After I'd posted that news item and my own comment, I imagined a much different scenario...on El Al, or any other "Jewish" airline...
1. Parents board, a three year old and an infant in tow. As they try to store their hand luggage in the overhead carrier, the infant begins to wail. Mother hushes the baby, who doesn't cease wailing. Flight attendant approaches, a big smile on her face.
"Oy, what a bubelah. Looks just like my Meira at home in Tel Aviv. Let me hold her, while you finish packing away your stuff." Flight attendant rocks the baby, tickles her under her chin and receives a big, toothless grin for her effort, along with some drool on her collar. "Don't worry about that spot. I'll just use Tide, instant spot remover, when I'm back in the galley. Enjoy the flight, and if you need me to look after the baby, come and see me back there. I'm Dahlia."
2. A four-year-old is jumping up and down on his window seat when he excitedly sees another plane off on the horizon. This child, mind you, is quite the obese little boy, and his movement makes for some turbulence. Over the loudspeaker: "Please fasten your seatbelts. We have a first-time flier in seat 14D who is just a bit excited. As soon as he calms down, we'll fly just a bit smoother. Let the boy have his fun, okay?"
3. In the line to board Flight 224 to Miami Beach: a gaggle of children become unruly, pushing and anxious to be on the plane already. The airline clerk says over the loudspeaker, " Would those children wearing the Bais Avraham school shirts please sit down NOW!" Stunned into submission, the dozen children do as she instructs...and do so quietly. After a pause, the clerk can be heard again, chuckling over the loudspeaker: "I didn't say 'SIMON SAYS' !"
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Halevai , if we could travel on airlines that imbue such warmth, such haimeshekeit, travelers might just very well be happier people.
3 comments:
So true... and I've noticed that on flights where the FA's went out of their way to be nice, the kids always calm down quicker. Kids sense tension, and often react accordingly.
That's why your kids probably are chilled out! :)
I agree that niceness helps most situations. But you must have had very different experiences on El Al than I have had. Niceness and El Al flight attendants are not two terms I'd use in the same sentence. YFFMMV (your frequent flyer mileage may vary.)
Elie: I flew to Israel via KLM the one time I went. I was supposed to fly from Toronto to L.A. via El Al last year -- believe it or not, the cheapest way to go. But I had to cancel that trip.
I can only imagine what a true El Al and loud young passengers scenario is like -- probably with all parties being very "hot under the collar."
This post was written as the PERFECT scenario for traveling. If only...
Ezzie: "Chilled out"! If their mom would be that way, they'd more likely be that way. We feed off each other! We're all chilled out...when we're sleeping! ;)
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