“It’s not my job.”
How many times have you heard that? Probably too many, as there seems to be a lack of responsibility in the workforce these days.
Sometimes that’s very true. But not in the instance of flight attendants. They are not a maid, they are not there to clean up after you. That issue came to the national spotlight this week with two separate incidents. In one, a Major League Baseball player publicly complained on Twitter that his pregnant wife was asked to clean up a mess on the floor of leftover popcorn by his daughter.
In the other incident, a flight was apparently delayed because there was allegedly some spilled rice in the aisle.
In the instance of the baseball player, the rationale was, don’t sell me the popcorn if you don’t intend to clean it up. My philosophy is, don’t buy it when you know it’s probably going to need to be cleaned up.
Clean up after your kids!
It’s not just lip service when a flight attendant says to buckle your seat belt or sit straight up. It is for your own protection and safety. To be apparently offended that you were asked to clean up your personal space is really the true offense.
There are people who come on board right after it has landed and clean up messes and even vacuum. That is not the job of a flight attendant. And let’s not compare it to an usher in a movie theater. It’s two different things.
Instead, let’s define our roles here. My parent is a parent. You’re supposed to watch over your children. A flight attendant is not supposed to watch over you, except to protect and keep you healthy and safe. Maybe there’s too much expectation in the world today, or maybe some people haven’t learned the art of job descriptions.
This is not the old days of flying.
Sorry to burst your bubble or ruin any preconceived notions you had about flying, but cleaning up popcorn or cereal or whatever is truly not their job. Strike Three!
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