Flight attendants have a tough, TOUGH job. Their most important reason for being there is to tell us what to do and to keep us safe in the event of an emergency. But other parts of their job encompass just about every type of customer service skill out there. Listening skills. Verbal communication skills. Body language. Awareness of cultural differences. Accessibility. Showing a positive attitude. You name it.
On top of that, nowadays, more than ever, flight attendants also need to have good knowledge of stress management, how to be strict without being punitive, how to deescalate someone, and, unfortunately, self-defense techniques.
Oh, and don’t forget the all-important upsell of those airline credit cards!
So take ALLLL of that, throw in passengers who have no problem (A) reacting with a temper tantrum or a fistfight when told to wear their mask from the bridge of their nose (B) treating a plane like their house and (C) writing to corporate or the FAA when they don’t get their way, an industry that takes its seniority VERY seriously, and maybe a handful of pilots who think they’re God’s gift to mankind, and, well, you’ve got a profession that is NOT easy.
And I’m not just pulling this out of my butt…I’ve got a half dozen or so friends who are flight attendants for nearly as many U.S.-based airlines. I’m also in a few FA-centric groups where I’ve heard…stories. So I know there’s stress. Lots and lots of stress.
Welp, apparently a small group of flight attendants has figured out their own way to handle the stress. Enter Flight Attendant Ivy.
Flight Attendant Ivy is a YouTube-based animated series. Oh, and Flight Attendant Ivy is no regular flight attendant; she tells it like it is, in a definitely NSFW manner.
She explains to an entitled passenger in coach why he can’t be served his Coca Cola until after takeoff
She also tells the woman of the kids who left a mess in their row that they need to clean up after themselves before they leave the plane.
Flight Attendant Ivy has also given a glimpse of the “exotic” flight attendant life, like what happened when their “crash pad”(overnight hotel) didn’t have a room for them…
and what kind of things happen on a phone call from the scheduler on the bus ride back to the airport.
Flight Attendant Ivy is what most flight attendant dreams about saying and doing, and what most passengers wish could be said to the most troublesome people in the air (and I bet some of you recognize some of those.
Flight Attendant Ivy debuted in late 2014 and every year her creators, Shoe Bag Crew Room, have made between roughly 2 and 5 videos of her exploits as a flight attendant ever since. Here are all of them, to date. Heads up that Flight Attendant Ivy is sassy and both she and her co-workers have no qualms about using adult language.
Shoe Bag Crew Room is comprised of four U.S.-based flight attendants:
STACY is a New York based Flight Attendant and the creator of Shoe Bag Crew Room. She’s been a Flight Attendant for 12 years and thinks it’s been an amazing ride. She’s a commuter who resides in Northern California.
KAYLA is a San Francisco based Flight Attendant with a major airline. She has been a Flight Attendant for 9 years and is also a part-time Zumba instructor. Kayla also commutes – she resides in Denver.
DEB is a New York based Flight Attendant with a major airline and has been flying for 14 years. Deb loves to travel and scrapbooks all of her travels! She is a proud grandma of 2 grandchildren and resides in New York.
LIA is a Newark based Flight Attendant with a major airline. She’s been a Flight Attendant for 7 years and is also an active nurse [Note from Sharon: Wow, another high-stress job!]. Lia is the life of the party at Shoe Bag Crew Room and always full of jokes. Lia is a commuter, who resides in Orlando.
Stacy, Kayla, Deb and Lia don’t just make funny videos to let off steam. They also sell a variety of handmade 15′ x 15′ shopping bags, and smaller galley bags, along with small collections of jewelry…all travel, flight and/or flight-attendant themed.
So anyway, yeah…check out Flight Attendant Ivy. If you’ve ever been a passenger on a plane, you’ll appreciate her. And if you’ve ever been a flight attendant, you’ll appreciate her even more. 😉
*** H/T: Tereen
Feature Photo: Vera.vvo / Wikimedia
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