Prejudice in the air
The captain had advised us that our landing at LAX might be a difficult one. We were offered an alternate airport because of the fires and rioting taking place downtown. I couldn’t bring myself to believe it was actually happening. It had to be mostly news hype, I thought, an attempt to make the Rodney King verdict appear more sensational.
But just before landing I was called into the cockpit, where I stared in disbelief at the smoke billowing from the ground. Against the setting sun, the smoke cast a grim glow around the so-called “City of Angels.”
After we landed, the crew was taken to an airport hotel instead of the usual one downtown. Nobody on the hotel bus said a word, as shock dominated our thoughts. The streets were empty and the area around the airport looked like a ghost town. We got our keys and disappeared to our rooms, hoping CNN would shine a better light on the scene. No one made layover plans, as very few felt like leaving their rooms, much less the hotel. Before that moment, I had never looked upon a person’s skin color as a mark of difference. It was a shameful time for all of us.
Fortunately — and unfortunately — the average airline employee is just a number. No classification by color, religion, gender or sexual preference — just a file number with a security clearance. This is not to say that prejudice does not exist in the airline industry. Whenever you put a variety of cultures together in one workplace, biases are bound to surface.
Here are some of the more prevalent forms of prejudice you find in air travel, along with some tips for staying open-minded and courteous when you travel.
Sexism. My wife, who is a pilot, tells me of passengers boarding the airplane and asking her for a drink; they see the gender, not the uniform. When one man discovered that she was not only a pilot but also the captain, he retrieved his bags and took another flight. Come on, hasn’t he ever heard of brains and beauty?
Assumptions. Not only do most people assume that I am a pilot, but when I tell them I am a flight attendant, they assume I am gay — which I’m not, either (not that there is anything wrong with being gay). Assumptions are inevitable, but try to keep an open mind. You might be surprised by what sneaks in.
Religion. If someone is dressed according to their religious custom — or if they’re kneeling and praying in the back of the airplane — mind your business and allow that person some privacy. A female passenger once approached me during boarding to report that the man next to her was chanting terrorist phrases from a book. It turns out he was reading the Quran. Not all Muslims are terrorists, just as not every Catholic priest is a pedophile.
Rich and famous. If you see somebody famous at the airport or on the airplane and they are being reclusive or seem rude, realize that they have probably encountered many gawkers and fans in the course of the day and have grown weary of them. The shyest celebrity I ever served onboard was David Letterman. Of course, I greeted him like a long lost buddy. He didn’t appreciate the attention and seemed ill at ease the entire flight, which was undoubtedly my fault.
Skin color. Occasionally, you get a crew member telling an off-color racist joke. It’s one of those jokes they tell right after looking around to see if the coast is clear. There is no room in the cabin for racist views, and the people who openly express them don’t last very long. Of course, racism isn’t limited to crew members. I was on a flight one time when a passenger whispered in my ear, “Do you realize that you are the only white member of the crew?” I stopped, looked up and down the aisle, smiled and took pride in the fact that I really hadn’t noticed.
Watch what you say. A black female flight attendant was working hard in the back galley when a passenger waiting for the bathroom teasingly asked her, “Are you the galley slave?” Realizing that his idle comment could be misconstrued as a racist remark, the passenger instantly apologized. No offense intended - and none taken - but why take a chance? Think before you speak.
(That episode reminds me of a time many years ago, when I was in the Army. I went onto the base to see a movie. There were two fairly long lines for two different shows: “The Color Purple,” and “Indiana Jones.” At the back of the line I innocently asked, “Is this the line for ‘The Color People’?” Everyone in line turned around in disbelief. “Purple!” I cried. “I meant purple!” It was just a slip of the tongue, but I certainly deserved a crack on the head, and I went to see “Indiana Jones” just to be safe.)
Sensitivity training. I believe in educating the public about the realities of modern-day prejudices, but I also believe there should be limits on the content. Should I really say, “Coffee plain” instead of “Black” and “Coffee regular” instead of “White”? Do the people who design these courses ever confer with the groups whom they feel we might be offending?
Security profiling. Airline management tells us to look out for anyone suspicious. Now this doesn’t mean everyone of Middle Eastern descent or anyone wearing a turban, but not surprisingly these are the people who are most often pointed out for secondary screening. It’s not called ethnic profiling, but what is the reality? Let’s face it: Ever since the 9/11 attacks and the ongoing conflict in Iraq, there has been a dramatic rise in fear and hostility directed against those of Arab descent. When these people are singled out for special scrutiny, is it caution or is it prejudice?
As we remember Martin Luther King this week, I hope we take a hard look at lingering prejudices of all kinds. We are a wonderful nation of differences, a meeting ground for hundreds of great cultures, heritages and ways of life. We need to celebrate those differences, and a good way to begin is to remember that we all came from somewhere else. Every race is a guest here, and each should be made to feel welcome.
As Rodney King himself asked, “Can we all get along here?”
I say: Let’s try a little harder to do just that.