April 15, 2010 Flight attendants vs. carry-ons
Frank@OBOW
And they have a website: http://www.endcarryoncrunch.org/
Unfortunately, they pin their hopes on the goofy Lipinsk bill which, as far as I can tell, would do nothing to alleviate the problem. Maybe they should get behind the 10/22 idea…
Check out the survey they base their concerns on. It’s obviously a weight thing, not a size thing.
Frank@OBOW
Appealing to OSHA:
“The lack of OSHA protections has real consequences for flight attendants and it is time that these basic protections that are extended to almost every other worker in the United States be applied to flight attendants as well,” said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. “Our goal is to work with the FAA and OSHA in order to ensure that once and for all, strong and comprehensive regulations are enacted to protect the workplace safety and health of flight attendants.” — PR Newswire
Reader Comments (8)
Yet, every time I flew with them, it was my travel companion or other passengers who helped me put my bag up.
Other times, I have seen a flight attendant move my bag and coat around, squishing them to make room for a guy's bag, the guy would have been able to do it himself but the flight attendant was more than happy to help and "shake her bonbon" to boot.
That same person looked "peeved" when I took the time to set up my bag and coat nicely during boarding.
The best solution is to forgo flying with U.S flagship airlines.
Southwest, Jet Blue have very attending flight attendants and I have heard that Virgin America is very good.
Very soon, flagship airlines flight attendants will have to apply for TSA jobs if they keep that up.
to attendants by putting bags in overheads may just be the result of growing older.
I'm with Backpack on this issue.
As a physician who has treated a flight attendant for a back injury, related to having to hurriedly stuff a FIFTY pound Halliburton case into an overhead bin just prior to a UAL 747 taking off from SFO to Tokyo, allow me to DISSENT. NIOSH, National Institutes of Occupational Health and Safety, defined SIX types of lifting, and relative capacity for such, males versus females (capacity for any given type for females being about 36% less.)
NO surprise that #4, the "High Far Lift," which best approximates putting a piece of luggage into an overhead bin, is associated with the LOWEST maximal ability, 50th percentile for women being 29 lbs., 25th percentile being 24 lbs, a SAFE lift being clearly less than that, not to mention the vagaries that luggage is clumsier than a test object.
The flight attendants have a valid contention, and the data supporting it is NOT new; travelers need to support their concerns!
from:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
DCenters for Disease Control
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Heealth
Division of Biomedical and Behavior Ascience
Sincinnati, Ohio 45226
March 1981
This is not misogynistic. Women are smaller and their clothes are lighter. Yet they take the same size suitcases as men and often bigger ones. Anyone who has ever traveled can attest to that. It's not a stereotype. It's a general rule that has wonderful exceptions but overall it's plain true. So they fill a same size suit case with more clothes even though they are lighter. If we submit that women need the same number of clothing items per day as a man and that each item is lighter and smaller than the male counter part, a woman's case should be lighter and smaller, too. Now when is the last time you saw an 18-50 year old man not being able to lift his luggage into the overhead? I've never seen that. But I bet you have seen women in that age bracket needing help. I know because I've helped. Do it on almost every flight.
Even if you account for women being capable of lifting 36% less than men, the fact that their clothes are lighter and smaller and that the bag CAN be lighter and smaller, too, SHOULD result in an equivalent weight reduction.
Whether one woman takes offense at another woman shaking her bonbon (nice expression) for a male passenger is something that women have to take out among themselves. We males won't complain. We will complain however if a lady handles her anorak like a bride's dress and gives it an extra spot in the bin that takes up as much room as an MLC case. Not uncommon. If she then takes her time on top of it, guess who we prefer. The nice FA who helps us stow our stuff and does a little bonbon shaking or the overpacking, space usurping high maintenance lady? (not personally directed to the above poster, just a general observation)
On a personal note, somewhat related to age and physical ability but also to bonbon shaking, I haven't seen any remotely appealing FAs on any American airline in the last eight years. Most of them are the old and jaded kind. Very experienced, no doubt. But if ever there is a little bonbon shaking from someone actually worth looking at, please don't spoil the fun. It's rare enough. :)