Air Traffic Control Chaos

[Air_Stewardess]

So ATC went down here in the UK. The airport was chaos. It was awful. Walking around the terminal in my uniform was not a good idea. I had my suitcases with me and was surrounded by angry, angry people demanding to know what was going on! I am cabin crew. I do not know anything about delays. I work in the air.

"I'm so sorry but I don't work in the airport, I don't know anymore than you do."

I can understand why they were angry. But why continue to verbally abuse me when I have just told them I can't help? I KNOW NOTHING! I love my job.

[MoonCat]

If you are in any way even remotely connected to the place that has the problem, then their reasoning is YOU MUST KNOW! AND YOU MUST TELL US WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR!

People!

[Sapphire Silk]

Yes, because the guy in charge of the ATC tower immediately briefs each and every flight and cabin crew member on everything that happens in the tower . . . instead of fixing the problem.

[Marmalady]

It doesn't occur to passengers that when something like this happens, it not only leaves them in the wrong place and not knowing when they will be able to get to where they ought to be, it also leaves aircraft and therefore crew in the same position. For all they knew, the OP could have been just as stranded as they were, not that it would have made a difference....

[Sarlon]

I mean this without an ounce of scarcasm....

I take my hat off to you for going through that without killing anyone!

Suprised you weren't offered armed escort to get through.

[UncleImpy]

...Walking around the terminal customers anywhere in my uniform was not a good idea.

Fixed that for you

[Monterey Jack]

Classic Sucktomer behavior...berate the low-level employee least likely to actually be able to do something. Hey, I just bag the groceries, I have no power to change store policy for you, so go find a manager to complain that we no longer give you five cents back per reusable bag.

[thehuckster]

I am frustrated as anyone else about flight delays, but 9 times out of 10 they happen due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. It's pointless to blame them on anybody. I mean, would you rather the pilots fly through the thunderstorm with gusts up to 75 mph or would you rather them wait for the worst of the storm to pass so they can take off more safely? Of course, those same passengers would complain that their flight was so bumpy if they hadn't delayed the flight.

Now, some airlines treat customers during delays and cancellations better than others, but that's still not something a flight attendant has any control over.

[Racket_Man]

This situation is really no different than what happens to pizza delivery when a blizzard hits. Delivery times go through the roof and then people have the gall to bitch and complain that delivery times " ARE WAAY TOOO LONG!!!!!"

And who do they bitch to you ask????? Why the poor Phone people AND the delivery drivers WHO are trying to get their stuff to them without killing themselves or their vehicle.

[Chromatix]

As an aside, the ATC problem appears to have been a classic type of software bug: a lack of input validation. Briefly speaking, input validation is supposed to make sure that input data (in this case flight plans) are in the correct format and contain plausible information *before* they go into the belly of the beast.

Input validation problems are frequently a cause of security breaches.