Back at the charm farm and another early morning survived...
Our instructors kept class moving so I was able to keep my head off the table. The information we are learning right now is stuff that I haven't had any experience in such as all the forms Pursers deal with on international flights for things like customs and bonded liquor. We also talked about the social make-up of the countries we will be flying to. That was very helpful information.
And that brings me to my next topic. I have a way of being attacked lately, only this time, it was by a fellow crew member and it was done verbally. I'll give you the skinny. I was called a liar and threatened with my job all in the space of five minutes, by someone who was listening in on a random comment who wasn't even a part of the conversation. So, what happened?
We were talking about the different types of Jewish passengers we would have on board, and what some of them might request/require of crew members. As you may know, male Jewish passengers may ask a female flight attendant if she is "clean" or not. He is referring to whether or not it is her time of the month, and if so, she cannot serve him his Kosher meal. We were discussing how it would be best for men to serve all Kosher meals to avoid the potentially embarassing question. I brought up that if there were no male flight attendants on board or available to serve the meal, and that if the flight attendant was very uncomfortable with the question and wasn't prepared to tell the passenger and the ten or so others within ear shot whether she was on the rag or not, that she could serve the meal to the passenger whether she was on the rag or not. What you don't know won't hurt you, right? Now, I wasn't suggesting that this was the optimal situation. I believe all attempts should be made to respect the passengers' religious beliefs.
Well, this guy launched into me about how I would go against someone's devout religious beliefs and simply tell him what he wants to hear. I quickly reminded this guy that I wouldn't ever be faced with the situation since I am not likely to be on the rag anytime soon. So then he went on about how I was a liar, and that there are two things you could be fired for in this company: 1) lying and 2) steeling. Now I was forced to support my opinion, which, is all it was in the first place. First of all, I fully believe in respecting culture. But, I also believe in freedom OF religion and freedom FROM religion. At what point is one person's beliefs more important than anothers? Also, why is it that women are expected to give up personal information when a man asks her too, simply to satisfy his own religious beliefs? In my opinion, that could be constituted as sexual harrassment if a flight attendant were to serve me a meal and I ask her if she is clean or not. Anyway, this whole thing is not about being right or wrong.
It's about how this guy, my fellow crew member, belittled me in front of others, called me a liar repeatedly and threatened me with my job. What makes his opinion better than mine? So, after consulting with several friends, I have been instructed to contact our Professional Standards committee and file a complaint of harrassment. Anytime someone belittles you for your opinion or belief, whether right or wrong, and constantly criticizes you for that opinion, is harrassment. Trust me when I tell you I am leaving out half of what he said to me. He said that if we were going to be based together (which we will be) that we need to work this out. He also said the "senior mammas" won't stand for this. Well, little does he know I fly with the "senior mammas" all the time, since I fly Purser. The flight attendants I fly with often have been flying longer than I have been alive. And since he forced me too, I told him the "senior mammas" at my base like me very much, and in fact, am very popular among the crews who fly transcons in San Francisco.
The more I think about it and talk with others about it, it becomes more and more clear that this is undo harrassment, and that this individual has no right to belittle me, call me names and defame my character. Not only that, he threatened me, with my jobb and how well I would be accepted at base. I don't know, I've got myself all worked up again.
Anyway, I am going to see if he approaches me about it again tomorrow or not, and if not, I will contact Professional Standards. It is not a disciplinary action, rather, it is a group of flight attendant's who help sort out disagreements with one another. I don't want the guy to agree with me, I just want him to know he has no right to behave the way he did, and treat me the way he did.
Please, tell me what you think in my Message Board. Thanks.
