I am wondering if the old lady had to write a review what she would have said? Clearly three things: 1. I watched a nice movie. 2. Helped a co-passenger with water 3. Only to realize ingratitude... Funny how the vagaries of life pile...mind you I am not taking sides here... Next time fly Emirates...:)
Re: The Old Lady
by Debroop Sarkar on Dec 06, 2009 08:38 AM
How about, 1. Disturbing someone's sleep. 2. Piling up cutlery in someone else's space. 3. Being disruptive and endangering crew by trying to access during turbulence. 4. Being incredibly rude by rushing to the exit during disembarking. Mind you, I am merely pointing out the other side that you conveniently overlooked.
Re: Re: The Old Lady
by Dream Peace on Dec 08, 2009 08:53 AM
Well said Debroop, But Except the pilling up cutlery there was nothing so very big as such.The old lady has been impatient throught..but that is very typical of old people.We have to either adjust or be able to patienty convince them.Everything else the old lady did was out of sheer innocence or ignorance and can definately be overlooked.And we all need to be patient enough with our elders.Not necessarily they are as educated as us,or that they know the flight ettiquettes.Old lady was just trying to be more casual,was trying to connect.And thats how normally we humans should behave.Writer felt embarassing when the old lady called crew for hot water, but how she doesnt realize the concern that old lady felt for her cough??And in the very biginning she says,old lady greeted her as if she knew her since childhood and she looks like her daughter. Did that mean nothing to her??How did she respond to it,that she never mentioned. Every situation has some positive and negetive factors.It depends what we want to pick.What would Akhila have done if this old lady was her mother? I'm sure if we were not much educated each one of us would have behaved almost the sameway like the old lady including Akhila.Akhila could have taken the opportunity to patiently tell the old lady about the DOs & DONTs of flight. Akhia is a typical example of inhuman people who live in a so called sophisticated world'
I am sure that you would have been happy to oblige if the lady sitting next to you was a young one and would have gone out of your way in obliging her and not complaining.
Re: Would I have behaved the same if it was my mom !!
by Nav on Dec 06, 2009 05:21 AM
This has nothing to do with respect. If the story is true then the old lady is a real pain.
Re: Would I have behaved the same if it was my mom !!
by Debroop Sarkar on Dec 06, 2009 08:40 AM
Well, in a public area, we are all responsible for our own parents. It is sad that the old lady had to travel alone. If you are to point fingers, maybe you should do so to the person whose parent she is.
We are generally very intrusive and dont respect other peoples privacy. I am no stiff upper lip but surely cant tolerate behaviour of the old lady who seems to be totally uncultured. And to those who remark "high class stiff upper lip" let me say that most people who are RICH or HIGHER CLASS in our society are worse behaved than the middle class throwing their weight around. Some of it is pure common sense. The old lady was surely badly behaved and I would not want to sit for 9 hours next to one. I have had wonderful experiences with people old as well as young. I have never complain about children because they are "CHILDREN" not because i would particularly like their behaviour, but you can understand. But you would expect better behaviour by grown ups. Piling plates on your neighbors table, asking for luggage to be removed while landing ... all that shows that the lady certainly was mad as HELL.
Re: we are unnecessarily intrusive.
by Globalcrusador on Dec 06, 2009 08:40 AM
I agree with you in full. Young or old, people have to learn to observe minimum etiquette and respect the other person's need for privacy. My wife on a flight to the middle east had another experience to relate. In the flight, when people got down at an intermediate airport, some illi- terate passengers rushed forward to occupy the vacant window seats and refused to vacate when fresh joining passengers came on board with their allotted seat numbers. High time, some of the grouchy Indians stayed back at home instead of bringing us shame all over the world. There was nothing wrong in helping the 70 year old lady had she been less intrusive and lacking in manners by piling up her cutlery on top of her neighbours.
Re: Elitist
by Debroop Sarkar on Dec 06, 2009 09:38 AM
Elite or not- etiquettes are etiquettes. Speaking of interaction, it should not border on intrusiveness.
for the Old Lady ..That is.. I would shudder to have such an elitist , " I am High class" type of person next to me on a long flight turning up their nose at everything someone does which does not meet up to the definition of their version of "class".
As I said, this is a good story but seems like the one who had a horror trip was the Old lady and not you.
