# Did this flight attendant overstep her bounds? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703 "2011-11-22T01:44:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/21 "2011-11-22T03:50:06Z")
Sounds a little bitchy to me. She of told her “I’ll tell you what colour the soap is, if you tell me what colour the trim is on the tail of the plane” What ever her answer is say “good for you” like your talking to a puppy and sit down. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/22 "2011-11-22T03:50:15Z")
She was flirting with you. Ooops … I just realized that the OP is OpalCat, who, I believe, is female, so perhaps not. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/23 "2011-11-22T04:00:30Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I think she was deliberately acting towards you as if you were a child as a silly joke, and you’re overreacting. Southwest are well known for kidding around. I’m not “overreacting”–I’m not reacting at all. This had essentially zero emotional impact on me. I merely noted it as quite odd and wondered if the Dopers agreed with me that it was a bit unprofessional. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/24 "2011-11-22T04:07:42Z")
We love you, you love us. We’re much faster than the bus. If I could remember the second verse I’d post that, too. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/25 "2011-11-22T04:38:52Z")
I think it’s ok for the flight attendant to bust people’s chops about hygiene. The airline industry is by far the number one vector for worldwide disease transmission. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/26 "2011-11-22T04:43:53Z")
I wouldn’t call that “unprofessional”. Unprofessional would imply that she was somehow not doing her job adequately. Her job is ensuring passenger safety during the flight. Serving you peanuts and drinks is just incidental. I would call it “slightly rude”, although I suspect she was just trying hard to be funny and it didn’t work out. I fly Southwest quite often. The staff are usually very friendly, often agonizingly corny, sometimes weird and very infrequently rude. Your flight attendant was apparently some combination of the latter two. However, I’ve never seen any Southwest staff behave “unprofessionally”. Their record of safety and profitability backs that up. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/27 "2011-11-22T05:17:34Z")
> [@thirdwarning](#): > > We love you, you love us. > We’re much faster than the bus. > > If I could remember the second verse I’d post that, too. :rolleyes: Thank god you can’t remember the second verse. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/28 "2011-11-22T06:07:26Z")
She may have been trying to make a joke, which fell flat. When you asked her if you could get up to use the restroom when the seatbelt signs were on and she said she wouldn’t tackle you, it sounded like she was being humorous then, in a friendly kind of manner. It also might have been the same when she asked you what color the soap was. Although if she had asked me the same thing, I probably would have been “WTF?” too. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/29 "2011-11-22T06:24:44Z")
Sorry, I just realized I was doing the same thing I was bitching at someone else for doing in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/30 "2011-11-22T07:11:14Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > I’m not “overreacting”–I’m not reacting at all. This had essentially zero emotional impact on me. I merely noted it as quite odd and wondered if the Dopers agreed with me that it was a bit unprofessional. You asked for opinions… and 1. you posted this thread, and 2. you said “she made me feel really self conscious”. Both sound like reactions to me, one of them involving emotions. Anyway, that’s all, just offering an opinion as requested: you missed an obvious joke. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/31 "2011-11-22T08:27:54Z")
Coulda been worse. She might have demanded to know what color is the boathouse at Hereford. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/32 "2011-11-22T12:48:06Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > You asked for opinions… and 1. you posted this thread, and 2. you said “she made me feel really self conscious”. Both sound like reactions to me, one of them involving emotions. > > Anyway, that’s all, just offering an opinion as requested: you missed an obvious joke. Fair enough, but my “emotion” was more “WTF?” than anger or anything like that. It just seemed like too personal a question for a total stranger to be joking about. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/33 "2011-11-22T13:08:08Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Coulda been worse. She might have demanded to know what color is the boathouse at Hereford. \ Actually I would pull out my little thing of [soap leaves](http://www.minimus.biz/Travelon-Travel-Fresh-Hand-Soap-Sheets-C02-0186201-9100.aspx) and look =) [FTR, white] ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/34 "2011-11-22T13:34:25Z")
“…What colour is the soap?” “If you would rather be blowing the ground crew than studying for your flight attendant’s exam, _I. can’t. help. you._” ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/35 "2011-11-22T14:01:06Z")
She could probably tell by listening whether or not you used the faucet. She busted you for not washing your hands and you were embarrassed. Move on. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/36 "2011-11-22T14:09:05Z")
Isn’t this the same airline that said “Eenie meenie minie moe, take your seats it’s time to go”, and a few passengers responded with “She called me a nigger!”? ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/37 "2011-11-22T14:12:44Z")
Yup, she just made a joke. Granted, maybe the delivery wasn’t great, but I don’t think she did anything wrong. > [@](#): > > Do your fucking job, which is not “hack comedian.” I don’t like this aspect of modern life whereby anyone who happens to have a job must void themselves of any trace of personality. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/38 "2011-11-22T15:33:41Z")
She made a joke, she was being friendly. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/39 "2011-11-22T17:01:21Z")
Um . . . what’s the joke? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703/40 "2011-11-22T17:04:06Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > She could probably tell by listening whether or not you used the faucet. She busted you for not washing your hands and you were embarrassed. Move on. Wrong. If she could hear the sink, she would know I _did_ wash my hands. Airplane bathrooms are gross–I wouldn’t touch anything in one without washing my hands before leaving. I did mention to her, however, that the paper towels were difficult to get out of the dispenser. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-flight-attendant-overstep-her-bounds/603703.md?page=3)