Monday, February 06, 2006

When is it Time to Quit?

Most days I love my job.  But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to having days when I’m more aligned with Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It.”

Every once in awhile, usually after a few drinks, crew members will sit around and talk about how much longer they intend to fly.

Responses vary, from the relative new hires that talk about doing this job for a little while, “just for the travel benefit,” to long-time flight attendants who wonder if their retirement plans are going to be sufficient to allow them to ever leave the work force.  As the job has shifted its shape over the last decade, many flight attendants face the disillusionment of what the job has now become and wonder how much longer they can last.

It’s never an easy decision to leave a job.  That’s why I got such a chuckle out of “Time to Quit”, Flight Attendant James Wysong humorous listing of ways that you know it’s time to quit being a flight attendant.  

There were a few that I could relate to:

  • Several hotel staffs know you by name.

  • Passengers ask you questions at the airport and you aren’t even in uniform.

  • You start to smell like a Boeing aircraft. Eau de Boeing they call it.

  • You start saying “Buh-bye” in your sleep.

When will you know that it’s time to quit?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's always good days and bad days in any job. If you are fortunate, the good days out number the bad ones. I think James is on to something with his last point --- if you can no longer find the humor in the job, then it's time to quit.

Anonymous said...

LOL...oh, and don't we have our bad days! But, like the pictures in my last post portray...I have the best job in the world and even with all the crappy times I wouldn't trade it for nothin'! We are blessed! At least we don't have to look at a cubicle wall for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week! ;)

Anonymous said...

How you know you've been a flight attendant too much:

-Closing your car doors and house doors require a cross check.

-You run over the safety equipment in your car before every long trip.


JUST A FEW OUT OF MY IMAGINATION! :-P

Fly Girl said...

Love 'em Joey.

Anonymous said...

* You start to take your meals standing at the kitchen counter, even after you've served your family sitting at the table.

Anonymous said...

For me...Miss. Regional girl...you cross your seatbelts in your car after everyone gets out! LOL! I haven't really done this but I almost did once...I caught myself, thank goodness! :)

Anonymous said...

flygirl #2 - YOU'RE A REGIONAL!?!?!

That sucks so much! My mom was a part of ASA for a while... right before Delta... she was talking to a girlfriend of hers about the job, and her only complaint was that the CRJ straps are too uncomfortable in the chest area. Of course, being my mom, she had to add in the "...made my boobs all squished...." [I joined at the wrong time in the conversation - DONT ask! :-P ]

Happy (Puddle-Hopping) Flying!

-Joey