Flying with Jabba da Hut

I flew with Jabba da Hut yesterday. Jim (not his real name) was waiting at the departure gate when my two flying partners and I arrived. He headed over to meet us, and I stuck my hand out and introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Blondie. Are you riding to San Jose or working with us" I asked. "Working, and you're number four today," he barked.

Well, alrighty, then.

Jim was so pleased with himself. He was very close to me in seniority. Well, more like juniority, since I was in the very last class hired, and am #9 from the bottom of the Flight Attendant seniority list. Jim finally had someone junior to him, and he was able to choose what position he was going to work. It was like he was making an announcement: YOU'RE number four today!

Whatever, dude, I don't care. Wherever I work, whatever position I end up with, it does not matter to me. I have preferences, but, really, it doesn't matter.

As the #3 on the 757 from Denver (DEN) to San Jose (SJC) he would be setting up the galley, and I would be at Door 2L, greeting our passengers and making announcements. Easy-peasy.

After take-off, he set up the beverage cart. While doing our service, we ran out of plastic cups, water and orange juice. Let me just say that, for the way he proclaimed that I was number 4, you would think he could have done a better job setting up the cart. (Jus' sayin'...)

We didn't really speak much during the flight. I spent most of the flight out in the aisle picking up trash and talking to a couple of passengers.

Toward the end of the flight, Jabba Jim had just about everything put away in the galley, except a couple of bottles of water and a stack of cups. Just prior to turning the seatbelt sign on for landing, our pilots make an announcement that they are getting ready to turn it on, and that now would be a good time to get up and stretch your legs, if needed. A gentleman that I had been talking with earlier came back to the galley where Jim and I were--I had my hands full tying up a bag of trash and Jim was just standing there. Our passenger asked Jim, "Can I have a glass of water, please?" Jim's response was brusque and rude. "The beverage service is concluded, Sir," he barked.  Omigawd! Did he really just say that?  The passenger said, "But you've got cups and water sitting right there." Jim made one of those snotty, pissed-off noises that I certainly can't convey here with words. He turned around, with his back to both of us, to pour a glass of water for the gentleman. As he did this, the passenger looked at me with a "What did I do" kind of look. I shrugged my shoulders at him, and mouthed the words "I'm sorry." I was so embarrassed!

I really hope I don't fly with Jim again. Because he was not so nice to me and ugly to our passenger, I have replaced the image of his face with that of the ugly Jabba da Hut.  I'm sure if we flew together again, I would slip and call him "Jabba."

Wait!  Accidently call him Jabba? Maybe I do want to fly with him again...