Button on airplane for service or emergency?

retromcadams · 12-16-2007, 06:55 AM

I was flying on an airplane yesterday (US AIRWAYS) and was uncomfortable because my drink had been sitting on the tray in front of me for a couple hours and hadn't been picked up yet by a stewardess. I rang the service bell and when the stewardess came over I asked if she could take my cup. She did but not without snapping at me, "That button is for emergencies only!"Is this wrong? I figured it was because the actual button I pressed had a picture of a stewardess holding a cup on it. I figured, she's the steward and here's my cup. Is this button really only for emergencies? I was under the impression it was for service. Should I complain about this stewardess?

TheTrickster · 12-16-2007, 07:14 AM

When you push the button for service on any flight you just pushed the wrong button on your Stewardess. Don't ever do this if you want to stay in the good graces of the flight crew. They have heard it so many times and usually for little nit picky things "like picking up a cup" that they really dislike anyone that uses this signal. No offence, its just a fact of life.and NO! you should not complain about the Stew. You will get the same reaction on any flight on any airline.Sorry if Stewardess is no longer politically correct but it has been a standard designation for flight crews for over 50 years. Get over it. And Hutchie6. We are not wrong. We just have a difference of opinion and you did not answer the question. Easy on the negativity folks. I mean if you really hate that cup in front of you, put it in the pocket in front of you until the attendant comes by again. When she is picking up all the garbage at the same time!

gromit8015509 · 12-16-2007, 07:34 AM

That you call them stewardess' show that you really have no idea who they are.Flight Attendants are there for emergency purposes. Bringing by a drink or some food is strictly a courtesy. They're not food servers in a restaurant.If your cup was sitting there, get up and dispose of it yourself.

hutchie66773 · 12-16-2007, 07:53 AM

I'm sorry, but the two previous answers are wrong. For obvious reasons (small space lots of people, danger due to turbulence, security reasons) airlines do not want people walking around airplanes throwing out their own cups. Flight attendants are there so that people really should only have to get out of their seats in order to go to the toilet-- especially on long flights, as it sounds like this was.