In yet another case of MPs and MLAs behaving badly in public, expelled RJD MP Pappu Yadav (nee Rajesh Ranjan) manhandled an air hostess on a Jet Airways flight from Patna to Delhi. He even went so far as to threaten to hit her with a slipper.
The crew’s troubles with Yadav and his aide, the complaint says, began at boarding time. Yadav, a ‘VVIP’ MP, was the last to enter the plane. The parliamentarian and his assistant reportedly refused to put his seat in upright position and switch off his cell phone despite being told repeatedly.
In a written complaint to the airlines over the incident, the air hostess wrote, “While having lunch on the flight, 1A (Pappu’s seat number) dropped the dessert on his bag kept near his feet and asked the crew to clean it. (He) told the crew MPs don’t do this work. 1A took off his chappal and showed it (to) the crew. Told the crew he would hit them with it if the crew told him anything.”
The captain of the flight was informed about his behavior and he radioed Delhi, reporting an unruly passenger situation. He asked that his flight be put ahead of other planes lined up for landing and for security personnel to be present at the arrival gate.
“For landing, 1A refused to upright his seat and unfastened his seat belt… After opening doors, 1A manhandled me and pushed me aside with force to get out of the aircraft…. I went to the cockpit to inform the captain. I was in tears and physically hurt,” the complaint says.
“The captain immediately came out of the cockpit and instructed passengers to return to their seats as Mr. Rajesh Ranjan was shouting on top of his voice – ‘I’m an MP and you can’t do anything to me’,” it adds.
The air hostess’s complaint was certified by the captain who added that, “This is shameful and if a VIP manhandles our crew and gets away free of any charge.”
But considering Pappu Yadav’s clout in Bihar, it’s likely he may get away scot free. In the meantime, the rebel ex-MP was quick to point fingers at the airlines. Nothing of this sort happened,” Yadav told PTI. In fact, Yadav’s supporters who were with him in the flight, in a bizarre twist, alleged that it was the air-hostess who misbehaved with Yadav.
Yeah, right! We totally believe that Yadav! Just like we think it was perfectly ok for 5 MLAs to stop a whole train and ruin everybody’s travel plans just because they were not issued tickets.
While the train issue is a one off episode, this is not the first time, however, that flight crew have had to handle unruly behavior. Reports of drunken behavior are all too common and most often directed at the female attendants on the flight.
Last year in August, a Melbourne-Delhi Air India Flight crew was forced to tie up an Indian passenger who was so drunk that he misbehaved and tore dresses of two flight attendants. As the incident turned into a major row, the passenger was overpowered by some crew and passengers and tied him up on the seat.
And this is just India. Air hostesses across the world experience this kind of misbehavior at some point or the other in their career.
A Thai Air Asia flight hostess was scalded in the face with hot water and noodles by an unruly passenger who demanded to be seated next to her boyfriend.
Perhaps banning in-flight liquor service may reduce the number of such episodes of unruly behavior. But the root cause of this behavior seems to be people’s perception towards air hostesses. Whether it’s men and in some cases women too who think that these flight attendants are fast and promiscuous – so what’s the deal in behaving badly with them anyway? (“They like it”…) Or it’s people in general who mistake their professional service for servitude and behave rudely with them.
Whatever it is, it is probably time that airlines, apart from showcasing their in-flight services, should also start campaigns showcasing the human side to flight attendants. Show that they are real people too. Perhaps it might help a little in mitigating such episodes.
Image Courtesy: BCCL
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