Monday, June 11, 2007

Would That I Could Have

I spent 33 years of my life working with Air Canada - 15 of them at an airport either toiling on or training people for the front lines.

Fifteen years of:
  • having my birthright called into question because the plane would not/could not take off in pea-soup fog or a blinding snowstorm
  • having my IQ level publicly and loudly downgraded to a figure in the minus column because seven pieces of carry-on luggage had been allowed at every other airport in the world
  • having my sexuality thrown in my face because some business man couldn't get a window seat (Yes, he called me a "faggot"; and the only response I could think of was: You'd be a better judge of that than I sir. Which he was too stupid to realize meant: Takes one to know one!)
I only wish at one point I had had the guts to follow the example of these intrepid canines at Bangkok International Airport. No doubt it would have got me fired but damn there were days when it would have been worth it.

5 comments:

The Real Mother Hen said...

Ha this is funny :) and damn now is the day you can recall and blog about it :)

Anonymous said...

where's william?

meh, he got old and crusty (WHO couldn't tell) and had to be put to pasture to guard the sheep ... :P

oh man ... what a neat story ... could me much much worse ... you could still be there! :)

Dave Smith

BigAssBelle said...

oh dear. having just recently again taken to the skies after a 20 year hiatus, i can't imagine what it must have been like flying with such regularity that you'd encounter jackasses like these out of the herd of the airborne. you must have tremendous patience. i'm know the attendants on the flights i take have great patience, else they'd not so pleasantly reassure me over and over that the plane is not going to tip over and plunge to the ground.

those dogs . . . um . . . not to stereotype, but i thought thailand in general and bangkok in particular was known for a wide open kind of freewheeling sex industry which might consider the doggies as ambassadors of what's to available?

lucky dogs. i'd rather chase chickens than sniff suitcases any day.

Anonymous said...

Poor Willym! I served in the service industry for a major portion of my life as well. I quickly grew a thick skin, and then learned how to dish it back from my old jewish lady clientel. I got to be pretty quick with the witty and snide comebacks, and did it with a wink and smile. I know I put them right in their place, without being so offensive as to lose my job. Now? I'm out of practice, and would probably yell something crude and unladylike. I would rather chase pigs and herd chickens anyday...

Anonymous said...

Glad to know you didn't just take it lying down. Anyone can be annoyed, but its still no excuse for that kind of behaviour.