Passenger shamed by flight attendant for using the call button – but people say he’s in the right
A PASSENGER was left embarrassed after he was shamed by flight attendants - but people say he did nothing wrong.
The traveller asked on Reddit whether he shouldn't have used the overhead call button during a flight.
He wrote: "Recently took an international flight was asleep at 5pm when they brought the hot meals.
"I woke up at 5:45pm and realized I missed my opportunity, so I hit my flight attendant call button to see if they could possible bring me any extras?
"The flight attendant very nicely let me know that she would, but that the call button was for emergencies only, she then proceeded to get on the intercom and let everyone know that the call button was in fact for emergencies only (but she did bring my food).
"I felt a little 'called out' and people around me definitely noticed."
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"I never realized the call button was for emergencies only. Is that common knowledge?"
However, people were on his side, saying that the button isn't only needed for emergencies.
One person wrote: "Um I don’t think it’s for emergencies. I’ve used it to get a blanket before. The flight attendant had no issue."
Someone else agreed: "It's not for emergencies only. It's for when you need something. This flight attendant may have just wanted to be left alone."
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Another commenter said they would write to the airline, adding: "Whilst I cannot agree with her chastising you, I really cannot support her pointing out she thought you were childish. That was not how she was trained."
Not everyone agreed - one person wrote: "The same thing happened to me recently. I got up, walked to the back of the plane and asked for something I eat.
"I don’t think that button is for emergency use only but equally flight attendants aren’t your personal servers."
Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants agreed, telling The Point's Guy: "Don’t use the call button to ask for a drink. As a general rule, don’t think of the call button as your vodka-tonic button."
Instead, crew advise going up to staff in the galley if wanting something like a drink or a blanket.
Flight attendant Amanda Pleva said the passenger was in the right, saying passengers who sit in the window seat may prefer to call for help if someone is sleeping in the row next to them.
One flight attendant says you should never use the call button during landing or take off either.
Kat Kalamani said: "This drives flight attendants absolutely bonkers when you hit your flight attendant call light button if we are on the tarmac, or going up or going down on the aircraft.
"The reason being it is a huge safety issue for us and we could get injured and the same with you guys.
"So from the tarmac - if you hit this and its not some kind of emergency, we are straight going back to our seat."
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Some flight attendants said you will get worse service if you use the call button.
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