In a recent report, a flight attendant for an unknown international airline claimed that she removes her uniform as soon as possible because she fears her safety.
The flight attendant, who wrote the opinion piece for The Guardian under the alias Meryl Love, is not the only one who feels that way.
According to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA), travel safety and security concerns have increased over the past year as airline employees deal with violent and rude passengers, staffing shortages, and disruptive passengers.
Fox News Digital contacted the AFA to ask for a response regarding the report’s accuracy among its 50,000 members.
She said, “Flight Attendants wonder every morning they put on their uniform whether [they will have] a sign of leadership and authority in the cabin to keep everyone safe, or a target for a violent attack.”
Nelson observed that in 2021, flight attendants witnessed a rise in disruptive behavior among passengers that the industry had never before experienced in the history of flying.
“While the number of bad actors is relatively small, the incidents of disruptions have been so pervasive,” Nelson said.
“The frequency of events [has] led some in the media to refer to the disruptive outbursts and violent behavior as a ‘new normal.’ That is something we simply cannot accept for our safety and security.”
According to Nelson, some of these in-flight disruptions were caused by passengers drinking alcohol and a failure to communicate the “rules and penalties” for disruptive behavior.
She said that unruly passengers enhance the likelihood that a flight attendant will miss signs of a planned attack during her testimony.
Nelson suggested that strengthening government action, maintaining a centralized record of violations, resolving staffing shortages, and offering self-defense training can all help prevent incidents on flights and lessen the hardship that flight attendants have been experiencing.
Eight months after Nelson submitted her list of recommendations, it seems like flight attendants are still struggling.
Love claimed that the summer is stressful for travel due to the increase of passengers.
“Passengers are particularly tense in this summer of travel chaos, and in my cabin crew uniform, I am the physical embodiment of all their flying woes,” Love wrote.
“The frustration of lost bags, delays, and canceled flights is heightened by the holidays lost to [COVID-19].”
She added that travelers “forget that people in uniforms are real people.”
Love went on to say that she tries to show sympathy to “irate” flight passengers who turn to her to vent their frustrations.
“If you show one ounce of sass, you’re done for,” she also wrote.
“I say sorry. I’m very, very sorry. I’ve been saying it so much lately.”
Love claimed that she wore her uniform everywhere after her shift, and now she ditches it every chance she can.
“If you’re anywhere in the vicinity of the airport, you’re an unofficial public relations rep for the whole airline industry,” Love concluded.
“I sit on the tube [the subway] and hope no one recognizes me from the flight.”
