"Can I get your name"..."No, I don't give my name"

[hp_fa]

Umm, as a passenger, I have the right to know who has my life in their hands. Plus, anyone can buy an airline uniform, so having the badge eliminates any confusion who has what authority. Keeping badges within passengers' view is critical, in my opinion.

I am going to disagree with you, at least as far as the FA's are concerned.

First, if you really want to see ID on them look at it when it is plainly in sight in the terminal. If you are at your flight when the FA's board you can see the ID then.

Second, would it not seem natural for you to think that the FA's have all introduced themselves to one another, as well as the flight deck members, and covered some basic ground as a team rather then just have 3+ folks show up at an airplane and start doing a job with no interaction among the members? (This statement is tip-toeing around some potential security issues so I won't be more precise than that.)

Third, what makes you believe it is allowed to cover your last name on an ID card that allows access to certain non-public areas of an airport?

Finally, the FA's should both be introduced at the beginning of the flight in the preflight emergency briefing and their aprons should have a first name on them.

 

[700UW]

A couple of points.

It is not a passengers' right to see a FA's ID, the TSA checks them when they go through security and the crew checks in for their trips.

Two a FA's job is safety first not Customer Service.

 

[sharktooth]

Umm, as a passenger, I have the right to know who has my life in their hands.

Nope. No way, no how.

If you are that ignorant of security ramifications concerning IDs, perhaps you really should consider walking. You may wish to google and read "Bruce Schneier" first, who has published numerous and highly respected articles on the "fake security" that you seem to advocate. (I know that if you offer me money, a lot (we are talking millions), I will gladly tell you what I think you would want to know) How about that?

 

[USFlyer]

I have to disagree. Badges should be visible at all times. I have to admit I'm a bit concerned folks are this upset about having to wear a badge. I work in a less secure environment and are required to wear company-issued badges at all times. This is not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be.

Let's not forget that I've seen non-company personnel on planes that could easily be mistaken for crew on that flight. Displaying the badge eliminates any confusion.

Don't ground personnel have to wear their SIDA badges at all times?

(Update after original post, I just called my friend who works for the FAA in DC. He said I am correct that badges should be visible at all times while on duty.)

 

[700UW]

Airport employees wear SIDA badges issued by the Airport, Flight Crews do not.

Big differance.

If Flight Crews are required to wear their IDs at all times, please show us the FAR the requires that practice.

 

[sharktooth]

(Update after original post, I just called my friend who works for the FAA in DC. He said I am correct that badges should be visible at all times while on duty.)

Your "friend" does not know the issue and/or is wrong.

For instance, while transiting gates, in the airport area, badges are not required nor do they need be displayed any more than passengers who have also transited "security".

The only known circumstance as to displaying one's "badge" concerns ramp access, something you, as an unescorted passenger, are not privy to.

 

[flygirl74]

I think passengers should display their company ID's too. So when Mr. Important in 1C has a meltdown I can have the proper information to write a letter to HIS company condoning his bad behavior. Since passengers are representatives of THEIR companies there should be recourse BOTH ways....don't you think??

 

[ggiby]

You know you raise an interesting point and I could whole heartedly agree except for one thing.

The fundamental difference is we or our companies paid to sit there so a certain level of tolerance is required by those who serve the customer. You know the "Customer is always right" approach.

Well IMO the customer is NOT always right. Sometimes they're Jackasses. I have given a F/A my business card on several occassions and said "If he complains and you get hauled in for discipline have them call me, I saw the whole thing and he was wrong".

Bottom line is there is no room for bad behavior on either side.

After reading a few of the responses... some points are good some are bad.
No as crewmembers we are not required to give our names out to the public. This is for
the personal safety of the crewmembers. We have had several f/a's murdered on overnights..
Thus the reason for not giving out our name.

All you need is the flight number and date..... and the city pairs. Give your seat number and
to which area of the a/c the f/a was working. I even had access to the crewmember's name.
With the info you provided in the first post. I for one would hate to see that someone was
upset w/ me on this public forum.. LOL

As far as the post that the PAX should behave as well..... Thats never going to happen...
but a very good point. When a company pays good money for an employee to fly, he
is also representing that said company and should behave ! As well as the employee's
of LCC...

And ..... we all have bad days...
but being lazy is not acceptable!

IMHO :down:

 

[sharktooth]

We have had several f/a's murdered on overnights..
Thus the reason for not giving out our name.

Gotta call you on this.

If, indeed, a crew-member was "murdered", was it because they gave out their name?

I doubt it. I am asking for proof.

 

[Atlantic]

It's a TSA thing that all airline workers, on the air side, have their ID's out and visible. Back on point though, why not give your name if someone asks? If your doing it like you should be, what's the big deal?

 

[nycbusdriver]

I have to disagree. Badges should be visible at all times. I have to admit I'm a bit concerned folks are this upset about having to wear a badge. I work in a less secure environment and are required to wear company-issued badges at all times. This is not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be.

Let's not forget that I've seen non-company personnel on planes that could easily be mistaken for crew on that flight. Displaying the badge eliminates any confusion.

Don't ground personnel have to wear their SIDA badges at all times?

(Update after original post, I just called my friend who works for the FAA in DC. He said I am correct that badges should be visible at all times while on duty.)

SIDA badges are only required to be worn in restricted areas. The concourse is not; the ramp is; the airplane is not (otherwise, the passengers would have to have SIDA badges, too.)

As much as you might not like it, ID badges are not required in the cabin.

And your FAA "friend" doesn't have a clue...which is not unexpected for FAA personnel.

 

[PHLfa88]

I thought the FAA required crew badges to be visible at all times for security purposes. On NW, the crew (pilots and F/As) always have their badges visible.

We are told Not to have our ID"S Visible whilst on board the aircraft...And only First name is to be given for security reasons!

 

[scareplane]

As a flight attendant I will not give out my last name - but will gladly give my first name & flight # etc. There is no need to know our last names. Once on the a/c I will flip my badge around so it is not showing. It is company policy to not display our badges on the aircraft.

 

[FlightChic]

We are not required to give our information out to the flying public. If they have a problem they can put the flight number and date and leave it to the company to investigate if there is a problem.

Today we were deadheading on a flight with really nice flight attendants who were working the flight. They were very professional, polite, and treated each passenger with utmost respect. At the end of the flight out of nowhere, some crazy, irate passenger who barely even spoke English approached one of the deadheading crewmembers and asked for her name and number. The deadheading f/a explained that she didn't have to give out that information and furthermore was not working the flight. She was just a passenger like everybody else. The lady didn't understand and kept demanding her name and number. The f/a again explained that she DID NOT work that flight, that she just rode as a passenger and that she never even spoke to the lady. The crazy lady did not even understand and kept saying "Ju worked thees flight? I whant ju name!" and every time the f/a said no, she didn't work the flight the lady kept saying the same thing. I think the lady was mad because there wasn't room in the OHB for her bag or something. IDK but she was way out of line and I can tell you the flight attendants did absolutely nothing wrong.

As for the f/a who didn't smile that the OP is talking about, you don't know the situation. Maybe the f/a was upset about working Thanksgiving. Maybe something was going on in his personal life. Maybe he was tired from working 6 days in a row and all month long and having to put up with people's crap. Maybe he is having problems at home. Maybe he recently lost a loved one. I could go on and on. Maybe he woke up with a sore throat and doesn't feel good. Maybe he just found out he has cancer or some other life-threatening illness or a family member is sick. Sometimes things aren't as they always seem. I'm sure you've had days when you weren't feeling your best and you weren't cheerful or friendly like you should have been but you just didn't feel like it. Don't take it personally. BTW, last Thanksgiving I woke up in LAX with terrible and abnormal cramps in my abdominal area but I worked the flight back to PHL anyway. I figured it would go away. We boarded, took off, completed our service, etc. and as the flight progressed the pain became even worse, to the point to where it was so excrutiating that my insides felt like they were going to explode from all the pressure and I was in tears, and trust me Flightchic doesn't cry in front of others but this day I did and didn't care. I probably was not in the best mood that day. I tried but was in so much pain it was hard for me to smile because of the pain. Or have you ever received a phone call while out of town across the country from a sibling saying someone in your immediate family had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital and was undergoing surgery and for you to come home ASAP so you work the flight back to base and get off the trip? I've done that too! When you're worried about whether your loved one is even going to live or not you're not exactly in the best mood. Or maybe this person just finished a flight with a difficult group of passengers. I've had flights before where passengers were so unruly and angry over a weather delay that they were calling us names, using offensive language, and being extremely rude after you had diverted to an airport where we don't even fly and a wussy captain who basically tells you to shut up and stop acting like a baby. Or maybe you are flying with a crewmember who is making the trip absolutely unbearable. We have bills to pay. we can't call off everytime someone offends us. Otherwise, we would never work. Just remember that we are humans too. We have our ups and downs. We can't call off work everytime something is going on. Remember there are two sides to every story and don't judge us over one situation. We are only human.

 

[SolidCactus]

I certainly don't blame you guys at all. I personally would never want my last name displayed for public to see. Although, I think a first name is expected. I do note the names on the aprons, and I think that is actually a really classy touch...