $44.95 bill sometimes I get a $19.95 bill.", I
said.
He says, "Do you sit in different places of the airport? Like outside
the airport or in a different concourse or a crown room or a starbucks?"
"No. I go into the A concourse, I go downstairs to the flight attendant
lounge and I even sit on the same couch every time. It's yellow so I
know its the same couch. And I have never been to a crown room and I
cannot afford starbucks when you are withdrawing $44.95", I said.
"Do you notice a different screen when you log in?", He said.
"No, sir, I've never seen any other page besides the airport page that
has a T-Mobile button on it which I proceed to click every time where I
log in and do my work."
"Well you've been roaming."
"What? Seriously? Same yellow couch every time. I don't even roam from that couch."
So we proceed to fight back and forth for 30 minutes relentlessly.
I ask him if perhaps he could admit that it did seem weird and that
maybe there was some sort of kink in his system. He said that there was
no way that his system would be wrong. I asked him if he had 100%
confidence that his company didn't make a mistake. He said yes. He said
he believes ONE HUNDRED PERCENT in his company. I said "Wow, I don't
even believe that much in my company. That's amazing!" (I kinda said
that a little sarcastically though). :)
Finally when I realized he was getting me no where I asked to be transferred to his supervisor. I waited about 5-10 minutes.
The supervisor gets on and tells me go to the hotspot web page where it
clearly tells me all the roaming locations. Sure enough. It did. But do
you think I was surprised that they covered their own butts? Of course
not. I'm growing accustomed to fine print backstabbing me months down
the road. I tell him that I think that what they are doing is shady. I
told him that his customer service is also shady. I told him that for
future reference that T-Mobile should talk to the Atlanta Airport and
have a place where when you login it tells you that you are roaming...
whether it's a click box or whatever. But in my understanding if I see
a T-Mobile button for wireless internet hotspot, I think. HEY! I pay
$19.99 for that service I must be able to login here. And sure enough
it logs me in with no problems. I don't think about roaming fees in the
biggest airport ever. In fact I haven't thought of roaming fees since
the late 90's and early 00's when I used to have a T-Mobile phone which
I canceled over 7 years ago and have been a faithful and happy
Cingular/ AT&T customer since.
So I told him all that and I also asked him when my exact sign up date
was because it doesn't tell me on the website when I login. It just
tells me that I have been paying them for nothing for 9 months. He
muttered and stuttered around and said "... Um... I think it might be
in May." I said, "You THINK? no. Not good enough. I need an exact date
so I don't get charged any shady $200 cancellation fees." He told me to
cancel my account before May 17 and that he would also give me a free
month of service in March. I told him that would be fine especially
considering that I will never logon to my T-Mobile Hotspot again. I
will be going back to simple Boingo that has no roaming fees for half
the price.
As usual I do my civic duty to share with you about the corporations
who are ripping off the little people and the crazy things that get
made up as you reason with these poor saps. Don't use T-Mobile. If you
google T-Mobile Customer Service you get a LOT of threads of unhappy
people talking about that specific corporation being a scam. They
haven't heard the last from me... and neither have you. :)
So I work as a flight attendant for the very few of you that
didn't know... and as a side gig I run myspaces for people. I design
them and keep them up so I need constant internet connection. While I
am in Atlanta I can work by picking up an internet hotspot. So this
story goes back to May of 2008. I was based in New York at the time and
we fly out of 3 airports. Each airport has a different hotspot. So I
signed up for Boingo which was 9.99 I believe a month with NO CONTRACTS
and I signed up (reluctantly, I might add) to T-Mobile for 19.99 a
month. Now I have to admit that I have not always had the tightest
reign on my money and I can be a little absent minded about signing up
for contracts such as this T-Mobile incident.
In June I got transferred to Atlanta and the Hartsfield Intl Airport
supports both Boingo and T-Mobile. So I called and tried to cancel the
more expensive service... that being of T-Mobile. This is where I
discovered I was on a contract for a year. If I canceled this service I
would be charged $200. So I kept T-Mobile and being that I preferred
Boingo I kept Boingo until about November.
In November I thought well I need to start taking better care of the
money that I barely have so I canceled Boingo and started using my
T-Mobile account. Little knowing that it would have been cheaper to
keep paying full price for both services. In my head it made sense to
pay one account for $19.99 and use it rather than pay for both. Simple
math, right? Wrong.
In December I notice a withdraw from my account of $44.95 for a
T-Mobile hotspot. I thought that was peculiar and made note that it was
probably some scammy fee that was hidden in the contract for the new
year or something stupid like that. I made a mental note to call them
and ask them about it but I forgot as I usually do.
Today, In February I notice another $44.95 withdraw from my account for
a T-Mobile hotspot. This time it affects the rest of my bills being
that I alloted (like any normal person) a certain amount to each bill
and just like the rest of America and the world right now I am on a
tight budget. So the $300 that was set aside for my car payment has now
been tampered with because someone took more than was budgeted. Yay for
overdraft fees!
So I call up T-Mobile. If you have a customer service number you
probably want it to be a very clear number to prove you have good
service. Well I could barely hear them through the static so we were
off to a good start. I got transferred 3 times until I got connected to
the right guy. I tell him the situation and he tries to figure out what
was going on. He seemed completely baffled at first just as I was. He
tells me that I acquired roaming fees.
"Roaming fees?!", I said.
"Yes."
"Sir, I go to work at the Atlanta Airport every time and log into my
account in the same way every time on the same Airport web page every
time. Sometimes I get a $44.95 bill sometimes I get a $19.95 bill.", I
said.
He says, "Do you sit in different places of the airport? Like outside
the airport or in a different concourse or a crown room or a starbucks?"
"No. I go into the A concourse, I go downstairs to the flight attendant
lounge and I even sit on the same couch every time. It's yellow so I
know its the same couch. And I have never been to a crown room and I
cannot afford starbucks when you are withdrawing $44.95", I said.
"Do you notice a different screen when you log in?", He said.
"No, sir, I've never seen any other page besides the airport page that
has a T-Mobile button on it which I proceed to click every time where I
log in and do my work."
"Well you've been roaming."
"What? Seriously? Same yellow couch every time. I don't even roam from that couch."
So we proceed to fight back and forth for 30 minutes relentlessly.
I ask him if perhaps he could admit that it did seem weird and that
maybe there was some sort of kink in his system. He said that there was
no way that his system would be wrong. I asked him if he had 100%
confidence that his company didn't make a mistake. He said yes. He said
he believes ONE HUNDRED PERCENT in his company. I said "Wow, I don't
even believe that much in my company. That's amazing!" (I kinda said
that a little sarcastically though). :)
Finally when I realized he was getting me no where I asked to be transferred to his supervisor. I waited about 5-10 minutes.
The supervisor gets on and tells me go to the hotspot web page where it
clearly tells me all the roaming locations. Sure enough. It did. But do
you think I was surprised that they covered their own butts? Of course
not. I'm growing accustomed to fine print backstabbing me months down
the road. I tell him that I think that what they are doing is shady. I
told him that his customer service is also shady. I told him that for
future reference that T-Mobile should talk to the Atlanta Airport and
have a place where when you login it tells you that you are roaming...
whether it's a click box or whatever. But in my understanding if I see
a T-Mobile button for wireless internet hotspot, I think. HEY! I pay
$19.99 for that service I must be able to login here. And sure enough
it logs me in with no problems. I don't think about roaming fees in the
biggest airport ever. In fact I haven't thought of roaming fees since
the late 90's and early 00's when I used to have a T-Mobile phone which
I canceled over 7 years ago and have been a faithful and happy
Cingular/ AT&T customer since.
So I told him all that and I also asked him when my exact sign up date
was because it doesn't tell me on the website when I login. It just
tells me that I have been paying them for nothing for 9 months. He
muttered and stuttered around and said "... Um... I think it might be
in May." I said, "You THINK? no. Not good enough. I need an exact date
so I don't get charged any shady $200 cancellation fees." He told me to
cancel my account before May 17 and that he would also give me a free
month of service in March. I told him that would be fine especially
considering that I will never logon to my T-Mobile Hotspot again. I
will be going back to simple Boingo that has no roaming fees for half
the price.
As usual I do my civic duty to share with you about the corporations
who are ripping off the little people and the crazy things that get
made up as you reason with these poor saps. Don't use T-Mobile. If you
google T-Mobile Customer Service you get a LOT of threads of unhappy
people talking about that specific corporation being a scam. They
haven't heard the last from me... and neither have you. :)
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Important travel tips from an Insider
Current mood: awake
Things you must know and prepare for when flying:
Whether you are flying to the ends of the earth or just a 30 minute flight, I'd like to give you some tips to help your travel life be more enjoyable.
1) First things first. Just common knowledge that sodas make you more dehydrated. When traveling you must stay hydrated. This is not a joking matter. My water intake is probably 4-5 liters a day. (your bladder does grow, don't worry)
So skip the cokes and ask for water. Also, just plan on not gorging yourself on peanuts and biscoff cookies... so throw a couple of trail mixes or granola bars in your bag. Definitely splurge and buy a bottle of water once you get through security. Don't depend on my cokes and peanuts to fill you up. Prepare your bags as if this were a road trip... pack snacks, buy waters, bring entertainment!
2) Remember those little metal skeletons that outlines what size our carry-on items should be back in the day? Let's get back to that. You are allowed ONE carry-on item... (something that fits in that metal skeletal briefcase) and one personal item. A personal item would be your purse, manbag, laptop bag or diaper bag.... something you can't live without. Keep your coats on your lap until everyone has put their bags away... this makes sure there are no delays due to bags having to be checked since your coat took up space. Actually use that space under the seat in front of you. It's there for a reason and I know your feet don't actually stretch that far.
3) When you get on an airplane... you MUST not be territorial. You have to share this metal tube with anywhere from 100 people to 250 people. Keyword SHARE! That overhead compartment above your seat... guess what? It DOES NOT belong to you.
4) Don't think your flight attendants are very friendly? Did you say hi to them or smile, or even acknowledge them? You'd be surprised how frequently we get ignored... people won't even make eye contact with us... which leads me to number five.
5) The engine is very loud and when you are looking down at your book, playing a game or whatever and you order a drink... guess what? I cannot hear you. I have learned to become a very good lip reader for beverage selections. If you mumble or don't look at me, I can't help you. Will it kill you to take your earphones out for a second to make a 1 minute conversation with me?
6) Be polite... not just to your flight attendants but to other passengers. I promise I had to give a lady some courtesy lessons the other day. It's sad when a mother had to be taught how to say 'please' & 'thank you'. She just straight up told a passenger to move out of his seat to accommodate her baby. I told her that a "please" and asking instead of demanding would get her a lot farther.
7) Let's talk about complaining to your flight attendant. I understand you have had a very long day and you probably didn't get where you wanted to go as fast as you thought... or maybe TSA took some of your stuff coming through security, or maybe a gate agent didn't book you next to your friend or parent... but we have no control over that. I swear! We don't have secret powers that the gate agents don't... we don't have control to give you any free flights if you cry loud enough. Our primary purpose is your safety... then we hydrate you (preferably with water) :) It is most likely that we have had a much longer day than you on much less sleep and food.... and we really didn't get paid for the entire work day either... so let's think about that. Our maximum duty day is 16 hours. That's a lot. That does not include the time before sign in that we had to do our hair and make-up, get dressed, eat, commute... some flight attendants commute from the east coast, west coast, europe or even japan... it could be that your flight attendant hasn't slept in 24 hours or eaten in 16 hours.
8) So far this may all seem negative to you, but here is something you didn't know... we like to talk to passengers... especially nice ones. We'd prefer to talk to you after our work is done though... We have a mission to accomplish and once it's accomplished we like to talk to people... We meet some of the most interesting people on flights. We like to talk about things that don't involve flying or the merger. Most flight attendants are extremely well educated. Most of them have degrees, speak various languages and some work real jobs, like real estate agents, lawyers... they work as flight attendants for fun on the weekends.
9) We like to laugh. We need to laugh to stay sane. If you joke with us... most of the time we get it... if you are actually funny of course. We also like tips. I know $7 domestic beer is ridiculous... But $7 liquor or wine isn't too bad... considering the quantity you get... and tipping is customary anywhere else on alcohol... why stop on the plane? We didn't have to add the special lime/lemon twists to it. :)
examples of starting your flight out on the wrong foot:
- walking up to a flight attendants without so much as a smile or hello and handing her your trash.
- complaining that you haven't eaten since lunch/breakfast/dinner.
- ringing your flight attendant button before the seatbelt sign is off... that sign is for us too, you know.
- ringing your button to ask us what's for dinner.
- walking out of the bathroom and informing your flight attendant that someone really made a mess in there or that you couldn't find the button to flush the toilet, then just walking off. that is disgusting.
- ordering hot tea on an hour long flight.
- setting your body bag of a luggage on the floor when you are a big strong man/woman and asking the very small petite flight attendant to put the bag away and just walk away. this isn't valet and you didn't tip me. we also don't get paid during boarding... and that is the hardest part of our flight.
examples of a smooth flight:
- load in, drop your nice small bags under your seat or in the bins.
- sit down. read your book.
- turn off your electronic devices. not a joke.
- take your earphones out when talking to the flight attendant.
- make eye contact.
- listen to the PA's so you know your snack and drink selection.
- actually have a snack/drink selection in mind when the flight attendants asks. We have 150 more people to serve after you in 30 minutes. IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT ORDER MORE THAN ONE DRINK ON A FLIGHT UNDER AN HOUR WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU THAT MIGHT NOT GET SERVED IN TIME. So rude.
- talk to your flight attendant... we are people too. Ask them about their cats... haha
I think that about wraps it up... I'm sure there is way more... but just fly smart. Flight attendants and passengers will thank you.
sincerely, your insider ;)
Things you must know and prepare for when flying:
Whether you are flying to the ends of the earth or just a 30 minute flight, I'd like to give you some tips to help your travel life be more enjoyable.
1) First things first. Just common knowledge that sodas make you more dehydrated. When traveling you must stay hydrated. This is not a joking matter. My water intake is probably 4-5 liters a day. (your bladder does grow, don't worry)
So skip the cokes and ask for water. Also, just plan on not gorging yourself on peanuts and biscoff cookies... so throw a couple of trail mixes or granola bars in your bag. Definitely splurge and buy a bottle of water once you get through security. Don't depend on my cokes and peanuts to fill you up. Prepare your bags as if this were a road trip... pack snacks, buy waters, bring entertainment!
2) Remember those little metal skeletons that outlines what size our carry-on items should be back in the day? Let's get back to that. You are allowed ONE carry-on item... (something that fits in that metal skeletal briefcase) and one personal item. A personal item would be your purse, manbag, laptop bag or diaper bag.... something you can't live without. Keep your coats on your lap until everyone has put their bags away... this makes sure there are no delays due to bags having to be checked since your coat took up space. Actually use that space under the seat in front of you. It's there for a reason and I know your feet don't actually stretch that far.
3) When you get on an airplane... you MUST not be territorial. You have to share this metal tube with anywhere from 100 people to 250 people. Keyword SHARE! That overhead compartment above your seat... guess what? It DOES NOT belong to you.
4) Don't think your flight attendants are very friendly? Did you say hi to them or smile, or even acknowledge them? You'd be surprised how frequently we get ignored... people won't even make eye contact with us... which leads me to number five.
5) The engine is very loud and when you are looking down at your book, playing a game or whatever and you order a drink... guess what? I cannot hear you. I have learned to become a very good lip reader for beverage selections. If you mumble or don't look at me, I can't help you. Will it kill you to take your earphones out for a second to make a 1 minute conversation with me?
6) Be polite... not just to your flight attendants but to other passengers. I promise I had to give a lady some courtesy lessons the other day. It's sad when a mother had to be taught how to say 'please' & 'thank you'. She just straight up told a passenger to move out of his seat to accommodate her baby. I told her that a "please" and asking instead of demanding would get her a lot farther.
7) Let's talk about complaining to your flight attendant. I understand you have had a very long day and you probably didn't get where you wanted to go as fast as you thought... or maybe TSA took some of your stuff coming through security, or maybe a gate agent didn't book you next to your friend or parent... but we have no control over that. I swear! We don't have secret powers that the gate agents don't... we don't have control to give you any free flights if you cry loud enough. Our primary purpose is your safety... then we hydrate you (preferably with water) :) It is most likely that we have had a much longer day than you on much less sleep and food.... and we really didn't get paid for the entire work day either... so let's think about that. Our maximum duty day is 16 hours. That's a lot. That does not include the time before sign in that we had to do our hair and make-up, get dressed, eat, commute... some flight attendants commute from the east coast, west coast, europe or even japan... it could be that your flight attendant hasn't slept in 24 hours or eaten in 16 hours.
8) So far this may all seem negative to you, but here is something you didn't know... we like to talk to passengers... especially nice ones. We'd prefer to talk to you after our work is done though... We have a mission to accomplish and once it's accomplished we like to talk to people... We meet some of the most interesting people on flights. We like to talk about things that don't involve flying or the merger. Most flight attendants are extremely well educated. Most of them have degrees, speak various languages and some work real jobs, like real estate agents, lawyers... they work as flight attendants for fun on the weekends.
9) We like to laugh. We need to laugh to stay sane. If you joke with us... most of the time we get it... if you are actually funny of course. We also like tips. I know $7 domestic beer is ridiculous... But $7 liquor or wine isn't too bad... considering the quantity you get... and tipping is customary anywhere else on alcohol... why stop on the plane? We didn't have to add the special lime/lemon twists to it. :)
examples of starting your flight out on the wrong foot:
- walking up to a flight attendants without so much as a smile or hello and handing her your trash.
- complaining that you haven't eaten since lunch/breakfast/dinner.
- ringing your flight attendant button before the seatbelt sign is off... that sign is for us too, you know.
- ringing your button to ask us what's for dinner.
- walking out of the bathroom and informing your flight attendant that someone really made a mess in there or that you couldn't find the button to flush the toilet, then just walking off. that is disgusting.
- ordering hot tea on an hour long flight.
- setting your body bag of a luggage on the floor when you are a big strong man/woman and asking the very small petite flight attendant to put the bag away and just walk away. this isn't valet and you didn't tip me. we also don't get paid during boarding... and that is the hardest part of our flight.
examples of a smooth flight:
- load in, drop your nice small bags under your seat or in the bins.
- sit down. read your book.
- turn off your electronic devices. not a joke.
- take your earphones out when talking to the flight attendant.
- make eye contact.
- listen to the PA's so you know your snack and drink selection.
- actually have a snack/drink selection in mind when the flight attendants asks. We have 150 more people to serve after you in 30 minutes. IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT ORDER MORE THAN ONE DRINK ON A FLIGHT UNDER AN HOUR WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU THAT MIGHT NOT GET SERVED IN TIME. So rude.
- talk to your flight attendant... we are people too. Ask them about their cats... haha
I think that about wraps it up... I'm sure there is way more... but just fly smart. Flight attendants and passengers will thank you.
sincerely, your insider ;)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
T.G.L.F.A.B.
Current mood: cooky/wacky
(The Glamorous Life of a Flight Attendant Blog)
So starting on Christmas day...
(first things first... you must know that as an Atlanta flight attendant we have 6 "A days".. which is on call days... they can send you anywhere at any time for 6 days)
... So ok, Christmas Day. I was on my first A day and I got scheduled standby for 4 hours until 11pm. So I got there in the morning from TX and chilled all day... I watched movies on Netflix, crocheted some scarves, finished my Mandela biography, and chatted with friends. I didn't get called out for anything. So day one was over and I checked my schedule for the next day and it said I had standby again for day 2. I was irritated but whatever. So I slept in the lounge in a smelly little room... by little I mean maybe 5 ft x 5 ft with 2 small plastic reclining chairs in them. They smell weird and they are creepy. But I slept in there until about 9 or 10 am... not very comfortably... but better than the couch. I wake up, do my airport beauty routine put on some jeans and check my schedule again. It tells me I have standby on day 2 and day 3. I check open time (which tells us which trips need to be covered for the day) and it shows all these amazing trips. I called scheduling and asked them for one of those good trips. The guy tells me I can't have any of those trips because I am the only flight attendant in the lounge that can be used for more than 4 days... I kinda didn't believe him... and I let him know that I was on to him. I told him I commuted from Texas so I needed a bed and shower at the hotels... he asked me if I had considered moving to Atlanta... I told him I had a family. haha whatever. It is not his business where I live. So then I told him that if I was on standby for one more day then I would start to smell soon because I needed a shower and I cannot afford a hotel every night I have A days. He didn't care about my body odor.
So I'm sitting around in my jeans and t-shirt watching Netflix... and the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport kicks me off the internet. I call them. I pay for that internet... I should be able to use it anyway I want. Here is basically my conversation with the internet tech guy after we established introductions.
Me: "So I have a boingo account and your internet keeps kicking me off, and I pay for it and I need to have it urgently."
Guy: "ok lemme check a couple things... ok here you are, I see your screenname"
Me: "Listen, I really need y'all to stop kicking me off. I'm here all the time and the internet is the only thing that keeps me sane... for the safety of my passengers, I need the internet back."
Guy: "Where are you?"
Me: "Downstairs"
Guy: "um... why? where?"
Me: "A concourse, Flight attendant lounge. I am a flight attendant sitting on stand by and my only contact with the outside world is your internet. I need it. Please give it back."
Guy: "ok, lemme see what I can do"
Me: "Listen, I don't have windows down here, I don't even know if the suns out... I need the weather bug back, I need my netflix back. I am going crazy."
Guy: "hahaha ok, your back on, reboot and your good to go"
Me: "Thank you so much sir, my future passengers thank you too."
So then around 1pm (3 hours before sign in) I hear over the loud speaker that scheduling has already used all of their standbys and are asking for volunteers. I walk to the front desk to see what I can do. They tell me that I might need to put on my uniform cause things are a little crazy... understatement of the day.
3 hours before sign in scheduling started to call me to help them board airplanes because some flight attendants hadnt come in yet. So I walk in 3 inch heals with al my bags to the other side of the airport. Do you think anyone called me to let me know that the Flight attendant had shown up already before I had gotten there? No. So I trekked across the airport just to go straight back down to the lounge. Then they call me to send me a on a crappy domestic rotation for 3 days. I told the guy (with a little bit of attitude) that I was told earlier that I was the ONLY person in atlanta that could fly for more than 4 days, and I was sure that they could find someone for a 3 day trip. :) They said they couldnt and I fought some more but he told me I was definitely going to Indianapolis... sigh... so I go to find my crew... then I hear my name on the loud speaker... scheduling wants me to call them... they say that they changed their minds and want me back on standby. I snort out a laugh and try not to say 'I told you so'.... but I go back to my couch to not loose my place in the lounge.
Now to save you the reading and exhaustion I will tell you that over the next 8 house I was sent out on over 5 different assignments and taken off these assignments. I was being put through phsycological testing and I lost. I was so tired and fought for my rights. I probably spend one solid hour on the phone just with scheduling alone off and on. Ridiculous! To make a long story short, I ended up with a long layover in San Diego that night. I slept for about 15 out of 22 hours. I needed it after that day.
This is a VERY long story... so I'm trying to cut it short...
We had a medical emergency on the red eye from san diego to atlanta... got in at 5:30 am and then slept for about 2 hours in the lounge then got sent out on a 3 day domestic trip.... with a short layover in new orleans and a short layover in raleigh, nc... unfortunately i'd never been to any of those places and I didn't have enough time there to go explore... so I will have to go back. Finally after all my 6 days were up and scheduling couldn't physically use me any more I got to go to TX.
On the plane back to TX, I was sitting in the back of the airplane on the jumpseat... just tired as anything.... and a passenger in the last row looks at me and tells me... "I dunno who's bag this is, but its in my spot." I told her it was my bag. She said oh. Then muttered something about supposing she'd just put her bag under her chair. Note to YOU as future flyers... the compartment over your head does not have your name on it... You can put your bag anywhere past first class if your flying coach... just as long as the bins close... but really someone should be enforcing the bag size... it used to be only the size of a briefcase... people are bringing on body bags... and 2 or 3 of them. So that spot in front of your legs... yea that is yours for luggage... you can fight for that spot... but the overhead... its supposed to only be for overflowing luggage... in a perfect world. :)
I was so happy to be over with it all and to have new years off! I got to spend New years with my man in san antonio and with some good friends. Definitely a good way to start off the year... and with rockband 2. :)
So my next set of A days started on the 3rd... and my birthday is the 4th. I had International standby on the 3rd but didn't get called anywhere... They already assigned me a trip on the 4th... which is now... to Managua, Nicaragua... so we shall see what is to come... I still have 3 more days after that to come... who knows what will happen.
(The Glamorous Life of a Flight Attendant Blog)
So starting on Christmas day...
(first things first... you must know that as an Atlanta flight attendant we have 6 "A days".. which is on call days... they can send you anywhere at any time for 6 days)
... So ok, Christmas Day. I was on my first A day and I got scheduled standby for 4 hours until 11pm. So I got there in the morning from TX and chilled all day... I watched movies on Netflix, crocheted some scarves, finished my Mandela biography, and chatted with friends. I didn't get called out for anything. So day one was over and I checked my schedule for the next day and it said I had standby again for day 2. I was irritated but whatever. So I slept in the lounge in a smelly little room... by little I mean maybe 5 ft x 5 ft with 2 small plastic reclining chairs in them. They smell weird and they are creepy. But I slept in there until about 9 or 10 am... not very comfortably... but better than the couch. I wake up, do my airport beauty routine put on some jeans and check my schedule again. It tells me I have standby on day 2 and day 3. I check open time (which tells us which trips need to be covered for the day) and it shows all these amazing trips. I called scheduling and asked them for one of those good trips. The guy tells me I can't have any of those trips because I am the only flight attendant in the lounge that can be used for more than 4 days... I kinda didn't believe him... and I let him know that I was on to him. I told him I commuted from Texas so I needed a bed and shower at the hotels... he asked me if I had considered moving to Atlanta... I told him I had a family. haha whatever. It is not his business where I live. So then I told him that if I was on standby for one more day then I would start to smell soon because I needed a shower and I cannot afford a hotel every night I have A days. He didn't care about my body odor.
So I'm sitting around in my jeans and t-shirt watching Netflix... and the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport kicks me off the internet. I call them. I pay for that internet... I should be able to use it anyway I want. Here is basically my conversation with the internet tech guy after we established introductions.
Me: "So I have a boingo account and your internet keeps kicking me off, and I pay for it and I need to have it urgently."
Guy: "ok lemme check a couple things... ok here you are, I see your screenname"
Me: "Listen, I really need y'all to stop kicking me off. I'm here all the time and the internet is the only thing that keeps me sane... for the safety of my passengers, I need the internet back."
Guy: "Where are you?"
Me: "Downstairs"
Guy: "um... why? where?"
Me: "A concourse, Flight attendant lounge. I am a flight attendant sitting on stand by and my only contact with the outside world is your internet. I need it. Please give it back."
Guy: "ok, lemme see what I can do"
Me: "Listen, I don't have windows down here, I don't even know if the suns out... I need the weather bug back, I need my netflix back. I am going crazy."
Guy: "hahaha ok, your back on, reboot and your good to go"
Me: "Thank you so much sir, my future passengers thank you too."
So then around 1pm (3 hours before sign in) I hear over the loud speaker that scheduling has already used all of their standbys and are asking for volunteers. I walk to the front desk to see what I can do. They tell me that I might need to put on my uniform cause things are a little crazy... understatement of the day.
3 hours before sign in scheduling started to call me to help them board airplanes because some flight attendants hadnt come in yet. So I walk in 3 inch heals with al my bags to the other side of the airport. Do you think anyone called me to let me know that the Flight attendant had shown up already before I had gotten there? No. So I trekked across the airport just to go straight back down to the lounge. Then they call me to send me a on a crappy domestic rotation for 3 days. I told the guy (with a little bit of attitude) that I was told earlier that I was the ONLY person in atlanta that could fly for more than 4 days, and I was sure that they could find someone for a 3 day trip. :) They said they couldnt and I fought some more but he told me I was definitely going to Indianapolis... sigh... so I go to find my crew... then I hear my name on the loud speaker... scheduling wants me to call them... they say that they changed their minds and want me back on standby. I snort out a laugh and try not to say 'I told you so'.... but I go back to my couch to not loose my place in the lounge.
Now to save you the reading and exhaustion I will tell you that over the next 8 house I was sent out on over 5 different assignments and taken off these assignments. I was being put through phsycological testing and I lost. I was so tired and fought for my rights. I probably spend one solid hour on the phone just with scheduling alone off and on. Ridiculous! To make a long story short, I ended up with a long layover in San Diego that night. I slept for about 15 out of 22 hours. I needed it after that day.
This is a VERY long story... so I'm trying to cut it short...
We had a medical emergency on the red eye from san diego to atlanta... got in at 5:30 am and then slept for about 2 hours in the lounge then got sent out on a 3 day domestic trip.... with a short layover in new orleans and a short layover in raleigh, nc... unfortunately i'd never been to any of those places and I didn't have enough time there to go explore... so I will have to go back. Finally after all my 6 days were up and scheduling couldn't physically use me any more I got to go to TX.
On the plane back to TX, I was sitting in the back of the airplane on the jumpseat... just tired as anything.... and a passenger in the last row looks at me and tells me... "I dunno who's bag this is, but its in my spot." I told her it was my bag. She said oh. Then muttered something about supposing she'd just put her bag under her chair. Note to YOU as future flyers... the compartment over your head does not have your name on it... You can put your bag anywhere past first class if your flying coach... just as long as the bins close... but really someone should be enforcing the bag size... it used to be only the size of a briefcase... people are bringing on body bags... and 2 or 3 of them. So that spot in front of your legs... yea that is yours for luggage... you can fight for that spot... but the overhead... its supposed to only be for overflowing luggage... in a perfect world. :)
I was so happy to be over with it all and to have new years off! I got to spend New years with my man in san antonio and with some good friends. Definitely a good way to start off the year... and with rockband 2. :)
So my next set of A days started on the 3rd... and my birthday is the 4th. I had International standby on the 3rd but didn't get called anywhere... They already assigned me a trip on the 4th... which is now... to Managua, Nicaragua... so we shall see what is to come... I still have 3 more days after that to come... who knows what will happen.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
my run in with apple... and what you can do to protect yourself.
Current mood: betrayed
So if you didn't know, the window of my mustang was smashed in and my macbook stolen. If you know me then you know 2 things: 1) all of my belongings are in my car & 2) my macbook is my single most important material belonging.
I made a police report. They need the serial number. This is very informative to owners of all electronic devices to pay attention. I don't have my serial numbers being as I live in the air and on the road. All of my other belongings are in a storage unit in Nashville. So yea. This story is filled with a lot of bitterness but I promise you that it is an informative blog and also serves the purpose of entertaining.
I called the famous 1-800-MY-APPLE to retrieve my serial number. I was told and have always been under the understanding that MAC is very customer service minded. Today my opinion has been changed. The following is the non-quoted dialogue that went on between me and my apple service care agent.
MAC: Thank you for calling My Apple, Technical Support. How can I help you?
ME: Yes, my macbook was purchased online about 2 years ago and was recently stolen out of my car and the police officers are asking for the serial number on it so they can look for it. How do I go about getting that?
(She verifies my name)
MAC: One moment please...
(static music)
MAC: Ma'am? Apple policy states that we cannot give out any customer information. So there is no way I can help you.
ME: What? Um... I have to get the serial number. The police are asking for it. Do I need to get a warrant for it? I am here, I can verify who I am. I paid almost $2,000 for that serial number. I want it. It's mine.
MAC: Apple Policy says we cannot give out customer information. There is nothing I can do.
ME: Can I speak to your supervisor?
MAC: One moment please...
(static music)
MAC: Ma'am. There is nothing I can do. I'm sorry for your loss.
ME: I understand customer privacy, but your policy doesn't make sense. When I worked at a bank we had very strict policies as well but if a person can verify who they are then that information is theirs. Now I paid $2,000 for my serial number. I am not asking for someone else's serial number. I am asking for the one I paid for. I don't know if you go home and write your serial numbers down for your tv and computer but I don't... and you have it. I want it.
MAC: Maybe the police officer can call on your behalf and get the information?
ME: The officer didn't pay $2,000 for the number. I did.
MAC: Just have the officer call our security number.
ME: Is there a specific number I should give him to call?
MAC: No ma'am. Just have him call this number you called and he will be connected to the proper people.
ME: So, you are telling me to have SAPD call a 1-800 number and go through all the automated options to get a serial number that I paid for?!
MAC: Yes ma'am.
ME: Unbelievable. I feel like I'm dealing with a third world country.
MAC: Again, I am sorry for your loss. Have a good day.
So, I called the detective on my case. He was as flabbergasted as I was about the whole conversation. He called them and then called me back. He told me that they directed him to an automated response giving him an e-mail address to contact. So he e-mailed it and no lie it told him that they would get back to him in SEVERAL days!
This isn't even a joke. So I urge you to take pictures of everything you own and write the serial numbers on it and put it in a very safe place. Get renters insurance.
My own personal theory is that Apple just wants everyone to have the newest of everything. I had just been eyeballing the new eco-friendly mac. It's so beautiful. and BAM my computer is gone... that's a little ironic, don't you think?
I'm attaching 3 cartoons that prove my theory. Yes, a cartoon can prove my theory
So if you didn't know, the window of my mustang was smashed in and my macbook stolen. If you know me then you know 2 things: 1) all of my belongings are in my car & 2) my macbook is my single most important material belonging.
I made a police report. They need the serial number. This is very informative to owners of all electronic devices to pay attention. I don't have my serial numbers being as I live in the air and on the road. All of my other belongings are in a storage unit in Nashville. So yea. This story is filled with a lot of bitterness but I promise you that it is an informative blog and also serves the purpose of entertaining.
I called the famous 1-800-MY-APPLE to retrieve my serial number. I was told and have always been under the understanding that MAC is very customer service minded. Today my opinion has been changed. The following is the non-quoted dialogue that went on between me and my apple service care agent.
MAC: Thank you for calling My Apple, Technical Support. How can I help you?
ME: Yes, my macbook was purchased online about 2 years ago and was recently stolen out of my car and the police officers are asking for the serial number on it so they can look for it. How do I go about getting that?
(She verifies my name)
MAC: One moment please...
(static music)
MAC: Ma'am? Apple policy states that we cannot give out any customer information. So there is no way I can help you.
ME: What? Um... I have to get the serial number. The police are asking for it. Do I need to get a warrant for it? I am here, I can verify who I am. I paid almost $2,000 for that serial number. I want it. It's mine.
MAC: Apple Policy says we cannot give out customer information. There is nothing I can do.
ME: Can I speak to your supervisor?
MAC: One moment please...
(static music)
MAC: Ma'am. There is nothing I can do. I'm sorry for your loss.
ME: I understand customer privacy, but your policy doesn't make sense. When I worked at a bank we had very strict policies as well but if a person can verify who they are then that information is theirs. Now I paid $2,000 for my serial number. I am not asking for someone else's serial number. I am asking for the one I paid for. I don't know if you go home and write your serial numbers down for your tv and computer but I don't... and you have it. I want it.
MAC: Maybe the police officer can call on your behalf and get the information?
ME: The officer didn't pay $2,000 for the number. I did.
MAC: Just have the officer call our security number.
ME: Is there a specific number I should give him to call?
MAC: No ma'am. Just have him call this number you called and he will be connected to the proper people.
ME: So, you are telling me to have SAPD call a 1-800 number and go through all the automated options to get a serial number that I paid for?!
MAC: Yes ma'am.
ME: Unbelievable. I feel like I'm dealing with a third world country.
MAC: Again, I am sorry for your loss. Have a good day.
So, I called the detective on my case. He was as flabbergasted as I was about the whole conversation. He called them and then called me back. He told me that they directed him to an automated response giving him an e-mail address to contact. So he e-mailed it and no lie it told him that they would get back to him in SEVERAL days!
This isn't even a joke. So I urge you to take pictures of everything you own and write the serial numbers on it and put it in a very safe place. Get renters insurance.
My own personal theory is that Apple just wants everyone to have the newest of everything. I had just been eyeballing the new eco-friendly mac. It's so beautiful. and BAM my computer is gone... that's a little ironic, don't you think?
I'm attaching 3 cartoons that prove my theory. Yes, a cartoon can prove my theory
Friday, November 28, 2008
A Technomadic Thanksgiving Story
Current mood: adventurous
So on Tuesday, November 25th the Abates (that's my family in case you didn't know I had a last name... my dear myspace friends), The Babcocks (that's my sister's new last name and her husbands always last name), The Breeden (that's my boyfriend), The Snavely & the future Mrs. Snavely (that would be my boyfriends best friend and his new fiancee) & JoAnn... sorry I don't know your last name (that's my little brother's girlfriend), we all met at my sister's house for an early Turkey day celebration.
We all work and we are very busy people... so we ordered the turkey from Grady's BBQ... :) Let me tell you that if the Abate/Babcock sisters decided to make a turkey (as we have done before in the past) it would be awesome... and it was! So to save time this year, we bought a delicious one. Then I ordered a delicious pumpkin cheesecake pie. Oh gosh. Yum. I made sweet potato casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, green been casserole, pumpkin bread muffins, some pre-made rolls and some canned cranberry sauce... and yea... ta-DA! We had a FEAST! I wish our parents could have been there to see us... they would have been proud of us.... minus the christmas tree. They might be proud of it next year when it's my sisters turn to decorate it. :) Sorry Jer! :)
Jeremiah (my brother) & JoAnn (his girl) cleaned up the kitchen like nobodies business... and we sat by the fire (with the door open, cause it was hot) and watched a Christmas movie... not THE Christmas Story though... but there is still plenty of time for that. Anyways... we had an amazing pre-Thanksgiving.
Jeremiah (my brother) & JoAnn are heading to Dallas to spend it with her family, Bethany (my sister) & Jer are heading to Colorado to spend it with his Grandma, & Steve & Mere (the future mr & mrs) are heading to Arizona I think it was to spend it with her family... meanwhile the mister and I are both stuck working. Guess you can't beat everything.
So I flew out of San Antonio on Wednesday, November 26. I finally got my SA parking pass so I can drive myself to the airport now. I'm such a grown up... I know. :) Then I got a first class seat to Atlanta. My friends were all in Atlanta because we are all newer, so yuck. So we watched the news about the Mumbai hostage situation and hoped our flight attendants got out since it was the same hotel that we stay at when we layover there. Luckily they have all been contacted and accounted for. So yet another thing to be grateful for on Thanksgiving.
So I slept on the couch in Atlanta and woke up at 5am from the loud flight attendants... but whatever. My sign in was at 7:30am... first stop Philadelphia. Now it was surprising to me that we were so full on all of our flights... but I found out why later. So the first flight was pretty easy... everyone was surprisingly drinking a lot... which I found odd considering it was 8am. I had a couple of first time flyers on board who were sweating profusely from being so nervous. There were TONS of kids on board. I would have thought we were flying the plane directly on magic mountain.
On the way back to Atlanta we had more first time flyers and a lot more drinkers and WAY more kids... it's like they were multiplying. These people haven't been flying at all or in a long time because mid-flight they asked if their kids could go sit in the cockpit with the captain. I informed him politely that we haven't done that since 9/11 and that on their way out they can say goodbye to the pilots and maybe take a picture with them in the cockpit. whew.
I can normally finish a beverage service pretty fast... like 30 minutes for 130 people. That's with 2 flight attendants. But with all these kids and first time flyers and drinkers it took me 3 times as long!
Every kid wanted apple juice, which we didn't have... so the parents weren't sure if they would like cranapple... so I'd have to pour a taste sampler for each kid... wait a minute for them to swish it around in their little mouths and wait for them to decide if they wanted a full cup of the juice. It was like a wine tasting for kids and instead of me being at a fancy restaurant... I was on an airplane... and my clients weren't paying me or ordering fancy named wines... it was cranapple juice to 5 year olds. sigh.
On my way down the aisle with the 100 plus pound cart I get stopped by who I like to call the "two toothless wanders" who wanted to put their drink order in before everyone else... I told them I'd be right back and get to them in order. So by the time I get to the aisle in front of them and next to them and they are yelling out their drink order to me... I was being patient and helping out everyone in order then I got to them. The first guy asked for a Gin on the rocks. I told him it was $7. He looked at his friend and asked him why he had to pay for it if he was in first class (mind you that they were sitting behind the exit rows in the middle of the airplane). I got the giggles and so did everyone around him. His friend informed him that it wasn't first class. He said "oh, well then make it a double and then whatever my friend wants." So I make their drinks then he yells to his friend who is 5 rows in front of him if she wanted a drink to. I PROMISE you that he yelled 5 rows, "Hey! Betsie! Do you wanna drink too?" As he holds up his drink on the rocks proudly. She yells back that she does indeed want a drink and to make it a rum. I was almost in tears holding in the laughter. I've never quite seen anything like that in my plane. So I deliver her the drink.
Before we had taken off there was a girl near the back who had been sick in the bathroom... she was sitting next to her husband and new baby. Right before we land she was right back in the bathroom again... After we land she was in there again. They were the last people off the flight. I had given her sprite and checked on her through the flight. I finally asked her husband if she was ok... he just laughed and said yes that she was just hung over. I felt a little less sorry for her after that. The whole time I had been concentrating on not breathing when she walked by in case she had the flu. ugh.
All that and the endless amount of men flyers that I saw just wearing cut off tank tops and wife beaters... I knew there was something up.
Then I found out that our company had run a $79 special to fly on Thanksgiving. Oh Ok. Now I understand. :)
So I grab my food and head to the next gate... I'm DC bound. At the gate I encounter way more children under the age of five. At this point I've come to realize that America has been procreating excessively for the last 5 years... only starting 5 years ago. I hadn't seen any kids over the age of 5. I've also come to the conclusion that there must be a lot of disfunctional families in America so people are pre-drinking in order to deal with them. So that's my conclusions. :)
As I was sitting there I overhear a conversation between 2 young mothers about the recent politics. The one Caucasian momma is from where else but ALASKA! What are the odds... and the African American momma is from Boston. The Boston momma brings up Palin to the Alaskan momma. I flinch. I watch out of the corner of my eye.
Boston: "So your girl Palin is from Alaska"
Alaska: "yup! She's my girl!"
(I roll my eyes at the idiocracy of it all)
Then they end up in deep conversation of the candidates and neither one of them is well informed. I had to leave.
So here I am in DC. I've watched 2 movies and 2 episodes of Friends... this is pretty much what I'd be doing on Thanksgiving anywhere... I ordered room service and worked on my computer... the world is at peace. :)
I hope we have just as interesting of a day tomorrow as we did today. It was so funny and entertaining.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
So on Tuesday, November 25th the Abates (that's my family in case you didn't know I had a last name... my dear myspace friends), The Babcocks (that's my sister's new last name and her husbands always last name), The Breeden (that's my boyfriend), The Snavely & the future Mrs. Snavely (that would be my boyfriends best friend and his new fiancee) & JoAnn... sorry I don't know your last name (that's my little brother's girlfriend), we all met at my sister's house for an early Turkey day celebration.
We all work and we are very busy people... so we ordered the turkey from Grady's BBQ... :) Let me tell you that if the Abate/Babcock sisters decided to make a turkey (as we have done before in the past) it would be awesome... and it was! So to save time this year, we bought a delicious one. Then I ordered a delicious pumpkin cheesecake pie. Oh gosh. Yum. I made sweet potato casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, green been casserole, pumpkin bread muffins, some pre-made rolls and some canned cranberry sauce... and yea... ta-DA! We had a FEAST! I wish our parents could have been there to see us... they would have been proud of us.... minus the christmas tree. They might be proud of it next year when it's my sisters turn to decorate it. :) Sorry Jer! :)
Jeremiah (my brother) & JoAnn (his girl) cleaned up the kitchen like nobodies business... and we sat by the fire (with the door open, cause it was hot) and watched a Christmas movie... not THE Christmas Story though... but there is still plenty of time for that. Anyways... we had an amazing pre-Thanksgiving.
Jeremiah (my brother) & JoAnn are heading to Dallas to spend it with her family, Bethany (my sister) & Jer are heading to Colorado to spend it with his Grandma, & Steve & Mere (the future mr & mrs) are heading to Arizona I think it was to spend it with her family... meanwhile the mister and I are both stuck working. Guess you can't beat everything.
So I flew out of San Antonio on Wednesday, November 26. I finally got my SA parking pass so I can drive myself to the airport now. I'm such a grown up... I know. :) Then I got a first class seat to Atlanta. My friends were all in Atlanta because we are all newer, so yuck. So we watched the news about the Mumbai hostage situation and hoped our flight attendants got out since it was the same hotel that we stay at when we layover there. Luckily they have all been contacted and accounted for. So yet another thing to be grateful for on Thanksgiving.
So I slept on the couch in Atlanta and woke up at 5am from the loud flight attendants... but whatever. My sign in was at 7:30am... first stop Philadelphia. Now it was surprising to me that we were so full on all of our flights... but I found out why later. So the first flight was pretty easy... everyone was surprisingly drinking a lot... which I found odd considering it was 8am. I had a couple of first time flyers on board who were sweating profusely from being so nervous. There were TONS of kids on board. I would have thought we were flying the plane directly on magic mountain.
On the way back to Atlanta we had more first time flyers and a lot more drinkers and WAY more kids... it's like they were multiplying. These people haven't been flying at all or in a long time because mid-flight they asked if their kids could go sit in the cockpit with the captain. I informed him politely that we haven't done that since 9/11 and that on their way out they can say goodbye to the pilots and maybe take a picture with them in the cockpit. whew.
I can normally finish a beverage service pretty fast... like 30 minutes for 130 people. That's with 2 flight attendants. But with all these kids and first time flyers and drinkers it took me 3 times as long!
Every kid wanted apple juice, which we didn't have... so the parents weren't sure if they would like cranapple... so I'd have to pour a taste sampler for each kid... wait a minute for them to swish it around in their little mouths and wait for them to decide if they wanted a full cup of the juice. It was like a wine tasting for kids and instead of me being at a fancy restaurant... I was on an airplane... and my clients weren't paying me or ordering fancy named wines... it was cranapple juice to 5 year olds. sigh.
On my way down the aisle with the 100 plus pound cart I get stopped by who I like to call the "two toothless wanders" who wanted to put their drink order in before everyone else... I told them I'd be right back and get to them in order. So by the time I get to the aisle in front of them and next to them and they are yelling out their drink order to me... I was being patient and helping out everyone in order then I got to them. The first guy asked for a Gin on the rocks. I told him it was $7. He looked at his friend and asked him why he had to pay for it if he was in first class (mind you that they were sitting behind the exit rows in the middle of the airplane). I got the giggles and so did everyone around him. His friend informed him that it wasn't first class. He said "oh, well then make it a double and then whatever my friend wants." So I make their drinks then he yells to his friend who is 5 rows in front of him if she wanted a drink to. I PROMISE you that he yelled 5 rows, "Hey! Betsie! Do you wanna drink too?" As he holds up his drink on the rocks proudly. She yells back that she does indeed want a drink and to make it a rum. I was almost in tears holding in the laughter. I've never quite seen anything like that in my plane. So I deliver her the drink.
Before we had taken off there was a girl near the back who had been sick in the bathroom... she was sitting next to her husband and new baby. Right before we land she was right back in the bathroom again... After we land she was in there again. They were the last people off the flight. I had given her sprite and checked on her through the flight. I finally asked her husband if she was ok... he just laughed and said yes that she was just hung over. I felt a little less sorry for her after that. The whole time I had been concentrating on not breathing when she walked by in case she had the flu. ugh.
All that and the endless amount of men flyers that I saw just wearing cut off tank tops and wife beaters... I knew there was something up.
Then I found out that our company had run a $79 special to fly on Thanksgiving. Oh Ok. Now I understand. :)
So I grab my food and head to the next gate... I'm DC bound. At the gate I encounter way more children under the age of five. At this point I've come to realize that America has been procreating excessively for the last 5 years... only starting 5 years ago. I hadn't seen any kids over the age of 5. I've also come to the conclusion that there must be a lot of disfunctional families in America so people are pre-drinking in order to deal with them. So that's my conclusions. :)
As I was sitting there I overhear a conversation between 2 young mothers about the recent politics. The one Caucasian momma is from where else but ALASKA! What are the odds... and the African American momma is from Boston. The Boston momma brings up Palin to the Alaskan momma. I flinch. I watch out of the corner of my eye.
Boston: "So your girl Palin is from Alaska"
Alaska: "yup! She's my girl!"
(I roll my eyes at the idiocracy of it all)
Then they end up in deep conversation of the candidates and neither one of them is well informed. I had to leave.
So here I am in DC. I've watched 2 movies and 2 episodes of Friends... this is pretty much what I'd be doing on Thanksgiving anywhere... I ordered room service and worked on my computer... the world is at peace. :)
I hope we have just as interesting of a day tomorrow as we did today. It was so funny and entertaining.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
passion
I was sitting on the plane the other day... I had just finished the biography of Che Guevara & was starting the biography of Nelson Mandela. As much as I am not a communist I do love the way Guevara & Mandela led people. They had so much passion that it was contagious to people around them causing the people to follow them. That's a quality I want.
Back to the part where I was sitting on the plane... I was thinking how to apply my new literature to my life and how I could volunteer my time to help others. I am shady about donating money to charities because they are required by law to only use a percentage to their charity & they get to keep the rest. Then I was wondering where I could volunteer my time... but no charities in San Antonio struck my interest. So I was thinking about what my passions are. Music.
I love music. I love being backstage. I love organizing. Everything about a live show is amazing to me. It makes me happy. So I was thinking how I could put the three things together. Music, charity, & leadership. That's when my idea hit me. It hit me so hard that all the ideas in my head flooded to life and I almost couldn't contain it. I just needed to call people and let it flow.
I've always thought I had some amazingly talented friends. I've thought about starting a company with all of them... but money and work and friends doesn't always work out. So what if everything was one hundred percent non-profit? No money was involved. No paychecks, no greed. What if everyone just donated a little bit of their time for one common purpose?
This is where the Underground Music Revolution was born... on an airplane heading to Texas sometime in October of this year.
I have lived in Nashville & been around the music scene for about the last 2 and a half years. I've seen the most talented people get looked over by major labels and I've seen the worst bands ever get signed. My personal belief is that labels are only good for financial support and for who they know. The rest of what they do is bad. They front money to bands who have never seen that much money & get them all excited. The young bands sign papers and don't even have a clue that they just sold themselves to the devil.
See, after a label signs a band the label gets a say in the artistic side, they can change an artists appearance, name, sound, etc. Then do you think after the artist has made it bigger that they see much more money? Nope. Some bands can get as little as 6 percent of profit from gross sales. Do you remember how they fronted the band that advance in the beginning? Well now its time for them to repay it too. It's an ugly thing those greedy corporations. They forgot their passion of music and now their only "passion" is counting zeros on their paychecks.
one source: http://www.futureofmusic.org/contractcrit.cfm
So what can we do? I believe that we can work without labels. I have a few friends, and my friends have friends, etc. We all know people... just like the labels. We all have money... not anything near what the corporations have, but if some of that money goes to graphic designers, photographers, wardrobe, hair & make up, music attorneys, managers, promoters, etc. Well heck! I know all those same people too... People that still have a passion. An old fashion romance for what music could be. People that are tired of listening to the radio & hearing the same awful 40 songs over & over.
Passion is contagious.
So where do you come in? Everyone is a dire necessity for this revolution to work. Anyone can do something whether you are a part of the "music business" or not. Whether you hold fundraisers or donate your talent... you are needed... you are appreciated... and we support you too.
Our goals are to help artists who are talented but have been looked over. Artists who have passion just like us & good character that would repay the revolution tenfold when the time comes around. An artist who just needs a push and will explode when people hear. You don't have to like the music of our artist that we happen to be working for at the time. You just have to like what we do enough to support us and spread the word... maybe you will want to host your own fundraiser... or make a donation.
Personally I organize people. I make things happen. I also collect the tops of soda cans. I have other flight attendants that do it for me as well. It's something small but it's worth more than just recycled money. It raises awareness to every person who asks me why I'm collecting a tab... and it gets about $8/lb. It isn't much but its something. There is nothing too small.
Our revolution surpasses politics, race, religion & genre.
Back to the part where I was sitting on the plane... I was thinking how to apply my new literature to my life and how I could volunteer my time to help others. I am shady about donating money to charities because they are required by law to only use a percentage to their charity & they get to keep the rest. Then I was wondering where I could volunteer my time... but no charities in San Antonio struck my interest. So I was thinking about what my passions are. Music.
I love music. I love being backstage. I love organizing. Everything about a live show is amazing to me. It makes me happy. So I was thinking how I could put the three things together. Music, charity, & leadership. That's when my idea hit me. It hit me so hard that all the ideas in my head flooded to life and I almost couldn't contain it. I just needed to call people and let it flow.
I've always thought I had some amazingly talented friends. I've thought about starting a company with all of them... but money and work and friends doesn't always work out. So what if everything was one hundred percent non-profit? No money was involved. No paychecks, no greed. What if everyone just donated a little bit of their time for one common purpose?
This is where the Underground Music Revolution was born... on an airplane heading to Texas sometime in October of this year.
I have lived in Nashville & been around the music scene for about the last 2 and a half years. I've seen the most talented people get looked over by major labels and I've seen the worst bands ever get signed. My personal belief is that labels are only good for financial support and for who they know. The rest of what they do is bad. They front money to bands who have never seen that much money & get them all excited. The young bands sign papers and don't even have a clue that they just sold themselves to the devil.
See, after a label signs a band the label gets a say in the artistic side, they can change an artists appearance, name, sound, etc. Then do you think after the artist has made it bigger that they see much more money? Nope. Some bands can get as little as 6 percent of profit from gross sales. Do you remember how they fronted the band that advance in the beginning? Well now its time for them to repay it too. It's an ugly thing those greedy corporations. They forgot their passion of music and now their only "passion" is counting zeros on their paychecks.
one source: http://www.futureofmusic.org/contractcrit.cfm
So what can we do? I believe that we can work without labels. I have a few friends, and my friends have friends, etc. We all know people... just like the labels. We all have money... not anything near what the corporations have, but if some of that money goes to graphic designers, photographers, wardrobe, hair & make up, music attorneys, managers, promoters, etc. Well heck! I know all those same people too... People that still have a passion. An old fashion romance for what music could be. People that are tired of listening to the radio & hearing the same awful 40 songs over & over.
Passion is contagious.
So where do you come in? Everyone is a dire necessity for this revolution to work. Anyone can do something whether you are a part of the "music business" or not. Whether you hold fundraisers or donate your talent... you are needed... you are appreciated... and we support you too.
Our goals are to help artists who are talented but have been looked over. Artists who have passion just like us & good character that would repay the revolution tenfold when the time comes around. An artist who just needs a push and will explode when people hear. You don't have to like the music of our artist that we happen to be working for at the time. You just have to like what we do enough to support us and spread the word... maybe you will want to host your own fundraiser... or make a donation.
Personally I organize people. I make things happen. I also collect the tops of soda cans. I have other flight attendants that do it for me as well. It's something small but it's worth more than just recycled money. It raises awareness to every person who asks me why I'm collecting a tab... and it gets about $8/lb. It isn't much but its something. There is nothing too small.
Our revolution surpasses politics, race, religion & genre.
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