Phone etiquette

[Wayne T Mathews]

After a very busy day, a commuter settled down in her seat and closed her eyes as the aircraft departed Boston for Atlanta.

 

 

 

When the aircraft became airborne, the guy sitting next to her pulled out his cell phone and started talking in a loud voice. "Hi, sweetheart, it's Eric. I'm on the plane. Yes, I know it's six thirty and not four thirty, but I had a long meeting. No, honey. Not with that floozy from accounts...with the boss. No sweetheart, you're the only one in my life. Yes, I'm sure. Cross my heart," etc., etc.

 

 

 

Fifteen minutes later, he was still talking loudly, when the young woman sitting next to him, obviously angered by his continuous diatribe, yelled at the top of her voice, "Hey, Eric, turn that stupid phone off and come back to bed!"

 

 

 

Eric doesn't use his cell phone in public any longer.

 

 

And then there's the true story that happened when I was in Dallas doing the DC10 Sim training during the Ryan International start-up back in '98.

 

I'd been instructing all day. It was 10:00 PM. I was in my hotel room, tired, with a bourbon and coke on the table beside the students’ notes I was updating. The phone rang and I answered it.

 

Some guy said, "I need to talk to Sherry."

 

I said, "You've got the wrong number Mate. There's no Sherry here." And I hung up. I need to add here that at the time, there were about 50 trainee American Airlines flight attendants staying in the same hotel as us Ryan guys.

 

Two minutes later the phone rang again and the same guy said, "I really need to talk to Sherry."

 

"Honestly old Son," I said, "You've got the wrong number. This's my room and I promise you, there's no Sherry here, dammit." And I hung up again.

 

Almost immediately, the phone rang again and the same guy was saying, "Stop messing with me Man. I really need to talk to Sherry."

 

"Oh all right," I said in resignation, "but you'll have to wait because she's in the shower." I then put the phone down gently on the other side of the room, without hanging up, and went back to my paperwork and Bourbon.

 

Over the years, I've often wondered who Sherry was, what she looked like, and if she was able to explain...

 

 

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Bourbon and coke is bad for you but sherry could be worse, long term. Nev