The Marxist in me is always looking for signs of the revolution. Is this it? Is this the start? A disgruntled airline worker going down an emergency chute with a beer?

Anything is possible.

Charles Mudede—who writes about film, books, music, and his life in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, the USA, and the UK for The Stranger—was born near a steel plant in Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe. He has no memory...

33 replies on “Workers of the World Unite Around JetBlue Flight Attendant?”

  1. Did you hear Ted Stevens may have died in a plane crash? If I were a more terrible person, I’d say this is the week of justice by airplane.

  3. Oh, that man just lived out every flight attendant’s fantasy. I think he exercised remarkable restraint by not clocking that passenger on the head. And the exit on the slide? AWESOME.

  4. And he’s rising up and starting a revolution against what, exactly? The rudeness of airline passengers? “The Man” is not responsible for some asshole airline passenger who’s being a dick. Besides that, overreaction much?

  5. Well, there’s something for everyone in this story, really: a doublechinned gay past his prime mortgaged to a modest New York neighborhood has cracked under the prospect of living out what remains of his working days kissing ass in our overwhelming service economy. He rode the emergency exit into fame, which in our nation of daydreaming clerks counts as transcendence.

    Not Marxism, Charles, so much as escapism.

  6. Honestly, Charles? Mild socialism is the way to go: You get free health care, and get to keep good coffee and clothing. Marxist revolutionaries of the past? Too much self-denial, boring uniforms, and a limited diet. (Okay, Che was hot, but he was an anomaly.) I just don’t think it would fly with the youngsters these days.

    I do, however, think this might be a wake-up call for the rude idiots of the world.If you thought that at any minute, a flight attendant or barista could go postal (go Jet Blue?) and clock you with your own luggage, or fling an espresso in your face, people might have to start being a little more polite.

  8. Air travel sucks, and the worst part of it isn’t the high prices or long security lines or delayed flights, the worst part is the other travelers… being stuck for hours with people you otherwise wouldn’t spend thirty seconds with.

  9. Funny, I’ve been flying in Asia for years, flight attendants there never threw hissy fits. Always kind, polite and  professional, nothing like the entitled, fat middle aged bitches  and queens you have in  the USA.

    You’re flying fucking waitresses. Pay should be minimum wage PLUS tips and when you’re 30, or have a BMI higher than a Japanese 18 year old stewardess, you get your ass sent down to baggage handling.

  11. I could give two shakes about Marxist fantasies. Why was this guy arrested by (reportedly) a SWAT team backed up by helicopters?

    Were they afraid that the two beers might not have worn off?

  15. Yeah. This is the start, Charles. Run to your underground bunker, lock yourself in, and once we’ve got the workers’ paradise up and running we’ll come and fetch ya. 🙂

  16. I do hope this causes some united worker’s front to pop up. Customer abuse is real, and serious, and it has to be effecting a lot of people because more people than ever are in customer service fields. I normally love my job and want to do it to the best of my abilities, but all it takes is one awful, entitled, self-righteous ass of a customer to make me contemplate the benefits of homelessness or sugar daddies.

  18. Good Morning Charles,
    I didn’t get the whole story (a passenger apparently slugged the flight attendant with her luggage first?) until just recently. I believe the passesnger should be banned from flying or at least cited/fined for her behavior. I have some some empathy for the flight attendant but he should have stayed cool. I don’t think he should have been fired or arrested. And, I don’t believe it has anything to do with Marxism or revolutionaries. It’s a “I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore.” moment that’s all.

  19. lark: Since you got just about every fact wrong, perhaps you should withhold comment until you’ve actually read the story. Just a thought.

  21. @11 and @12 the helicopters are because the big corporations know this is a revolutionary act. Why else? Was he really dangerous? One cop car and two cops would have been plenty.

    Fall in line and don’t fuck with the brand name.

  22. @20 they expect people to try crazy things while getting on a plane, not while exiting. Also, he was uniformed. You would think somebody would have radioed somebody though.

  23. I don’t get the reaction. Helicopters? Because he swore at someone and made a dramatic exit? It’s not like he opened fire, which is usually how these stories end.

    Whoops — duh. I just answered my own question.

    Okay, all I’ll say is if more personal meltdowns were like this, we’d live in a much safer (and more entertaining) world.

  26. @23 the helicopters and SWAT were probably because the authorities didn’t now yet whether this guy was going to go on a gun-toting rampage after he lost it. He’d clearly COMPLETELY lost it and considering that as we all know, employees that lose it sometimes do go on murderous rampages, I think the reaction was actually justified.

    @25 you’re deluded if you think airlines want to or even could start banning passengers just because they do shit like get up before the fasten seatbelt sign is off or swear at FA’s. they’d be constantly banning passengers and it would be a total PR nightmare and all of us commenters would be all like “dude, what the fuck is up with the airlines being all dictatorial and banning people who are just fighting ‘the man'”. believe me – in this the airlines can’t win and they’re really not at fault. we have only ourselves to blame. we want luxury service but also cheap air travel. can’t get both.

    and by the way – we don’t know yet exactly what happened. did the passenger actually assault slater or did the bag accidentally hit slater on the head as the passenger was retrieving it from overhead. those are 2 completely different scenarios. i assumed the latter. clearly if the passenger actually assaulted slater then the passenger should be charged with assault among other things as well as banned. but we don’t know yet.

  27. @19 bigyaz
    What “facts” do I have wrong? I am not off the mark at all. Didn’t you see the “?” @26 is spot on. None of us know exactly what happened on that aircraft unless they were a passenger. I read another piece on the incident. It is fair to render judgment on the unruly passenger but most of what I said regards Charles’ comments. Please read before you retort.

  28. Free Steven Slater!!!

    “Mr. Slater said over the plane’s intercom, “Those of you who have shown dignity and respect for 20 years, have a great ride,” before making his final exit.”

    he won the class war.

  29. I’m with this guy, but damn… How could he throw a 28 year investment down the hole over some rude idiot? He can kiss any retirement he could’ve had goodbye.

  30. @26,

    If airlines took corrective action against shitty passengers, passengers would have to shape up. The one positive thing about increased airport/airline security post-9/11 is that at least the shrieking, violent or borderline violent passengers get arrested and convicted in federal court.

  31. @29,

    I can’t speak to JetBlue’s situation specifically, but many airlines have gutted their benefits and pension plans. He may not have much to lose.

  32. @31 Might help to explain why he told everybody to fuck themselves, haha.

    I checked it out – Jetblu has a good benefit package, but only provides a 401(k). At least he can take his money with him.

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