Do you think the flight attendant was right?

People employed in customer service occupations all over the US are cheering for the flight attendant, Steven Slater 39 of Queens NY, who yelled profanities and basically quit his job after a passenger hit him on the head with with his luggage while taking it down from the over head compartment and I'm guessing refused to apologise.

I know the feeling all too well. I have worked in many customer service capacities both over the phone or face to face and many people are rude because they know once you are an employee your hands are tied so you are fair game. They can do or say anything to you because you as an employee are being monitored, held accountable for your conduct and can be fired while they the "paying" customer are always right and can do almost anything and get away with it.

I wasn't there so I don't know what occured exactly, but I believe if the passenger had been apologetic after hitting the flight attendant on the head everything that transpired wouldn't have. I believe the passenger like so many, felt that since the flight attendant is a Jet Blue employee in full view of other passangers and staff couldn't do retaliate and that thinking is usually correct however, he picked the wrong day to mess with Steven. As the story goes, he took a couple of beers, deployed the emergency shoot and drove home. Though deploying the shoot could have harmed employees on the ground, when a man is as angry as Slater was, I don't think fleeing the scene even via the emergency shoot is a bad idea. Would it be better if he had stayed punched the passanger in the face? Slater was later arrested at his house, while I'm guessing the customer was contacted by the airline and apologised to for the flight attendant's conduct just so the rude passenger continues to patronize their airline. Each person on the flight was also give $100 voucher. That's a big oouch! because airlines are hurting financially already. Slater was charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing which a carry a maximum penalty of seven years in jail. Bail was set at $2,500 which was posted and he was released.

I don't agree with what both parties did but it's obvious that being rude and self serving is a reality faced by people working in the customer service world. It is just a sign of the times. However, people need to remember that flight attendants are not waitresses of the sky whose main job is to be abused and serve peanuts. They are there to save lives. It's obvious that civility and anger management are lacking in both and what they did was not the best way to vent their frustrations.

The bright side is Slater who obviously was fed up with his life as a flight attendant is now a folk hero on his way to becoming a media star. So all's well ends well, for him I guess, and don't be suprised if you hear someone saying, "I'll pull a Steven Slater if anyone messes with me" soon!