Airlines and Falling Down

Steven Slater is a fifteen minute folk hero. Everyone who has endured the growing squeeze on the working stiff, the added frustrations of customer service for all concerned, or the aggravation of air travel has to feel something for the guy who lashes out. It seems that ever since 2001, the experiences of going to work, dealing with other people, and air travel have all taken a serious turn for the worst. Mr. Slater just put those looming menaces of the zeitgeist on flamboyant display. Catharsis happened.


Everyone has had enough of taking abuse from a boss because they have no choice. Lots of us have had enough of taking abuse from strangers who pass their own abuses onto the guy next to them. From finding a place to drop someone off at departures to the baggage claim area, air travel just plain sucks, and it sucks the most for the people in the industry. They face the trifecta of crappy pay, pissy people, and air travel itself. Out of toil and obscurity emerges the hero.

Mr. Slater: we thank you for your childish outburst. If it makes the world a little easier for all of us working stiffs, you have done the world a real service. If people are a little nicer to one another on the plane, if TSA reconsiders making everyone take off their shoes in line, if airlines rethink the checked baggage fee, we will have you to thank.

To those of you who would consider "going postal," think of Mr. Slater. For the video game satisfaction of blowing one's boss to Kingdom Come, you will face a life in prison, a bloody standoff, or suicide. People will die. Your family will be ashamed. Your glory will be far overshadowed by your infamy. No one will learn anything. Instead, think of something clever. Pull a fire alarm, release crickets in the cubicles, reveal the boss's darkest secret. Go out in Facebook Fame.

For once, someone who screamed, "Enough!" didn't do something so stupid or dangerous to overshadow the proper public response, "Why?" Let's hope we can really learn from this.