Photo illustration by Barry Kaufman
A passenger's sexist note left for the female captain of a WestJet Airlines flight - and her classic response - has gone viral after the pilot posted it on Facebook.
A man known only as David wrote the following on a napkin and left it on his seat when he disembarked. A flight attendant gave it to pilot Carey Smith Steacy, who safely guided the flight from Calgary to Victoria.
Dear Captain/Westjet,
The cockpit of an airline is no place for a woman. A woman being a mother is the most honor, not as 'captain.' Proverbs 31. Sorry not PC. I wish WestJet could tell me a fair lady is at the helm so I can book another flight!
Flight attendants also told Steacy that the passenger was asking if she had enough training hours, as he was concerned about safety. So Steacy took a picture of the note on the napkin, put it up on her Facebook page, and fired back with this brilliant reply:
To @David in 12E on my flight #463 from Calgary to Victoria today. It was my pleasure flying you safely to your destination. Thank you for the note you discreetly left me on your seat. You made sure to ask the flight attendants before we left if I had enough hours to be the Captain so safety is important to you, too. I respectfully disagree with your opinion that the "cockpit" (we now call it the flight deck as no cocks are required) is no place for a lady. In fact, there are no places that are not for ladies anymore. I have heard many comments from people throughout my 17 year career as a pilot. Most of them positive. Your note is, without a doubt, the funniest. It was a joke, right? RIGHT?? I thought, not. You were more than welcome to deplane when you heard I was a "fair lady." You have that right. Funny, we all, us humans, have the same rights in this great free country of ours. Now, back to my most important role, being a mother.
Once the story went viral, there was nothing but support for Steacy.
One man on Twitter even went as far as to say this is the kind of thing that ruins it for all guys.
Here's one solution.
To its credit, WestJet has stayed out of the fray, saying that commenting on the incident would only lend credence to David's note. The airline proudly notes that it has employed female pilots since its inception in 1996.
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